The Most Popular Javascript Frameworks

The trends of 2021 are fastly rushing to us bringing new amazing technologies and disruptions. The software development industry is not an exception. Software engineers, UX architects, and QA testers should be well-aware of the most popular JS frameworks, tools, and trends. Stay in the loop with the latest know-how about it. In this article, Fireart team is trying to help you do it by providing the freshest updates on the top JavaScript frameworks.

JavaScript is one of the most frequently used programming languages today. Thanks to the fact that it’s versatile, easy to learn, and easy to use, JavaScript has become the most frequent choice of many developers. Another reason for its popularity is that it is equally convenient for both frontend and backend development. After typing “the most popular JavaScript frameworks” on Google, you will see many articles about dozens of pros and cons of each of them. 

In this article, we consider the ten most widely used and best JavaScript frameworks. We will also shed light on their pros and cons, as well as other technical peculiarities. However, before we start, let’s take a closer look at what is a JavaScript framework in general.

What is a JavaScript Framework?

Frameworks are software tools and collections of JavaScript code libraries that provide software engineers with pre-written JavaScript code, which they can leverage for routine coding tasks. Javascript frameworks allow us to build websites or web apps much faster.

10 Best Front End Frameworks: Which One Is The Best JavaScript Framework for 2021?

Here we are investigating the best front end frameworks that have become the best front end technologies in 2021.

#1. Vue.js

Vue.js is the primary rival of Angular and React. Vue.js is a JavaScript framework created by Google’s ex-employee, Evan You. There are no large companies behind it, it doesn’t get support from Facebook or Google, for example. It is the result of work on a one-person project. The main mission of Vue.js is to simplify the UI development process.

Pros:

• low entrance threshold, so junior developers can master Vue.js faster than other frameworks;
• declarative rendering support;
• smooth integration with most HTML templates;
• it allows observing development in real-time.

Cons:

• small support community;
• component props are obligatory to be preset;
• a lot of documentation is only in Chinese.

#2. Angular

Although this list begins with Vue.js, Angular still is one of the most popular JavaScript frameworks out there. And yes, it is one of the biggest frontend development trends in 2021. Fortunately, Christmas 2017 brought us a great gift. It was Angular 5. At that time, it has acquired new features, such as the support of PWAs, in-build optimizer, and some enhancements in Material Design implementation. A great number of programmers say that it is the best frontend framework 2021.

Pros:

• two-way data binding;
• excellent support provided by the community;
• backed by Google that guarantees stable long-term support;
• mobile-friendly approach to web development;
• PWA and Material Design support.

Cons:

• Beginners usually need up to two months to learn Angular;
• high power consumption on mobile phones;
• low performance (it requires additional optimization to be eliminated).

#3. Next.js

Next.js was first developed by Zeit in 2017. The technology has been mostly used for server-rendering React applications. The popularity of Next.js is growing along with the number of apps developed with this innovation. Some experts say that Vue.js is somewhere in-between Next.js and React. This combination provides you with amazing development opportunities and enhanced process simplicity.

Pros:

• developer-friendly;
• server-side rendering provided;
• it has versatile JavaScript support;
• code splitting.

Cons:

• it can’t be leveraged on big-scale projects;
• there are sometimes inconsistencies between the server and the client.

#4. Gatsby

Gatsby is a reflection of the new front end 2021 trends that have arrived. It is a framework built by Kyle Matthews for building static sites. Gatsby is a perfect fit for those companies that want to utilize state-of-the-art digital tools but have budget limitations.

Pros:

• it utilizes React and Webpack elements instead of templating;
• it uses GraphQL making Gatsby one of the best tools for static site creation;
• easier content edition;
• it is often involved in creating static PWAs;
• auto code splitting and static SSR make booting speedier.

Cons:

• this technology can be leveraged only for developing static web apps;
• it’s a new solution that doesn’t have a lot of libraries;
• a limited set of features for building freeform apps that don’t comply with the page model.

#5. Storybook

Storybook achieved amazing success and popularity in 2017. This web framework is a UI development environment that has become quickly loved by developers due to the community effort provided for Storybook. This technology enables designers to define, design, and test user interface components in isolation. Thus, the whole app can be developed by assembling these components.

Pros:

• building an application piece by piece improves its further testability;
• effortless integration with popular frameworks (e.g. React Native);
• there’s no need for documenting development; therefore, collaboration is made easier with Storybook.

Cons:

• as it is a community-driven project now, there is no guarantee for sustainable support of Storybook.

This community-driven UI development environment is extremely handy for those working with React. Storybook still is one of the top front end frameworks 2021.

  #6. React.js

Many programmers consider React.js one of the best JS frameworks by many experts. It was first developed by Facebook and significantly changed the company’s entire approach to development. React.js is an innovative solution for building rich interfaces that set ongoing competition with Angular and many other JS frameworks.

Pros:

• It allows creating beautiful and feature-packed interfaces;
• It lets you code custom elements;
• It contributes to the programmer’s overall productivity;
• SEO-friendliness;
• The developer community provides excellent support for it.

Cons:

• Many developers don’t like React’s documentation;
• It had a large-size library;

  #7. Ember.js

Have you ever heard of Ember.js? Not yet? Now is the high time for it, as it has been recognized as one of the top front end frameworks in recent years. The most significant peculiarity of Ember.js is that it is based on the Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM). Although Ember might seem an old JavaScript framework, it still is frequently leveraged by big corporations and innovative startups. 

Pros:

• Outstanding performance;
• Ember CLI makes the development process much faster;
• Well-structured documentation;
• It has its own debugging tool.

Cons:

• It’s challenging to learn;
• Ember.js lacks functions allowing to reuse components at the Controller level;
• It is one of the heaviest frameworks on the list.

  #8. Preact.js

Preact.js is a JavaScript library used by millions of programmers worldwide. Although it uses only 3kb, it offers similar benefits and features as React. This technology is developed and based on the same component-based approach.

Pros:

• Lightweight;
• Doesn’t take a lot of memory;
• It provides a convenient command-line interface tool;
• This technology lets you quickly switch to it from React even on the ongoing project.

Cons:

• A little development community;
• propTypes and createClass aren’t supported.

  #9. Svelte.js

Today, Svelte.js has become known as one of the most popular JS frameworks. It is an innovative tool allowing us to consider web application programming from a different angle of view. Software products built with Svelte.js perform fast and seamlessly.

Pros:

• A component-based model; 
• Developer-friendly; 
• Lightweight; 
• Outstanding performance; 
• SEO-friendliness.

Cons:

• Small community;
• Insufficient toolset;
• There are no 3-party components;
• Problems with scalability.

  #10. Meteor

Could you ever think that Meteor is one of the most loved and preferred JavaScript frameworks? Actually, around half a million programmers are using it worldwide. A great number of experts say that Meteor is among the top JS frameworks and the most convenient digital tools for developing applications.

Pros:

• Real-time updates by default;
• Excellent community support; 
• It allows programmers to leverage a single language;
• It allows converting web applications into mobile applications.

Cons:

• No reactive joins;
• Lack of control over the loading files;
• It doesn’t provide native server-side rendering.

Conclusion

Here we have reviewed the most popular JS frameworks, their advantages, disadvantages, and peculiarities. At Fireart Studio, we hope that this brief guide about the most popular JavaScript frameworks will help you understand the process of developing better and choose the one that suits your project best. Do you have any questions about these JavaScript frameworks or just need a reliable team to build your next digital product? Don’t hesitate to reach out to us here.

Update: 2021-01-04