What Are the Differences Between React vs. Angular vs.Vue.js?

React, Angular, and Vue.js are three popular frameworks for building user interfaces on the web. But how do they differ, and which one should you choose for your project? In this blog, we will compare them in terms of features, performance, popularity, and learning curve.

React is a library that only handles the view layer, which means you can use it with any other tools or libraries you want. React uses a virtual DOM, which is a copy of the real DOM in memory, to update the UI efficiently. React also supports JSX, which is a syntax that lets you write HTML-like code in JavaScript.

For example, here is how you can create a simple component in React using JSX:

Angular is a framework that provides a complete solution for building single-page applications. Angular uses TypeScript, which is a superset of JavaScript that adds static typing and other features. Angular has a built-in dependency injection system, which makes it easier to manage and test your code. Angular also uses a template syntax that lets you bind data and events to the HTML elements.

For example, here is how you can create a simple component in Angular using TypeScript and template syntax:

Vue.js is a framework that is designed and uses a reactive data system, which means that the UI automatically updates when the data changes. Vue.js also has a template syntax that is similar to Angular, but it also supports JSX and render functions. Vue.js is very flexible and can be integrated with other libraries or existing projects.

For example, here is how you can create a simple component in Vue.js using template syntax:

Web apps need good performance to please users and rank well on SEO. React, Angular, and Vue.js are three popular frameworks that improve performance in different ways. They use techniques like virtual DOM, code splitting, and server-side rendering.

But performance is not only about the framework. It also depends on the app’s size and complexity, the code’s quality, the browser’s compatibility, and the network’s speed. So, we cannot say which framework is the best for performance. The only way to know is to test your app with real data and scenarios. You can use tools like Lighthouse or WebPageTest to check the results.

How popular a framework is shows how much the developers and the industry like it. We can use different ways to measure popularity, such as how many times people download, star, fork, contribute, or report issues on GitHub, how many questions and answers people post on Stack Overflow, how many jobs and salaries people offer on Indeed, and how many courses and tutorials people create on Udemy.

In these ways, React is the most popular of the three frameworks, then Angular and Vue.js. React started in 2013, and many big companies use it, such as Facebook, Netflix, Airbnb, and Uber. Angular started in 2010, and many enterprises use it, such as Google, Microsoft, IBM, and PayPal. Vue.js started in 2014, and many startups and small businesses use it, such as Alibaba, GitLab, and Laravel.

But popularity is not the only thing that matters, and it does not mean that a framework is good or right for your project. Popularity can change as new things and technologies come up. So, you should not choose a framework only by popularity, but also by what you need and like.

How easy a framework is to learn is another thing you should think about when you choose one. This means how hard or easy it is to get good at a framework, and how much time and work you need to do it.

React is easy to learn, as it is a simple and light library that only works with the view layer. You just need to learn the basic things of React, like components, props, state, hooks, and lifecycle methods, and you can make your app. But React is also hard to learn, as you need to learn many other things and tools, like Redux, React Router, Next.js, TypeScript, and testing frameworks, to make a full and scalable app.

Angular is hard to learn, as it is a complex and complete framework that does many things for web development. You need to learn the basic things of Angular, like modules, components, directives, services, pipes, and routing, and you also need to learn TypeScript, RxJS, NgRx, Angular CLI, and testing frameworks, to make a strong and easy-to-maintain app. But Angular is also easy to learn, as it gives you a clear and organized way to make your app, and it has a lot of help and resources.

Vue.js is not too hard or too easy to learn, as it is a flexible and friendly framework that you can use in different ways. You can start with the basic things of Vue.js, like data, methods, computed properties, watchers, directives, and components, and you can use the Vue CLI to start your project. You can also use Vue.js with other libraries, like Vuex, Vue Router, Nuxt.js, TypeScript, and testing frameworks, to make a more advanced and powerful app. But Vue.js also has some problems, like the lack of official help and advice, the many choices and best ways to do things, and some issues with some other libraries.