React vs Vue: Which JavaScript Should You Choose

Being among the most popular and widely used tools for web application front-end development, React vs Vue is certainly a tough pick. Both frameworks are highly efficient and offer great features, making the job of a developer convenient. However, both have their use cases and target different business needs.  

This blog would first cover the popularity and purpose of a web application, followed by differences between React vs Vue, and lastly, the use cases. We intend to help a reader make an informed decision while choosing between React and Vue for their web application development.  

Why Web Applications? 

Research and statistics show that the number of people searching for and downloading new apps has dropped significantly. According to a report by Sensor Tower, “in-app purchases, premium apps and subscriptions across both the Apple’s App Store and Google Play went down by 4.8% to $31.6 billion from the $33.1 billion in Q2 202”. Social media apps however continue to gather engagement. 

Web applications, on the other hand, have become more popular and widely used in contemporary times. These applications are easily accessible, more convenient for users, and in addition, involve less development costs, with more engagement.  

Google Docs or Google Sheets, Zoom, and Microsoft 365 are the most commonly used and so the most popular web applications.  

Twitter with its PWAs was able to achieve a 65% increase in page views per session, a 75% increase in Tweets sent, and also, a 20% decrease in bounce rate. 

Research shows that one in 5 users never relaunch an app after 1 session. Offering users to install a Progressive web application (PWA) directly from a browser thus seems to be a smarter move. PWAs with their smaller size and quick installation process, provide businesses with a higher chance of successful user onboarding (from website to the app), eventually decreasing development costs and subsequently increasing marketing ROI.  

Flipkart built its first PWA a few years ago and nearly 70% of its new customers from small towns and cities came through web applications just within 2 years of its rolling out.  

Moreover, the smaller size of the PWA core helped Tinder cut load times from 11.9 seconds to 4.69 seconds and have users engaging — and swiping right — at an all-time high. 

Comparison between the data investment for Tinder Online vs the native apps 

React vs Vue Framework 

The Stack Overflow Survey 2020 stated that ‘68.9% of developers are using React.js to develop web applications while 66.0% of developers use Vue.js. 

Let’s see the key differences between React and Vue.  

1. React is an open-source JavaScript library developed by Meta in 2013, while Evan You, founder of Vue Technology LLC created Vue in 2014, using ReactJS as a source of inspiration for it. Vue is a progressive JavaScript framework.  

2. As far as the approach to rendering content to Document Object Model (DOM) is concerned, React uses JavaScript Syntax Extension (JSX) for creating React components, while Vue uses HTML templates apart from JSX. 

Moreover, Vue is most popular among HTML developers in contrast to React which is loved by JavaScript developers who want to style and code everything using JavaScript/ES7.  

3. React has competent architecture, Virtual DOM manipulation, and component state management, providing developers with more freedom in terms of tools (pre-built and third-party). However, new developers may be overwhelmed by the abundance of third-party tools/instruments. 

The widespread tools and libraries are developed by the core team for Vue. Additionally, there are community-based solutions as well. Therefore, this framework has a more balanced number and combination of third-party and pre-built tools. This helps both experienced developers and new ones to work smoothly through the tools.   

4. Since React is backed by Meta, it is more popular and has a larger community. In fact, React has over 187k GitHub stars along with a continuously growing community. Whereas, Vue has a smaller community, and limited resources and modules. 

5. React is simple to pick up for someone who has already worked with JavaScript. Furthermore, the formation of a team becomes easier due to the lower learning curve, since any beginner or professional developer can engage. In fact, React js was used by 40.14 percent of developers in 2021.  

Vue, on the other hand, is the simplest framework to study and understand all the JavaScript frameworks. It is estimated to take anywhere from a few hours to less than a week to learn.  

6. Performance (Speed wise) of an application developed using React is simply quicker than an application created using Vue. React applications have a simpler performance in experience for users and also components that function well together.  

Applications developed using Vue on the other hand become more unclear if any addition of new option or components take place, taking more time to load. However, the lazy loading feature of Vue helps in reducing the load time to some extent. 

Differences Between React and Vue

Feature	React	Vue
Type	Library to build UI	Framework
Syntax	JavaScript	JavaScript and HTML
Application Types	Single- page Apps	Advanced Single –page Apps and supports Native apps
Ideal for	Modern web development and also native-rendered apps for iOS and Android	Ideal for web development and single-page applications
Learning Curve	Medium	Easy
Flexibility	If you want to have flexibility in the development environment	If you want to have separation of concerns
Model	Based on Virtual DOM (Document Object Model)	Based on Virtual DOM (Document Object Model)
Data binding	One-way	Two-way
Scalability	More scalable	Less scalable
Community Support	Meta developers’ community	Open-source project sponsored through crowd-sourcing
Language Preference	Recommends the use of JSX – JavaScript XML	HTML templates and JavaScript

React vs Vue: Suitability 

Let’s look at the suitability of both frameworks in terms of project nature and scale.  

Choose React when:  

• You need to develop a custom website/web application or SSR/CSR
• Startups in their initial stages – need fast feature development and validation campaigns 
• Outsourcing product development- much easier to find a React developer compared to one with Vue expertise. 

Choose Vue when:  

• The company is approaching the market of web-based products 
• Implementation of a single flow in the development process is required 
• If a company lacks experience in frameworks in their build process or one planning to leverage its proficiency with JavaScript. 

React vs Vue: Use cases 

Some of these use cases would help you decide better the framework that suits your business nature along with your needs.  

React:  

PayPal used React js to enhance the navigational workflows, bookmarks, and rendering of their payment gateway application initially. 

Meta uses React js in their Facebook Ads Manager presently; at the same time, the Meta web app is built with more than 20,000 React js components.  

Netflix used React in enhancing performance and in addition, limiting processing times to the earliest for a more seamless user experience.  

Twitter uses React to add updated content, enhance user experience, and create browser-based UI. They revamped their site’s front-end architecture using React and came up with the PWA version. 

Vue:  

Google Careers is built using Vue, facilitating a map of job opportunities, interactive content, and more. 

Behance, part of Adobe, is developed using Vue. It showcases creative work and portfolios, connecting individual talents and companies globally.  

GiveDirectly, the first of its kind and largest NPO that facilitates the exchange of funds between donors and the needy was created using Vue.  
 

Conclusion 

While both frameworks are widely used, they come with their own list of pros and cons. 

While React is a tried-and-tested framework with strong corporate backing and a significant open-source group, Vue on the other hand is still a growing frontend development name. In fact, React ranks fourth ‘Most loved frameworks of Stack Overflow 2021’ list and was also featured in the ‘Topmost wanted frameworks’ by Stack Overflow. 

While React is better at performance and its library is more scalable, Vue is easier to learn and has the best documentation in the industry.   

The choice should eventually depend upon the reader’s business needs. Go for React if a large application has to be built with ease of development. On the other hand, if a business needs a simple application with the best documentation and easy integration, then Vue is the way to go. 

Therefore, React app development or Vue app development largely depends upon what the business is seeking.

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