State of JavaScript – Real Analysis of Angular, React, and Vue
JavaScript frameworks for years dominate the web and mobile app development space. They are irreplaceable parts of any technology stack for app developers. But every JavaScript framework stands distinct in terms of capabilities, features and fulfilling requirements.
While Angular stood as the leading framework that evolved throughout the growth and proliferation of the web, ReactJS for some years has emerged as the most popular JavaScript framework because of allowing reusability of the code. VueJS is the latest entrant in the league of most popular JavaScript frameworks. Three of them dominate most of the JavaScript footprint across apps. Naturally they require a detailed comparison and meticulous study.
Here we present a detailed comparison of the three JavaScript frameworks.
Angular vs React vs Vue: introducing the 3 competitors
Before we start picking the differences between these 3 JavaScript frameworks, we need to make a brief elucidation of their background and the bass of their competition. Let’s introduce each of these frameworks in brief.
Angular
Developed and released in the market by Google way back in 2010, this typescript based javascript framework has passed through a complete evolution over the years and has been used in countless web and mobile apps. Though initially it was called AngularJS, after 2016 the framework was renamed as Angular without the suffix.
The last version of the framework Angular 8.0 was released in May 2019. The framework has been used in Google apps and a whole array of leading apps across the spectrum.
React
Developed and released by Facebook way back in 2013, this JavaScript framework brought a seismic shift to cross-platform development with its unique approach focusing on reusability of the code. It was mainly built to solve some of the problems like loading issues, maintenance difficulties and several others that Facebook was facing at that time.
React actually is not just a framework but a robust JavaScript library with many components that developers can use out of the box. Many of the world’s leading web apps now use React including BBC, Glassdoor, PayPal and several others.
Vue
This JavaScript framework unlike the other two was built and released in the market by a Chinese developer in 2014. Ever since Vue was released it continued to become popular and at present it is one of the most loved and widely used JavaScript frameworks around the world.
Vue was built as a very low footprint and lightweight framework to solve many problems that other JavaScript frameworks are incapable of. Ease of use and simple approach to development tasks are two key value propositions of Vue framework.
Now that we have introduced all three frameworks in brief, let us move to their respective value propositions and differences one by one.
Ease of development
As far as ease of building an app and writing code lines are considered, there are considerable differences among these three frameworks. Let’s have a look.
- Angular is the most complex one because of a complicated syntax. This is why building an app with Angular requires a lot more time than with the other two frameworks.
- React comes with a very simple and direct approach and requires less time for the developers to start with. The only drawback is that setting up a React project requires a lot of time.
- VueJS in complete contrast to the other two requires less time for setting up and starting a project straight away. It is easy to use because of its MVC model and helpful features like data binding.
File size and loading speed
The heavier file size is always detrimental to faster loading pace while small file size helps to boost the performance of the app. In this regard, these 3 frameworks have serious differences. Let’s have a look.
- Angular is the heaviest among these three and consequently is much slower in terms of loading speed.
- React is somewhat smaller in file size and offers a better loading speed than Angular.
- Vue is a framework with very small file size and hence it uses the fastest in respect of leading speed.
Finding expert developers
Development companies always face the challenge of finding the ideal developer talents for fulfilling their needs. Unfortunately, all of these frameworks can enjoy the support of too many expert developers in the market. As Angular is the oldest and passed through longer evolution over the years, there are more expert Angular developers in the market than with React and Vue platforms.
On the other hand, Angular comes with a higher learning curve than the other two. React developers can learn the basics faster but get used to various practices and nuances can take a lot of time. Vue in contrast to these two is easier to learn and involves fewer complexities. As for community help both Angular and React offer robust and large communities to deliver help for various development challenges. Vue coming from a different linguistic community provides less community help for the English speakers.
Comparing the inbuilt tools and components
All three frameworks are component-based and provide the ease of using ready to use components while building an app. Thanks to their component-based architecture, these frameworks provide unmatched reusability for various development projects. This approach allows using one component from one project directly into the other.
Since Angular uses a different language like Typescript, using it involves a steep learning curve. On the other hand, both React and Vue by using common JavaScript language makes it easier for the developers to learn and start with. As for using ready components, React can mix UI templates with JavaScript code and help using ready components.
Since React developers only need working knowledge of JavaScript, it is more developer-friendly than the other two. Vue in contrast by offering compact component files complete with highlighted syntax and CSS support makes development extremely easier and simple.
Flexibility of using the library
Angular is very strict about following a structure and using the ready to use functions for the app project. Angular behaves ideally like a framework with recommendations and structure with little scope to deviate. In contrast, React comes as basically a JavaScript library without any fixation or strong recommendations of following a structure. This gives React apps more flexibility and versatility.
Robust and flexible libraries are also the strengths of Vue. These libraries in case of both React and Vue can easily be used with different packages and deliver the custom look, feel and functions. Vue comes with a balanced approach combining the scope of using different libraries and utilising what it offers out of the box.
