React vs. Vue: Which Frontend Development Is Better?

When it comes to building web apps, the means (frameworks) are one of the cornerstones of developing them. However, with multiple frameworks, it can get a little competitive in determining the best one given their features and drawbacks. In the parlance of app development, the frameworks are narrowed down to two colossal giants in the industry- React and Vue. These frameworks have been quite consistent and impactful for years in the app development industry.

Both these frameworks are virtual DOMs and constitute component-centric and reactive elements. It is the culmination of similarities and differences that makes one stand apart from the other. Besides the similarities, both differ in their structure and approaches. 

A good entrepreneur realizes the pros and cons of a technology stack and whether to implement it in their business strategy or not. The following information shall make the case of React vs. Vue crystal clear. 

Vue.js vs React- Applications

Both these frameworks are essential for web app development. However, when it comes to quicker performance, Vue.js is the more feasible option for developers since many startups consider it a one-stop solution for MVP development.

In React.js, the ecosystem and popularity of this framework are the strongholds available. It contains thousands of libraries, tools, and resources which consequently can manage bigger projects. If your project demands functionality over speed, React is the framework for you.

React.Js

A JavaScript framework and an open-source library, React.js was designed by Facebook in 2011 to design web applications. Eventually, the ecosystem evolved and there was more room for complex UI processes, personalization, data processing, etc. It is integrated with other libraries as well, however, is considered to be much more individualistic than Vue. You can also design hybrid apps through this framework. 

Vue.Js

An open-source, highly effective, MWWM-based versatile frontend JavaScript framework, Vue.js is utilized for developing UIs and SPAs (Single-Page Applications). This framework is beloved in the frontend community and is revered for its simplicity and efficiency. 

The main goal of this framework is to manage the software view. Additionally, it also allows developers to interact with animations, and manage states with the licensed library (Vuex) which is something React fails to offer. In general, its functionality is quite diverse. To acquire the same kind of functionality in React, far greater libraries must be added.

Features offered by React

1. JSX is a syntax extension that permits developers to code their own HTML components. It accommodates high user functionality and interface as in-built solutions sometimes fall short in efficiency. Hence, this syntax becomes a universal solution for all web applications. 

2. It also can be used for mobile app development. React Native is its mobile counterpart that allows developers to build hybrid apps. Similar syntax is practiced by developers. React Native also provides enhanced speed and improved functionality. 

3. Optimization is significantly more difficult for apps developed in JavaScript. The content on JS-based pages is never thoroughly processed by the Search Bots. However, React is much more SEO-friendly.

4. After you download the framework, you can access React Developer tools in the form of custom Chrome as well as Firefox extensions simplifying your way of programming. With the help of these tools, you can develop competent hierarchies, improve software development and design, organize code more seamlessly, and analyze connections between features.

5. Lastly, its universality and flexibility make it the biggest and most popular web app development framework.

Features offered by Vue

Due to its simplicity and versatility, Vue.Js is what developers prefer in the majority. It has much more elegance and efficiency than other JS frameworks out there. Vue.js provides programmers with a more naturalistic experience in coding. 

1. The same syntax is utilized to develop the complete UI personality. The pain of learning several syntaxes and viewing different tutorials to develop a new feature is eliminated. It is quite explicable when a developer sends you a Vue.js file without much complexity as opposed to a React.js file. 

2. No guarantee being sponsored by a popular company such as Facebook or Google will offer an advantage to the framework. Many developers around the world do not believe in supporting companies that exploit private user data.

3. The design for Vue.js is well put together and thought out due to its straightforwardness and logic.

4. There are official libraries at your expense for strategies such as routing and others. 

This framework is generally utilized by small to medium-sized projects. For MVPs, Vue and React are the best frameworks due to their simplicity and versatility.  

React vs. Vue: A Comparative Study

Through the features and uses, you are now well-versed with the myriad of benefits these frameworks can offer you. However, make sure to pick the one according to your business needs. We will now analyze these two powerhouses side by side to determine which one is more advantageous to your company.

Popularity

It is a fact that React was created in 2013 and Vue.js a year later. However, for both of them, it took less than 6 years to become the go-to technological solution for web applications. As a result, the dynamically changing statistics can never determine which year either of them will stay at the top of the other when it comes to front-end development.

Performance

DOM or Document Object Model is a tree structure that incorporates different documents. JavaScript makes use of this DOM to render the HTML pages. According to the performance and organization of DOM, the efficiency of the framework is portrayed. The framework’s speed will be enhanced if the method of developing and executing DOMs is quick and impactful. 

The DOM utilized by React is virtual and does not rely on a browser. HTML pages are instantly rendered by the framework. The structural principles of the DOM utilized by Vue are similar to React which is why the speed and efficiency of React and Vue aren’t too far apart. 

Although, developing components and updates, Vue takes the cake as there is separate optimization for every component in React. In React, each component is identified individually through specific commands. Once the developers can scale the project, maintaining a myriad of components can get quite staggering leading to tech debt.

