Angular, React, or Vue.js for Your Web Application?
So, you have a project that will become an excellent web application, and you are thinking about hiring software developers to bring this project to life. What kind of developer should you look for?
\r\nAt first glance, the answer may seem simple: a full-stack developer who can work both on the frontend and backend of your application. And when it comes to the frontend, you almost certainly need a developer with experience in JavaScript.
\r\nUnfortunately, the answer is not that simple. Experience with JavaScript can mean different things to different people, and two developers with the same level of JavaScript experience may have completely different skill sets depending on which frameworks they are familiar with and have worked with in the past.
\r\nWhen it comes to frontend development and web applications, there are dozens of frameworks, but the three most popular ones are based on JavaScript (or TypeScript): Angular, React, and Vue.
| \r\n\t\t\t | Angular | \r\n\t\t\tReact | \r\n\t\t\tVue.js | \r\n\t\t
| Year of creation | \r\n\t\t\t2010 | \r\n\t\t\t2013 | \r\n\t\t\t2014 | \r\n\t\t
| Creator | \r\n\t\t\tEvan You (former Google engineer) | \r\n\t\t||
| Documentation | \r\n\t\t\tAngular Documentation | \r\n\t\t\tReact Documentation | \r\n\t\t\tVue.js Documentation | \r\n\t\t
| Language type | \r\n\t\t\tTranspiled language | \r\n\t\t\tTranspiled language | \r\n\t\t\tTranspiled language | \r\n\t\t
| Typing | \r\n\t\t\tBoth dynamically and statically typed (via TypeScript) | \r\n\t\t\tBoth dynamically and statically typed (via TypeScript or Flow) | \r\n\t\t\tDynamically typed | \r\n\t\t
| TIOBE rating | \r\n\t\t\tCombined with JavaScript - #6 (TIOBE index) | \r\n\t\t\tCombined with JavaScript - #6 (TIOBE index) | \r\n\t\t\tNot ranked | \r\n\t\t
| Popularity | \r\n\t\t\tStable (Google Trends) | \r\n\t\t\tHigh and stable (StackOverflow 2021 survey) | \r\n\t\t\tRapidly growing (Google Trends) | \r\n\t\t
| Applications | \r\n\t\t\tSingle-page applications, Mobile applications | \r\n\t\t\tUser interfaces, Single-page applications, Mobile applications | \r\n\t\t\tSingle-page applications, Small projects, User interfaces | \r\n\t\t
| Performance | \r\n\t\t\tFast, but less than React due to larger bundle size. | \r\n\t\t\tFastest due to virtual DOM | \r\n\t\t\tVery fast due to lightweight structure | \r\n\t\t
| Stability | \r\n\t\t\tStable, mature technology | \r\n\t\t\tStable, backed by Facebook | \r\n\t\t\tStable, but newer and less mature than Angular and React | \r\n\t\t
| Learning curve | \r\n\t\t\tSteep, due to TypeScript use and complex syntax | \r\n\t\t\tModerate, due to JSX syntax | \r\n\t\t\tEasiest, thanks to simple syntax | \r\n\t\t
| Community support | \r\n\t\t\tLarge (StackOverflow, GitHub, etc.) | \r\n\t\t\tLargest (StackOverflow, GitHub, etc.) | \r\n\t\t\tSmall but rapidly growing (StackOverflow, GitHub, etc.) | \r\n\t\t
| Development time | \r\n\t\t\tLonger, due to complex structure and TypeScript | \r\n\t\t\tShorter due to JSX and component structure | \r\n\t\t\tShortest due to simplicity and ease of integration | \r\n\t\t
| Key advantages | \r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t - Comprehensive solution \r\n\r\n\t\t\t- TypeScript support \r\n\r\n\t\t\t- Google backing \r\n\t\t\t | \r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t - Component-based approach \r\n\r\n\t\t\t- JSX syntax \r\n\r\n\t\t\t- Facebook backing \r\n\t\t\t | \r\n\t\t\t- Ease of use \r\n\t\t\t- Simple syntax \r\n\t\t\t- Lightweight | \r\n\t\t
| Main disadvantages | \r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t - Complex syntax \r\n\r\n\t\t\t- Steep learning curve \r\n\t\t\t | \r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t - JSX syntax can be confusing \r\n\r\n\t\t\t- External libraries needed for some features \r\n\t\t\t | \r\n\t\t\t- Smaller community \r\n\t\t\t- Fewer resources | \r\n\t\t
| Notable companies using this technology | \r\n\t\t\tIBM, Microsoft | \r\n\t\t\tFacebook, Instagram | \r\n\t\t\tAlibaba, Xiaomi | \r\n\t\t
| Cross-platform support | \r\n\t\t\tGood via Ionic | \r\n\t\t\tExcellent via React Native | \r\n\t\t\tGood via Weex or NativeScript | \r\n\t\t
React may be the most popular and loved among developers, but that doesn't mean it's the best solution for every project. Depending on the nature of your web application, Angular or Vue.js might be the better choice, or even another framework altogether.
\r\nRemember, this is not a popularity contest or a competition. Each framework in the right hands will deliver excellent results, but each one excels in its own area, and that's what you should consider when choosing.
\r\nSo, let's break down what you can get from these frameworks and what projects they are best suited for.
Angular
\r\n\r\nAngular.js is the oldest of the three frameworks we'll discuss today. It was originally released by Google in 2010, and significantly revamped in 2016 under the name Angular2 (or simply Angular, without the js). This framework is known for its component-based structure and ease of maintenance.
\r\n\r\nOne reason for Angular's popularity is that it works with TypeScript – a superset of JavaScript developed by Microsoft with the goal of creating a programming language similar in syntax to JavaScript.
\r\n\r\nFor all its merits, flexibility, and ease of use, JavaScript was originally not designed for large projects. That's why TypeScript exists, and that's why Google preferred it for Angular: it was an obvious choice for building a framework intended for advanced and complex projects.
\r\n\r\nAngular is well known for its separation of concerns. In this framework, each part of the user interface is a component – a section of the application encapsulated with its own function, and all components are structured according to a specific hierarchy.
\r\n\r\nIn large projects, it's common for different developers to work on different parts of the application, and Angular is great for such situations. This is because each component can be created independently and then assembled into the final product.
\r\n\r\nMaturity is Angular's biggest drawback. This framework is enormous and has a very steep learning curve. Like Django, it is a collection of tools with dozens and dozens of utilities, and if you are developing a small application, there is little incentive to use it – so much so that the library might even be larger than the application itself.
\r\n\r\nReact
\r\n\r\nReact (or React.JS) was created by Facebook in 2013 and released under the MIT license. Since then, it has evolved into a full-fledged frontend framework with a strong community and active development.
\r\n\r\nWidely used by Facebook, React is an integral part of the social network's web page as well as the web versions of WhatsApp and Instagram. It was designed for building lightweight single-page and mobile applications, and it delivers on that front.
\r\n\r\nFor example, it is known that Netflix turned to ReactJS when looking for a way to create fast-loading applications that could run on low-end smart TVs. The result? The streaming giant managed to