React vs Vue: Most Popular Frontend Frameworks Compared

Amyra Sheldon
Quick Code
Published in
8 min readFeb 16, 2023

Vue and React are among the most popular frontend JavaScript frameworks for building web applications. Both frameworks offer a component-based structure, making it easy to build reusable and modular code.

React, developed and maintained by Facebook, is a robust framework widely used for building complex and large-scale applications. On the other hand, Vue is a lightweight and easy-to-learn framework that is well-suited for making small to medium-sized applications.

Both frameworks have strong communities and are actively developed, with new features and updates being released regularly. This blog post will compare the two frameworks to help you decide whether you should hire React or Vuejs development companies and which is best for your project.

Let’s talk about React and Vue in detail:

React

React is an open-source JS library for building user interfaces. It was developed and maintained by Facebook and is widely used for building web applications.

React is a component-based framework, meaning when you hire React js developers, they can create reusable and modular code by building and combining small, self-contained components. This approach makes it easy to create complex and large-scale applications and maintain codebases.

React Pros

  1. Large and active community: React has a large and active community, which means that you can hire React js development company or developers with a wealth of resources and support.
  2. Virtual DOM: React uses a virtual DOM, which improves the performance of web applications as it reduces the amount of actual DOM manipulation.
  3. Reusable components: React allows developers to create reusable components, making large-scale applications easier to develop and maintain.
  4. Popularity among big companies: React is widely used by large companies, such as Facebook, Netflix, and Airbnb, which means it has been battle-tested and proven to be reliable and scalable. However, you need to ensure that you hire a top rated react js development company for the best results.
  5. Robust ecosystem: React has a strong ecosystem of libraries and tools, such as React Router, Redux, and Next.js, which provide additional functionality and help to streamline the development process.
  6. Server-side rendering: React can be used for server-side rendering, which improves the performance of web applications by rendering the application’s initial state on the server before sending to the client.

React Cons

  1. Steep learning curve: React has a relatively steep learning curve, especially for React js development companies and developers new to the framework or JavaScript development.
  2. JSX syntax: React uses JSX syntax, which may be unfamiliar to some developers and can take some time to get used to.
  3. Complexity: React is a robust framework that can be quite complex, making it difficult for new developers to get started or for teams to maintain large-scale applications.

Vue

Vue.js is an open-source JavaScript framework for building user interfaces and single-page applications (SPAs). It is developed and maintained by an individual and a community of developers and is designed to be easy to learn and use.

Vue is similar to React because it is a component-based framework, making it easy to build reusable and modular code. Vue makes use of a virtual DOM, which enhances web application performance by minimizing the amount of direct DOM manipulation. Vuejs development companies can help you make full use of the platform.

Vue Pros

Easy to learn: Vue has a simpler structure than some other frameworks, making it easy to learn and get started with, even if you hire Vue js developers new to JavaScript development.

Lightweight and flexible: Vue is lightweight and flexible, which makes it well-suited for building small to medium-sized applications.

Strong set of tools: Vue provides a robust set of tools such as Vue CLI, Vuex (Vue’s official state management library), and Vue Router, which make it easy to build and scale large-scale applications.

Two-way data binding: Vue provides two-way data binding, allowing Vue js developers for hire to easily keep the view and the state of the application in sync.

Good performance: Vue uses a virtual DOM, which improves the performance of web applications as it reduces the amount of actual DOM manipulation.

Reactive and composable: Vue’s reactivity system makes building complex and dynamic user interfaces easy by automatically updating the view when the state changes.

Vue Cons

Smaller community: Vue has a smaller community compared to some other frameworks, meaning fewer resources and support are available to hire Vue js developers.

Fewer third-party libraries: Vue has fewer third-party libraries available, making adding extra functionality to your application more difficult.

Not as mature: Vue is newer than some other frameworks and needs to be more mature, making it more prone to bugs and compatibility issues.

A Brief Comparison

Popularity and community

When it comes to Vue vs React vs Angular, which technology is the most popular? It’s hard to tell, as it depends on the data source. However, specific trends can be seen from various sources.

