Reactjs vs Vuejs, Is Vue js better than React??

Introduction

In the ever-evolving landscape of web development, choosing the right front-end framework can be confusing sometimes, especially when there are lot of js frameworks to choose from.

Some of the most prominent js frontend frameworks are:

1. React.js:

react logo

• Developed and maintained by Facebook.
• Known for its virtual DOM, component-based architecture, and performance.
• Widely adopted and has a vast community and ecosystem.
• Chosen by more companies for their large scale applications.

2. Angular:

angular logo

• Developed and maintained by Google.
• A comprehensive front-end framework known for its two-way data binding, dependency injection, and large-scale application capabilities.
• Offers a complete solution for building dynamic web applications.

3. Vue.js:

vue logo

• An open-source framework maintained by the community.
• Known for its simplicity, ease of integration, and a gentle learning curve.
• Provides features similar to React and Angular but in a more approachable manner.
• High performance (faster than react).
• Faster development speed.

4. Svelte:

svelte logo

• An open-source front-end framework.
• Differentiates itself by compiling components to highly efficient imperative code that directly manipulates the DOM.
• Provides a simple syntax and aims for better performance.

5. Ember.js:

ember logo

• An open-source front-end framework.
• Follows the convention over configuration principle, making it a robust choice for large, complex applications.
• Offers a powerful templating engine and data layer.

6. Backbone.js:

backbone logo

• An open-source JavaScript framework.
• Provides the minimal structure needed to build web applications, focusing on models, views, collections, and routers.
• Often used in combination with other libraries to create more complex applications.

7. Meteor:

Meteor logo

• An open-source platform for building web and mobile applications.
• Integrates with front-end frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue.js, providing a full-stack solution.
• Known for its real-time data updates and ease of development.

Two of the most prominent contenders in the realm of JavaScript frameworks are React.js and Vue.js. Each has its own merits, drawbacks, and a massive community backing them. I personally believe in giving opinions only on the things that I’ve tried myself.

Since I’ve used only vuejs and reactjs as the frontend frameworks, so I’ll speak of them today.

In this article, we’ll dissect and compare React.js and Vue.js, focusing on their differences, performance, popularity, and the perspectives of React developers when considering Vue.js as an alternative.

Differences Between Vue.js and React.js

React.js and Vue.js are both popular JavaScript frameworks, but they differ in several aspects, including syntax, learning curve, ecosystem, and state management. Understanding these differences is essential for making an informed choice.

React.js vs Vue.js: A Popularity Contest

Popularity often plays a significant role in the adoption of a technology. We’ll explore the current trends and usage statistics to provide insights into how React.js and Vue.js fare in this competitive landscape.

VUE

• 204k GitHub stars
• 3.2k GitHub commits
• 404 GitHub contributors
• 91.9k questions on Stack Overflow
• 2071k live websites

REACT

• 208k GitHub stars
• 14.8k GitHub commits
• 1.5k GitHub contributors
• 376.4k questions on Stack Overflow
• 2609k live websites

Here we can see clearly that React is more popular that Vuejs, but does that mean no one uses Vuejs definitely not. Vue has it’s own large following and adoption in projects though a bit less than react.

Vue.js: HTML Templating with Directives

Vue.js allows developers to use HTML syntax in their templates, making it easy for those familiar with HTML to get started. Additionally, Vue.js provides powerful directives, such as v-if, v-else, v-show, etc., to conditionally control the rendering and behavior of HTML elements. This approach simplifies the process and is particularly friendly to beginners.

Here’s a simple example demonstrating the usage of v-if in a Vue.js template:

<template>
  <div>
    <h1>Hello, Vue.js!</h1>
    <p v-if="showMessage">This message will be shown if showMessage is true.</p>
  </div>
</template>

<script>
export default {
  data() {
    return {
      showMessage: true
    };
  }
};
</script>

React: JSX for HTML-like Structure with JavaScript Integration

React utilizes JSX, a syntax extension that allows developers to write HTML-like code within JavaScript files. While it may initially look different from traditional HTML, JSX closely resembles HTML structure and offers the advantage of seamless integration with JavaScript expressions and logic.

Here’s a similar example using React with JSX:

import React, { useState } from 'react';

const MyComponent = () => {
  const [showMessage, setShowMessage] = useState(true);

  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Hello, React!</h1>
      {showMessage && <p>This message will be shown if showMessage is true.</p>}
    </div>
  );
};

export default MyComponent;

In this React example, the paragraph (<p>) element will only be rendered if the showMessage state is true. JSX integrates JavaScript expressions (e.g., {showMessage && ...}) to conditionally control rendering.

Vue.js vs React.js Performance Comparison

Performance is a critical factor when choosing a front-end framework. We’ll delve into the performance aspects of both frameworks, such as rendering speed, bundle size, and optimization techniques.

Rendering Speed:

Vue.js:

Vue.js is good at quickly updating the screen when something changes. It’s like having a smart system that figures out the most efficient way to update only what’s needed.

React.js:

React also updates the screen efficiently. It’s like a smart assistant that plans how to update things in the best way, so everything happens smoothly.

Bundle Size:

Vue.js:

Vue.js helps in keeping the file sizes smaller, especially with a feature called “scoped slots.” It’s like organizing your things in a way that takes up less space.

React.js:

React is like a toolkit where you can pick and choose what you need. However, depending on how you use it, the toolkit can be a bit bigger because you can add extra tools.

Optimization Techniques:

Vue.js:

Vue.js has built-in ways to make things faster, like caching and efficient handling of data. It’s like using shortcuts to get things done quickly.

React.js:

React also has tricks to make it work faster, like memorization and lazy loading. It’s like using special moves in a game to speed up your progress.

In simple terms, both Vue.js and React.js are like smart assistants that help you do things fast and efficiently. Vue.js is leaner with smaller bundle size and a bit faster, while React.js is more a flexible toolkit and extensible inherently used for large scale projects.

Conclusion

Final conclusion on when to use vuejs and Reactjs

I don’t want to be the guy who gives you a lot of details and leaving you in even more confusion.
Let me make this very simple for you (my opinions ofcourse, vue and react can be used interchangeably without much pain but my opinions are to make your life easier):

If you are a freelance or running a small startup Vuejs is your best bet — Faster development speed, High performance, much less boilerplate code.

If you are in a big company doing large projects React might be the way to go, even though it has more boilerplate code, the jsx can make handling the project easier as the codebase grows.

Thanks for reading till the end, it’s me Sangeeth Joseph, a fullstack freelance developer and enterpreneur. Follow me for more posts things AI, coding insights and so on. See you on my next Post!!