Top 7 Front-End Frameworks in 2024

“If your business is not on the Internet, then your business will soon be out of business,” said Bill Gates once in the mid-90s. These words were a real self-fulfilling prophecy, as practice showed, and today, we live in the world predicted by Bill Gates, whether you like it or not. Virtually anyone can have a site on the Internet today, from freelancers, bloggers, small businesses to large corporations, governmental organizations, non-profits, and even robots; why not?! However, today, we are speaking neither about Bill Gates nor about doing business on the Internet.

The modern-day Internet consists of at least 1 billion websites. It’s quite an impressive number when you think about it, meaning the proportion between living humans and websites is roughly eight to one. This staggering number showcases the immense scale and diversity of the Internet. Sure, a lot of these websites are dead, and some are just simple pieces of HTML made as homework, but still, even excluding a dead portion of the Web, the scale is quite impressive. But how much time did people need to create that many websites from scratch? Well, actually, people have not really built websites from scratch in most cases for at least the previous twenty years. 

There is a wide range of solutions to make life easier for both parties, end users and web developers. These solutions are the main reason why we have 1 billion websites today. Some of them, such as content management systems (CMS), changed the Web mainly from the end-user perspective, while some, such as frameworks, changed front-end development services from the developers’ perspective. In this article, we will focus on the frameworks. CMSs are great, but they provide coders with generic templates and elements, while frameworks are what really make the Internet diverse. So, today, we’ll see how these frameworks changed the web we know and take a closer look at front-end frameworks, comparing them one by one. Let’s go!

What is a front-end framework: A full definition 

A front-end framework is a collection of standardized, pre-written code that web developers (or, possibly highly specialized front-end developers) use to build the facades of web applications. Front-end frameworks provide a foundational structure on which the visual elements of a web page users directly interact with and see — such as layouts, buttons, and forms — can be built efficiently. These frameworks typically come with a set of rules and reusable components that streamline the overall development process by making it faster and more reliable. With them, developers can focus on customizing the design and functionality of a site without having to build every single element from scratch.

Before diving into our top front-end frameworks, it’s important to make one thing very clear. When someone mentions popular front-end frameworks, it most likely means they actually mention popular JavaScript frameworks. However, these two concepts mean practically the same as of 2024. JavaScript is at the very heart of web development nowadays, as it is what makes the modern web animated. 

Although de facto, these two words are used interchangeably, they are technically not the same. Most front-end web frameworks have JavaScript elements, indeed, but they typically also contain several additional components and features. Only by combining JS with other tools do the modern-day front-end frameworks provide a comprehensive toolkit for building web applications. Here is an example of what an average framework usually consists of:

• Libraries: A collection of pre-written JavaScript code chunks front-end developers use to perform common tasks like DOM manipulation, event handling, and AJAX calls;
• Templates: Pre-designed page layouts and UI elements that can be used and customized to build user interfaces really quickly.
• Reusable components: Reusable UI blocks that encapsulate both the structure (HTML), style (CSS), and behavior (JavaScript) of parts of a web application.
• Routing: Mechanisms for managing application states and navigating between different views of pages within a single web application.
• State management: Tools and patterns for managing the state (data and UI status) across the application
• Build tools: Integrated tools or compatibility with external tools for tasks like transpiling newer JavaScript to older versions, bundling multiple files into a single file, and minifying code.
• Testing and debugging tools: Built-in support or easy integration with testing frameworks.
• Documentation: Comprehensive documentation guiding developers on how to use the framework.

Benefits of JavaScript front-end frameworks

Using frameworks offers several not-so-obvious benefits beyond just saving the developer’s time:

First, they ensure consistency. With predefined rules and components, development teams can maintain a uniform look and feel, making the site look more professional and easier to use for end users. This consistency also expands to code structure, making onboarding new developers less tedious.

Second, code is highly reusable with frameworks. Developers can use the same components across different parts of an application or even in new projects — the more reusability, the less duplication of effort and, consequently, faster development. And, of course, this also applies to your own code, not only for pre-written components, as most of the modern frameworks offer a set of customization tools. The situation is the same with testing and debugging tools, which also can be customized.

