Top 5 JavaScript Frameworks For 2021
According to StackOverflow's developer survey 2021, JavaScript is the most commonly used language for the 8th year straight with 67.7% of people opting for it. The major reason for its popularity is the fact that JavaScript is versatile and can be used for both frontend and backend development as well as for testing websites or web applications as well.
While googling ‘JavaScript framework’, you’ll come across various JavaScript frameworks, each with their own advantages and usage. With so many choices for the JavaScript frameworks for frontend, backend development, or even testing it’s difficult to choose the right framework for your requirements.
It can be really hard to find the perfect framework for your requirements. In this article on the best JavaScript framework for 2021, with the help of StateOfJS 2019, Stackoverflow’s Developer Survey 2021 and NPM trends, I’ve come up with a list of best JavaScript frameworks for frontend, backend, and for testing which might help you on this.
Front End JavaScript Frameworks
JavaScript has been widely used for front end development for almost 2 decades. Popular frameworks such as React, Vue and Angular have gained a massive legion of followers while few new competitors have been gaining ground recently to challenge the big 3. Here are the 6 best front end frameworks of 2021 –
1. React.js
The first place in our best JavaScript framework for 2021 rankings in the front-end category belongs to React.js. React.js is an open-source front end JavaScript library (not a full-fledged framework) that was created by a team of Facebook developers led by Jordan Walke back in 2011 and became open source in June 2013. The initial prototype was dubbed “FaxJS” and was first experimented in Facebook’s Newsfeed. React can be considered one of the biggest influential disruptors in the Mobile app development Company that delivered a real breakthrough shaping web applications that we see today.
React introduced a component-based, functional, and declarative programming style for creating interactive user interfaces for mainly single-page web applications. React delivers blazing-fast rendering by making use of ‘Virtual DOM’ that renders only those components that have changed instead of rendering the whole page. Another key feature of React is the use of simpler JSX syntax instead of JavaScript.
Although React presents a slightly steeper learning curve than other best front end JavaScript frameworks in this list however React is supported by a huge developer community, bountiful learning resources, and a massive industry adoption in every corner of the world.
React has consistently topped popularity charts across the board for front end JavaScript framework, be it Stack overflow Developer Survey or the State OF JS Survey. React has consistently won the crown as the favorite front end JavaScript framework. World’s biggest companies and brands like Airbnb, Facebook, Instagram, Netflix, Twitter, WhatsApp, and many others have been built using React. It wouldn’t be wrong to assume that React.js is arguably the best JavaScript frameworks around.
2. Vue.js
The 2nd place in our best JavaScript framework of 2021 rankings in the front-end category goes to Vue.js. Vue.js is an open-source lightweight front end JavaScript framework used to build creative user interfaces and high-performance single page web applications with minimum effort.
Vue was first launched in 2014 by Evan You, a developer working for Google who took inspiration from Angular to deliver a simple lightweight and efficient alternative in the form of Vue.js. Although Vue has adopted most of its features from React and Angular, it has made major improvements on those features to deliver a better, easy to use, and secure framework. The biggest example of this approach is that Vue offers a 2-way data binding as seen in Angular and ‘Virtual DOM’ as seen in React.
Likewise Vue offers high flexibility — not only can it function as an end-to-end full-fledged framework like Angular but also a view layer with state management like React. Thus, the principle key advantage of Vue is its simpler, uncomplicated, unrestrictive and progressive nature that adapts to developer’s needs. Vue has witnessed a massive explosion in its popularity over the last 2 years, dethroning Angular as the main rival to challenge the dominance of React as the best front end JavaScript framework. One of the world’s largest companies like Adobe, Apple, BMW, Louis Vuitton, Nintendo are using Vue.
3. Angular.js
The 3rd place in our list of best JavaScript framework of 2021 in the front-end category goes to Angular.js. Angular is an open-source typescript based framework by Google used to build client-side single-page web applications. Angular was created by Google’s engineers Misko Hevery and Adam Abrons in 2010 named AngularJS (or Angular 1). AngularJS achieved widespread acclaim and was poised to reign supreme but the emergence of React pushed it into oblivion exposing its grave shortcomings. As a result, AngularJS went through a complete and total rewrite from the ground up and Angular 2 (or just Angular) was released in its place in 2016.
AngularJS(Angular 1) took inspiration from React and made drastic changes, the biggest of which was the shift from M-V-W architecture (Model-View-Whatever) to component-based architecture like React. Today Angular is one of the most secure front end JavaScript frameworks for building enterprise-scale applications out of the box. More than a million websites are using Angular including Google, Forbes, IBM, Microsoft among others.
4. Ember.js
The 4th place in our list of best JavaScript framework of 2021 in the front-end category goes to Ember.js. Ember.js is an opinionated open-source JavaScript framework used to create scalable enterprise-scale single page web applications. Unlike other frameworks that we have discussed until now, ember is based on the Model-View-ViewModel (MVVW) architecture pattern.
Ember was originally a SproutCore 2.0 framework that was renamed as Ember.js by its creator Yehuda Katz, an accomplished developer who is credited as one of the chief creators of jQuery. One of the most adored and key features of Ember is the Ember Command-line interface tool which is a productivity powerhouse in itself.
Even though Ember is one of the older front end JavaScript frameworks compared to React, Vue, and Svelte, it still packs a punch and has a big user base with major companies like — Microsoft, LinkedIn, Netflix, Twitch, etc among its clients. Ember’s older companions like backbone and polymer have faded away but Ember has somehow managed to hold its Fort thanks to a passionate community.
5. Preact.js
The 5th place in our list of best JavaScript framework of 2021 in the front-end category goes to Preact.js. Preact.js is a lightweight, swift, and high-performance library(not a full-fledged framework) alternative to React. Preact is merely 3kb in size (minified and gzipped) and yet gives you all the necessary functionality of React. Preact was created by Jason Miller, Senior Developer Programs Engineer at Google, and can be considered as a subset of React stripping away some functionalities.
Preact.js is built with the same core principle of React — Component based approach with Virtual Dom while being completely compatible with React. It can even use React packages without compromising on speed, performance, and leaner size. In instances where full potential of React isn’t necessary, most developers even use React during mobile app development and switch to Preact for production. Many major companies like Tencent, Uber, and Lyft are using Preact.
JavaScript will continue to be the dominant force powering the development of all kinds of web applications. But choosing the best JavaScript framework for your requirement out of dozens of options available is by no means an easy task. Every framework is packed with its own unique forte and shortcomings.
Carefully pay heed to your project’s requirements and understand which set of frameworks complement your needs and can deliver that best performance at the best mobile app development company in Delhi. The learning curve, complexity, compatibility documentation, community support should also be taken into account as deciding factors apart from just performance.
What did you think of our list of Top 5 JavaScript frameworks of 2021? Leave your comments below to let us know if your favorite JavaScript framework made it to the list or if there is any other framework that you would like to be added here. I hope you liked this article on the best JavaScript framework, feel free to share it with your peers and colleagues by retweeting us or sharing this article on LinkedIn. Happy Testing!!!?