However, you do not need to worry about that in Vue as it automatically tracks components. Additional optimization and extensive commands are superfluous which adds to the speed and performance of Vue.js.

Scalability

Scaling is somewhat easy and convenient in both React and Vue. The components in React are defined in ‘smart’ and ‘dumb’ categories. Smart ones are like the conductor of an orchestra which determines the actions that every ‘dumb’ component undergoes given a certain situation. These smart components work alongside dumb components that are the ones associated with DOMs to initiate the processes. 

Dumb components are quite simple on the other hand. Their primary goal is to process the instructions (props) provided by smart components and run the logic in DOM. Such a coordinating system is the reason why React works fluidly and champions swift performance. It scales your app better as all the components are structurally organized by their complexity and functions. 

A synonymous step was taken by Vue as well that enabled support for Redux. Vuex is the heart of Vue when it comes to scalability which is a separate native system for state management. There are many official libraries provided by Vue for scaling and routine, on the other hand, React finds outsourced libraries.

To cap it all, Vue has enhanced performance speed while React offers a better ecosystem, tools, and more templates. As a result, React.js is preferred for complex projects with multiple-layered components while Vue opts for smaller ones that require enhanced speed.

Configuration on Mobile Devices

Associating their advantages, React provides a separate framework for building Android and iOS apps called React Native with similar component structure to that of React. This provides ease of access to developers to build a program with React Native knowledge without any dalliance of third-party frameworks. 

Opposing that, Vue.js constitutes Weex which is a mobile framework established by Alibaba Group. Conflicting to React, Vue components are utilized in this framework to develop Android and iOS apps by reusing the web code. 

In this segment, React comes out as the victor since it is utilized by most of the developers around the world which also gives reason to learn React Native. Weex on the other hand, is not nearly as famous since the community is a lot less active over there. It also has proven to be a nightmare to find specific educational resources for free in Weex. 

Size

Vue.js dominates the size factor in web app development since it only occupies 80 KB while React requires 100 KB. The size becomes quite a significant factor in efficiency and speed since the heavier the code, the more time it takes for the app to process. The efficiency and speed of the app are enhanced due to the small size of Vue.js.

Additionally, Vue allows many plugins pre-installed in the default version which does not occupy more than 80 KB. Hence, downloading additional libraries is not necessary in Vue.

React, on the other hand, depends on additional installments. As a result, the size of the framework becomes far greater than 100 KB due to constant feature downloads.

Community

Communities enhance the overall programming experience of the developers which makes this factor hard to miss. Due to better and more innovative plugins and tools, users help in the evolution of technology which is the reason why Vue and React are so much impacted by this. 

The web app development community shares a sense of mistrust around the world about the fidelity of the users’ data when it comes to famous corporations handling data. Since React was developed by Facebook and its given history, developers become quite averse to the idea of web app development as they believe such corporations don’t have the users’ best interests in mind. 

However, on the brighter side, it is a certainty that the project will not be abandoned mid-way into development. The privilege of being a part of the React community is that they create better libraries, find partners, and engage in meetups and events. 

Vue.js on the other hand, is more of a solo project. The team that works on Vue is quite open to FAQs and general problem-solving, but it is a standalone framework with limited members. Initially, the developers were worried that the projects would be all over the place, however, it enticed many people which reduced the concerns. 

Vue.Js today has spread its wings when it comes to growing its community as thousands of developers engage in it. Their main goal is to build the best version of their project without risking any sensitive information of the user. Hence, as a standalone framework, it is independent of corporations and any associated risks with user data. 

Front-end Apps Developed By React and Vue

Brands that have used Vue and React

Conclusion

So how to determine if one is better than the other? Both React and Vue are officially the leading JavaScript frameworks. Both these frameworks have swift speed and enhanced performance when it comes to web apps. 

With their strengths and weaknesses in-built, it generally depends on the kind of app you want to build and whether it supports your corporation’s ideals and vision or not. React has a much richer ecosystem with several templates and libraries. High functionality and speed go to Vue. To sum up this comparison in a few lines:

• React is more diverse and versatile while Vue is quicker and smaller in comparison which ascertains better performance. 
• While learning the frameworks, Vue is much easier to learn than React while the latter is much more famous in the developing world than Vue. 

Picking one above the other and being satisfied with the final product depends on the organization that employs developers working for either framework. So if you want to pick one of the above make sure to consider all the possibilities and then move forward with your decision.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Which of the following is better for business: React or Vue?

If you want better performance and better scaling for your projects, Vue.js is the decision to make however a better ecosystem, templates, as well as ancillary tools, it is better to develop on React.js

2. Which of the following is easier to learn: React or Vue?

With simple syntax, Vue.js takes the cake as its documentation is clear. This offers budding developers confidence since the program is simple and they can begin developing while React.js entails more complex code.

3. Can React or Vue be used for mobile app development?

The mobile app development counterpart for React is React native while for Vue it is Vue Native or Vue.js for NativeScript. However, siding with one depends on your expertise.