Third, and most important, is a strong community combined with comprehensive documentation support. It is, in fact, one of the main advantages the most popular front-end frameworks offer developers. Without frameworks, you are almost always alone with your bugs, while frameworks allow you to find solutions, learn best practices, and stay updated easily and quickly.

Top 7 front-end frameworks

Before diving directly into our front-end frameworks comparison, we should clarify how we choose candidates for our list. First of all, we should check the list of the frameworks that are currently being used by actual experienced developers. Sources, like the last StackOverFlow’s development survey, including a section about web frameworks, are a great source of the info in this case. In their survey, they don’t separate front-end frameworks from back-end ones, but it’s still one of the best sources you can possibly find on the Internet.

Also, when comparing the best front-end frameworks, we should consider factors such as scope of application, advanced features for various scenarios, active community size, historical significance (mainly by checking how big is the part of the actual web that was built with the framework), app performance, proper documentation, and some other factors that will be named below.

React

We begin our list with React, a framework that has remained the most popular choice among professional front-end developers for several years in a row. One may argue about whether it is a full-fledged framework or just a UI library, but it still seems more like a sophistry, so we will call it just a framework. Developed by Facebook, this framework is particularly useful for single-page application building, allowing building dynamic web applications with quick updates without reloading the page. However, React is not only about SPAs. It’s like a Swiss army knife from web development. It allows you to build almost everything, as React enjoys a really vast ecosystem for all cases.

Tools such as Redux for state management or React Native, a derivative for building mobile applications, are just two particularly famous examples of this ecosystem. React’s extensive community support (it can easily be the biggest community among all JavaScript frameworks, depending on how you count it) is another factor you can’t ignore. React’s scope of application ranges from small projects to large-scale enterprise applications, such as Airbnb, Netflix, and Uber. In some sense, React is a Swiss army knife, again, and whenever you don’t know what kind of development tool your project needs, just think about React again, as you will definitely find something useful.

React pros:

• Virtual DOM: Optimizes rendering and improves performance;
• HUGE ecosystem and developer community: Offers a separate world of libraries, tools, and resources;
• Strong corporate support: Backed by Facebook, ensures reliability and regular updates;
• Flexible and composable: Easily integrates with other libraries and frameworks;
• Unidirectional data flow: Facilitates stable and predictable code.

React cons:

• Overwhelming flexibility: Sometimes, the abundance of choice can only complicate architectural decisions;
• Rapid changes: Frequent updates: Compared to other popular front-end frameworks, React updates rapidly, and it can be hard to keep up;
• Optimization issues: For large applications, additional performance tuning may be required;
• CSS issues: Your CSS can become messier than if you were using traditional style sheets just because React uses inline styles.

When should you use React?

• SPAs;
• Complex interactive UIs;
• Cross-platform development;
• High-performance application.

When should you avoid React?

• Simple and static websites;
• Projects requiring full MVC Framework;
• Teams unfamiliar with modern JS;
• Short-term projects.

jQuery

Although many of you could expect to see Angular or Vue right after React, we decided to present jQuery as the second number at our top. For the lion’s share of Internet history, jQuery was considered the best front-end JavaScript framework. Back in the days, jQuery became a real revolution with its document traversing, event handling, animating, and Ajax interactions. jQuery became a revolution in the late 2000s with its “write less, do more” paradigm, being the first really popular framework.

The historical role of jQuery is hard to overestimate. jQuery bridged significant gaps in browser behavior, providing a consistent API that worked seamlessly across different platforms. Despite the rise of modern front-end frameworks like React, which offered a more structured approach to building web applications, jQuery still remains relevant for many projects. And here’s why:

jQuery pros:

• Simplicity: Simplifies complex tasks like DOM manipulation and event handling;
• Cross-browser compatibility: jQuery works smoothly on all modern browsers due to a rich history;
• Large plugin library: It has been popular since the late 2000s, so you can find plugins for extended functionalities fitting every taste;
• Community support: Benefits from a massive, experienced, and vast community that has been present for almost two decades. 

jQuery cons:

• Performance: Can be slower compared to native JS or modern frameworks for complex applications;
• Overhead: Including the entire jQuery library for small tasks can be inefficient, especially in performance-critical applications;
• Declining popularity: With the rise of modern frameworks, jQuery’s relevance has decreased, leading to a smaller pool of new resources and updates;
• Learning curve for modern JS developers: You can experience trouble hiring a young jQuery developer. 