Source: W3Tech.com

According to W3tech.com, 3.3% of the websites use React, compared to 4.0% using JavaScript, whereas 0.8% use Vue. However, this stat is one thing, but what is the actual regular usage of these frameworks?

Jet Brains’ Dev Ecosystem 2021 study revealed high levels of developer expertise and regular usage of the two frameworks, with Vue.js rising. In a YoY comparison, Vue.js users grew from 34% in 2020 to 43% in 2021, while React users decreased from 64% to 49%.

If a business requires more complex software, finding the best React js development company or a skilled React developer who can hop on the project and get to work immediately may be quicker. However, the number of Vue.js developers has been gradually increasing, making this easier.

Performance

React and Vue are popular JavaScript frameworks for building web applications. They both have similar performance characteristics, but some differences exist.

React uses a virtual DOM, which optimizes updates by minimizing the amount of DOM manipulation required. This can lead to better performance in large or complex applications. However, the virtual DOM can add some overhead for small or simple projects.

Vue also uses a virtual DOM, but it includes a more efficient change detection system called “reactivity.” This can result in better performance in smaller or simpler projects. Therefore, choose carefully when you hire React or Vuejs development companies.

In terms of overall performance, both React and Vue are similar, with React being slightly faster in large applications and Vue being slightly faster in smaller applications.

The final decision between the two will ultimately depend on the specific project needs and your personal preferences.

Scalability

React and Vue are both scalable JavaScript frameworks, so when you hire developers, they can help you build scalable web applications. However, there are some differences to consider when it comes to scalability.

React has a larger and more mature ecosystem, with many third-party libraries and tools available. This makes it easy to scale a React application as your needs grow. Furthermore, React’s component-based architecture makes it easy to split a large application into smaller, reusable pieces, which can improve scalability.

Vue also has a component-based architecture and a growing ecosystem, but it may not be as mature as React. However, Vuejs development companies build single-file components and template-based syntax, making it easier to scale from a small to medium application because it helps keep the component organized and manageable.

Regarding scalability, both React and Vue can handle large and complex applications. However, React has a larger ecosystem and component-based architecture that may make it a better choice for substantial projects with a lot of complexity. Vue can be a good choice for small to medium-sized projects with fewer complexities.

Documentation

React and Vue both have comprehensive documentation that is well-written and easy to understand. However, there are some differences to consider.

React’s documentation is maintained by Facebook and is very detailed, with clear explanations and examples for each feature. It also includes many tutorials and guides to help developers get started with React. Additionally, many third-party resources and tutorials are available, as React has been around for longer and has a larger community. Therefore, hiring React js development companies for your project can be the best choice.

Moreover, Vue’s documentation is also well-written and easy to understand. It provides clear explanations and examples for each feature and has several guides and tutorials to help developers get started. However, React’s documentation may be less extensive than Vue’s, as it has a smaller community and ecosystem.

Both frameworks have a good developer community and many online resources and tutorials. But React has more resources, tutorials, and a larger community than Vue. Furthermore, you can seek assistance from vuejs development companies for your needs.

Which One To Choose?

Choosing React or Vue for a project depends on the specific needs of the project and your personal preferences. Both React and Vue are popular and widely-used JavaScript frameworks that can build web applications.

If you are already familiar with React or have an experienced team, then React may be a better choice. But, if you are just starting a new project and are open to learning a new framework, Vue can be a good option.

Therefore, you can hire React or Vuejs development companies for your project based on your specific needs.

Conclusion

React and Vue are both popular and widely used frontend frameworks for building web applications. Both frameworks have their strengths and weaknesses, and the final choice between them depends on your project’s specific needs and your personal preferences.

React has a larger and more mature ecosystem, with many third-party libraries and tools available and a larger community. Vue is relatively new and easy to learn, has a simpler API, a more straightforward template syntax, and a growing ecosystem.

Both frameworks have good documentation and can handle large and complex applications. React is more suitable for large projects, and Vue can be a good choice for small to medium-sized projects. You should partner with the best React or Vuejs development companies for better results.

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Amyra Sheldon
Quick Code

I am a tech enthusiast, project manager and a passionate writer with digital thinking. I write about latest technologies ie Blockchain, IoT, AI for ValueCoders.