React vs. Vue.js – Which One to Choose in 2022?
Introduction
JavaScript is one of the most popular programming languages used worldwide to build dynamic and interactive web applications and browsers. It offers a wide range of frameworks and libraries to make development easier. Some of the widely used JavaScript frameworks and libraries include jQuery, React, D3.js, AngularJS, Bootstrap, Vue.js, Ember.js, etc. There has always been a huge debate going on in the developer community around the world about which JavaScript frameworks are the best
This article is going to compare the two most sought-after JavaScript technologies: React and Vue.js. It will help you decide which one to choose for your next project in 2022
What is Vue.js?
A flexible and lightweight JavaScript framework, Vue.js, allows developers to work on advanced web tools and build modern SPAs along with rich front-end web applications. Vue.js is progressive and versatile among all JavaScript frameworks since it provides an option for the ability to change application code without changing or influencing core features and functionality. This helps developers build a progressive user interface. With Vue.js allowing for high decoupling, developers can add more functionalities to their web applications with different visual components and modules.
Top companies such as Netflix, Adobe, Alibaba, Facebook, Nintendo, etc., are using Vue.js in their tech stack. With its increasing popularity, the demand for Vue.js developers is increasing at a fast pace.
Pros & cons
What is React?
An open-source Javascript library that helps build feature-rich, amazing UI-based web applications. React provides the developers’ community with a sense of flexibility to craft custom components that are reusable and stimulate the development process rapidly.
React’s ability to perform fast rendering of web pages makes it appropriate for search engines. Overall, React is an amazing library that incentivizes both lightweight as well as complex application development. Companies are always looking to hire talented React developers to build intuitive applications and meet business objectives.
Some of the tech giants using React in their tech stack include Dropbox, Instagram, Airbnb, Discord, Skype, and more.
Pros & cons
React vs. Vue.js - A detailed
Similarities
Both React and Vue.js have many similarities as far as their tools, features, and communicative aspects are concerned. Let’s take a look at their similarities before we begin comparing them.
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One of the biggest similarities between Vue.js and React is that both the frameworks take the help of a virtual DOM as their browser rendering systems.
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Just like React, Vue.js is pretty responsive, quick, and extremely lightweight in its approach. This allows developers to respond better and faster. Apart from being fast, they are both extremely flexible and highly performative.
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React and Vue.js, both enjoy massive support from the developers' community.
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Both of them use a component-based architecture and debug applications using Chrome Dev tools.
Differences
Now that we have discussed the similarities between React and Vue.js, let’s move on to discuss some key differences as far as their application architecture, ease of use and testing, performance metrics, and much more are concerned!
Application architecture
React is pretty different from all kinds of libraries and frameworks in the sense that it does not come with in-built architectural patterns. React takes the help of a component-based architecture with its own set of pros and cons, of course!
React also provides components that can easily work like functions and respond to data changes. The internal architecture here will consist of different interactions between a user’s actions along with the state of its components.
On the other hand, Vue.js tends to focus more on the ViewModel approach. The MVVM pattern of Vue.js works pretty well for bigger applications. It uses two-way data binding techniques to connect the Model with the View. Vue.js’ fundamental goal is to offer a much simpler and more flexible view layer, instead of a full-blown framework.
Documentation
Vue.js is a clear winner when we compare documentation on React and Vue.js technologies. Its website features a highly-detailed description with API references and docs that are used widely and depicted as the best in the industry!
One can easily find all the answers they are looking for or solve any issues emerging through the docs in Vue.js. The only drawback Vue.js faces is that its community is not as huge as the React community. This can cause some trouble finding the right answers that are uncovered in the documentation.
On the contrary, React’s documentation does not match the standards of Vue.js. React, however, does come with a huge, extremely active community with a wide range of learning materials.
Data binding
Vue.js takes the help of two-way data binding mechanisms. When you change the elements of its interface, your model will change along with it too.
It might sound really simple, but if a developer is working on a large project and wants to obtain a better data overview and easy debugging capabilities, they are better off using React with just one-way data binding mechanisms.
The said change will be rendered in the interface after the model state is updated in the beginning. Whenever a developer changes their UI components, the model state tends to remain the same without any changes.
Templates
One of the biggest reasons why people tend to choose Vue.js over React is the templates.
Vue.js’ templates are based on HTML, which is far easier to comprehend and write than others, especially when a developer comes from an Angular background.
In contrast, React uses JSX which offers developers the advantage of using JavaScript. The components are made out of markup as well as JavaScript logic in one file.
JSX can be powerful and flexible for bigger projects. At the same time, Vue.js templates offer developers with better separation of concerns that prevents them from putting too much logic into their views.
Tools
React has offered developers third-party CLI tools for the past few years. The CLI tools are responsible for creating React-based apps that aid developers pace up their work aspects like adding scripts, developing applications, etc.
Before 2016, developers were made to copy their files from different applications built previously or start configuring them from scratch. It might not have been a time-consuming task, it sure was tedious.
In contrast, Vue.js comes with its own set of tools. The Vue CLI enables developers to build better projects quickly. It also comes with its own set of benefits like adding more plugins later, making improvements, etc.
Ease of testing
React provides better testing tools and functionalities. When using React, the overall development process for software engineers is pretty easy. Test runners like Mocha, Jest, etc. can help practice a fundamental pattern to execute all test suites that can help testers focus on the problems like unnecessary functions, function manipulation, etc., and rule them out without a hassle. It can reduce the overall time to market as well. This helps speed up the application deployment process, giving a push to a better production environment.
On the other hand, Vue.js is still climbing these heights with its testing abilities. They might be ordinary on the surface but sure are efficiently straightforward. Vue.js does not offer a luxurious set of tools, however, at the same time, it does not seem to be undermining its testing capabilities. Testing in Vue.js is significantly closer to that of other frameworks and often takes the help of Mocha or Jest. They even provide access to user-specific APIs and applications to make code bugging and refactoring possible.
Moreover, because the framework allows CI/CD, faster feedback looping is possible, along with the provisioning features like hot reloading.
Learning curve
For developers with even a minuscule experience with JavaScript,