App Testing
Angular offers a very well structured testing process along with several popular and acclaimed testing tools and frameworks such as Jasmine. After the release of the Angular 2 version, developers can write scripts in various ways for the testing purpose.
When it comes to testing, these three frameworks have different approaches. React developers can use testing tools like Jest and Mocha to test code. The framework comes with a very well-defined and validated testing process for evaluating any project.
For Vue, developers don’t have any testing guidelines and this is a serious shortcoming of the framework. Though Vue developers can use several compatible testing tools such as Karma and Jest.
Pros and cons of ReactJS, AngularJS and VueJS
Let us now have a brief look at the key pros and cons of all three frameworks mentioned that we explained.
Pros and Cons: Angular vs React vs Vue
All of the above frameworks have some pros and cons that developers need to be conscious about. Let us briefly mention the key pros and cons of each of these frameworks.
Pros of React
- React allows developers to learn basics quickly and start developing the app. If you have a JavaScript background, you can learn the framework and start development in a whiz.
- React comes with very detailed documentation, tutorials and provides a lot of additional resources for the new developers.
- React thanks to its component-based architecture provides great scope of code reusability. This allows faster development and maintaining consistency.
- React comes loaded with virtual DOM which is effective enough to safeguard the app from all performance glitches caused by DOM manipulation.
- React is a fully-fledged JavaScript library loaded with every kind of developer tools for purposes ranging from debugging to designing.
Cons of React
- There are complaints from React developers that React doesn’t provide required components for easy and seamless navigation.
- React also doesn’t provide any custom module for UX development.
- If you are building a cross-platform app using React, implementing the app in native iOS and Android app platforms may require having native developers in a team for maintaining optimum UX standards for respective platforms.
Pros of Angular
- Angular offers two very useful features for developers, respectively automated DOM manipulation and data binding. Angular allowing two-way data binding helps developers incorporate changes in the app in real-time.
- Angular offers pretty good features for testing, debugging and maintenance. Angular allows easier debugging thanks to advanced refactoring and debugging properties inbuilt with the framework. Moreover, developers have access to robust testing tools such as Karna and Protractor. Developers can also make use of dependency injections to make things easier.
- Thanks to the MVW model Angular developers can easily maintain separation of concerns leading to faster development.
- Angular comes with a Deep Linking module to help with single-page app development. This module works in the same way as Ajax.
- Angular also offers a lot of customisation opportunities with a variety of tools and filters. Thanks to these additional tools and filters Angular developers can deliver faster app performance easily.
Cons of Angular
- Angular uses Typescript language and hence there is a steep learning curve for the developers. If you are a JavaScript beginner, the framework may actually look really tough to start with.
- Lack of documentation is another major problem with the framework. As per many developers Angular doesn’t provide comprehensive documentation that covers every detail aspect of development.
- Angular also comes with a lot of difficulties for debugging. Because of the debugging difficulties Angular apps require to take help from different third-party tools in the testing phase.
Pros of Vue
- Vue is probably the JavaScript framework with the smallest file size or footprint. Because of this extremely smaller file size and lightweight build it also delivers the fastest loading time. Vue just takes 18kb of total space with a zip file.
- Vue is easier for developers compared to the other two frameworks mentioned here. When developers need to build robust templates in a big project, Vue helps to save a lot of time.
- Vue offers a great scope of customisation thanks to the ease of integrating components. Whether developers need to develop a single page app right from scratch or just want to tweak a few things in an existing app, Vue comes extremely handy and helpful.
- Vue offers comprehensive and detailed documentation to help developers in every aspect of development and coding.
- Vue is a tremendously flexible and versatile framework. It can be used for building a wide variety of apps ranging from simple browser apps to complex and enterprise-grade page apps.
- Vue offers a two-way binding feature to make the app responsive to changes without delay. Thanks to this feature any changes made with the app concurrently reflects in real-time.
Cons of Vue
- Vue comes from a less known company headed by an ex-Google engineer of Chinese descent. This gives Vue less exposure compared to other two frameworks built and maintained by Google and Facebook respectively.
- Vue still has a very limited developer community.
Compared to React or Angular, Vue enjoys the backing of a very small community
of developers.
- From the creator of Vue who is a Chinese to the majority of the developers in non-English speaking nations, Vue has the language constraint and this makes some roadblocks for accessing community help.
- Vue being too flexible with a multitude of options for the developers often lacks clarity. Too much flexibility often leads to confusion for the developers as to which path to take in a particular project.
Conclusion
All three JavaScript frameworks are equally loved and respected for their efficiency, performance and multiplicity of use. The pros and cons of each of these platforms should be seen with a balanced approach. Not any of them fits all development projects but each one is ideal for fulfilling certain requirements.
- State of JavaScript – Real Analysis of Angular, React, and Vue - March 26, 2020