When to use jQuery

• Legacy project maintenance;
• Small to medium websites;
• Adding simple interactivity;
• Rapid prototyping.

When to avoid jQuery

• Large and complex Single page apps;
• Performance-dependent applications;
• Mobile-first development, even with jQuery mobile;
• Projects that require modular architecture;
• When using TypeScript;
• When you require improved SSR performance.

Angular

Developed by Google, Angular is widely recognized in the software engineering community. Despite its long history (from AngularJS to TypeScript-based modern versions of Angular), Angular managed to remain designed with enterprise-scale applications in mind, featuring a wide variety of features facilitating the development of complex applications. This popular front-end framework provides a set of well-integrated libraries for routing, forms management, client-server communication, and many more. With a focus on performance, scalability, and application size, Angular keeps evolving to meet the needs of modern front-end developers.

Angular pros:

• Comprehensive framework: Offers a complete solution from project setup to deployment;
• Typescript: Strong emphasis on TypeScript typically enhances the overall code quality;
• Modularity: Facilitates code organization and reuse through specific Angular’s component-based architecture;
• Robust corporate-backed ecosystem: Access to a wide range of dev tools and libraries distributed by Google;
• High performance: Optimizations like Ahead-of-Time (AOT) compilation, lazy loading, and tree shaking ensure applications load fast and run smoothly;
• CLI tooling: Angular’s CLI automates tasks like scaffolding, building, and deploying applications, speeding up development workflows;

Angular cons:

• Steep learning curve: Requires familiarity with TypeScript and Angular’s complex concepts. It may seem especially complex for developers not familiar with OOP;
• Verbose and complex: Some developers also find Angular to be more verbose and complicated compared to alternatives;
• Opinionated framework: Prescribes specific ways to accomplish tasks, which might not suit all developers;
• Initial load time: Larger bundle sizes can lead to longer initial loading times for applications;
• Splitted community: In fact, Angular is a family of solutions for developers bundled under the same name. The difference between various Angular versions may be more significant than between Angular and other front-end web frameworks (based on the feedback of Angular developers themselves).

When to use Angular:

• Enterprise-level applications;
• Applications requiring rich features;
• Projects that benefit from TypeScript;
• Sometimes PWAs.

When to avoid Angular:

• Simple websites;
• Small projects or prototypes;
• If the development team is unfamiliar with Angular.

Vue.js

Depending on project requirements, this lightweight framework may become both an ideal choice and a nightmare. Vue.js, a relatively new player, offers a progressive approach to building user interfaces. Unlike other monolithic frameworks, Vue is designed from the ground up to be incrementally adaptable, mostly focusing on the view layer (more in our Vue.js vs. React comparison). Actually, in this sense, it works as intended, as Vue is exceptionally adaptable for integrating with other libraries and existing projects. 

There is also an interesting fact about Vue.js for you: the popularity of the framework is distributed unequally. It’s extremely popular in Eastern Asia, especially in China, where it is, in fact, the most popular web framework; at the same time, we cannot say the same about Europe and the Western hemisphere.

Vue.js pros:

• Ease of learning: Vue’s simple syntax and documentation make it accessible for most developers (especially compared to Angular);
• Flexibility: Easily integrates with existing projects or libraries;
• Performance: Lightweight and fast;
• Reactivity: Efficient update mechanism for HTML;
• Detailed documentation: Comprehensive and well-structured documentation is highly praised by developers;
• Transition system: Simplifies the addition of interactive animations to UI elements;

Vue.js cons:

• Market share in the West: Less prevalent in the job market in Europe and the Western hemisphere;
• Enterprise adoption: Not as widely adopted in large enterprises;
• Plugin ecosystem: While growing, it may not be as extensive as better-established frameworks;
• Over-flexibility: Its flexibility can sometimes lead to inconsistency in the codebase if not properly managed;
• Hidden community: the lion’s share of the community is located in Eastern Asia and doesn’t speak English.

When to use Vue.js

• New projects and startups;
• Additional parts of the web application that should be integrated with existing projects;
• SPAs;
• Rapid prototyping;

When to avoid Vue.js

• Large-scale enterprise projects;
• If your development team prefers full TypeScript support;
• When you are establishing the team from scratch for a short term.

Svelte

Svelte, a revolutionary approach to building user interfaces, differs from traditional JS front-end frameworks by shifting much of the work to compile time. Instead of using a virtual Document Object Model (DOM), Svelte writes highly efficient imperative code that directly updates the DOM when the state of the app changes. This innovative approach results in faster initial loads, smoother updates, and a simpler developer experience. Svelte’s reactivity is built into the language itself, allowing developers to build complex features with fewer lines of code. The compact size and efficiency of Svelte make it an attractive choice for developers looking for performance without the overhead of a traditional framework. Although several years ago, Svelte was still an experimental solution, nowadays, with its growing community and ecosystem, Svelte is gaining traction as a tool for building literally everything quickly.

Svelte pros:

• No virtual DOM: Direct manipulation of the DOM for updates, leading to superior performance;
• Less code: Typically requires fewer code lines for the same functionality compared to the previous frameworks;
• Compile-time magic: Moves much of the work to compile team;
• Reactive by design: Built-in reactivity without the need for additional libraries or boilerplate code;
• Great for SEO: Produces highly optimized vanilla JavaScript, enhancing load times and SEO out of the box;
• Enthusiastic community: While newer, Svelte’s community is passionate;
• Integration friendly: Can be easily integrated into existing projects or used alongside other libraries;

Svelte cons:

• Smaller ecosystems: Less mature ecosystem with fewer libraries and tools compared to “big” front-end JavaScript frameworks;
• Less corporate adoption: Not yet widely adopted in the enterprise
• Learning resources: Fewer learning resources and tutorials available compared to more established frameworks;
• Lack of IDE resources;
• No major support as of 2024.

When to use Svelte:

• Performance-sensitive applications;
• If you want to have experience with modern JavaScript frameworks;
• Projects with limited bandwidth;
• Interactive and responsive websites for all tastes.

When to avoid Svelte:

• Large project with complex state management needs;
• When deep integration with third-party libraries is required;
• Teams have already heavily invested in another framework;
• Enterprise-level development.

Preact

Preact is a fast, lightweight JavaScript library that describes itself as a faster alternative to React with the same modern API. It offers a compact footprint, making it ideal for performance-dependent dynamic applications where size matters, such as PWAs and SPAs. Preact focuses on delivering high performance with minimal package size, becoming a popular choice for developers looking to maintain React’s powerful features without the overhead. An inner compatibility layer, Preact/Compat, allows for easy migration from React projects, enabling developers to switch and enjoy size and performance benefits with minimal changes. Despite its smaller size, Preact does not skimp on features, offering a similar experience to React with hooks, functional components, and a rich ecosystem of plugins and tools.

Preact pros:

• Size efficiency: Significantly smaller bundle size compared to React;
• React compatibility: Offers a smooth transition from React with Preact/Compat;
• Performance: Optimized for speed even in resource-constrained environments;
• Modern API: Supports modern React features, including hooks;
• Eco-friendly: Minimizes computational resource waste;
• Flexibility and control: Gives developers fine-grained control over performance optimization and bundle size.

Preact cons:

• Inherent React-associated cons;
• Smaller ecosystem: While growing, it doesn’t match the vast ecosystem for React;
• Limited corporate use: Less prevalent in large-scale applications, especially enterprise-level apps;
• Community size;
• Specific use cases.

When to use Preact:

• Performance-critical projects
• Migrating small to medium React projects for better resource use;
• Other resource-constrained environments;
• Learning projects and prototypes.

When to avoid Preact:

• Enterprise or large-scale complex projects;
• When using the advanced features of React;
• Teams unfamiliar with React;
• If bundle size is not a concern at all.

Alpine.js

Alpine.js is a minimal framework for composing JavaScript behavior in your markup. It offers a declarative approach to adding interactivity to web pages. It makes Alpine an optimal choice for web developers who prefer working directly in HTML. Alpine.js is often compared to Vue.js for its similar reactive and component-based programming model but distinguishes itself with an even lighter footprint and simplicity. It’s designed for simplicity and to be used in places where traditional front-end frameworks would be considered overkill. Alpine.js embraces the rapid development of interactive elements without the need for complex JS configurations or a build step.

Pros of Alpine.js:

• Ease of use: Has a simple syntax, especially for those familiar with Vue or similar front-end frameworks;
• Lightweight framework: Has a very small size;
• No build step required: Can be used directly in HTML;
• Great for sprinkling interactivity: Perfect for adding interactivity to otherwise static sites without adopting a large framework;
• Inline expressions: Supports inline JavaScript expressions in HTML attributes;
• Tailwind CSS compatibility: Works exceptionally well with CSS frameworks, such as Tailwing;

Cons of Alpine.js:

• Quite limited for large applications: It just wasn’t intended for this purpose;
• Smaller community: The community and resource pool are smaller compared to other frontend frameworks from our list;
• Tooling and debugging: Limited tooling, debugging, and other integration options.

When to use Alpine.js:

• Adding interactivity to static sites;
• Projects with simple yet dynamic user interfaces;
• Rapid prototyping;
• Tailwind CSS projects.

When to avoid Alpine.js

• Building complex SPAs and PWAs;
• Large applications or enterprise-scale applications;
• If you need to integrate JavaScript deeply.

Comparison of top front-end frameworks

So, yes, looks like we finished with our seven most popular front-end frameworks list. Each framework offers its own unique set of opportunities for building modern web applications. All of them, React, Angular, jQuery, Vue, Svelte, Preact, and Alpine, offer distinctive advantages depending on the needs of the project and the preferences of the development team. For instance:

• React excels in building complex user interfaces for  various needs;
• jQuery remains a leader in maintaining or enhancing existing websites;
• Angular makes a strong emphasis on structure, ideal for enterprise-level applications;
• Vue, a lightweight, full-fledged framework for building fast web applications;
• Svelte, an innovative approach for building interactive web applications faster and with less code;
• Preact, a small-sized framework for lightweight, performance-effective solutions;
• Alpine, with a minimalistic approach for sprinkling JS functionality in web applications without the overhead of heavier frameworks.

Together, these best front-end frameworks form the modern web we know. Each, with its own philosophy, strengths, and ideal use cases, largely stands behind a one-billion-sites-large Internet of 2024.

How to choose the best front-end framework?

Choosing the right one between dozens of available front-end web frameworks hinges on several key factors. First of all, if you have a development team, you need to take into account their expertise, wishes, and what they say about selecting the framework. Then, you should clearly consider the size and scope of your project as well as other technical specifications, such as potential scalability needs, peak performance requirements, etc. At the same time, evaluating framework ecosystems, including available libraries, tools, and plugins, is equally important. Right after you have a clear understanding of your requirements and match them with what each of the front-end frameworks may offer, you will likely have an idea regarding your future tech stack.

Conclusion on best front-end frameworks

The modern web has come a long way. Now, it is ready to offer a multitude of pre-made solutions for all development cases. That’s why the world of front-end frameworks is so diverse and dynamic, as we used to know it, just like the solutions the list of solutions they allow you to build. Whether you prioritize performance, ease of use, scalability, or community support, there is a framework out there that aligns with your requirements. 

Choosing the best framework for your project involves a careful consideration of your project’s specific needs and other factors. However, it can be quite a challenging task, especially for those who have never encountered these technologies before. We hope our front-end framework comparison helped you understand available development tools a bit better. If you have any further questions regarding the latest technology or are considering the team to develop modern web applications for the project of your dreams, don’t hesitate to contact ELITEX. ELITEX are a seasoned team experienced in professional web application development that will help your dreams come true. By choosing us, you choose a result beyond your expectations.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)