Comparison of popular frontend frameworks: React, Angular, Vue, Svelte, and others - part 2

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Vue.js

Vue.js is a lightweight and flexible frontend framework created by Evan You and first released in 2014.

Vue calls itself a "progressive framework", which means you can adopt it gradually: start using Vue in just one part of a project, for example a single widget, and expand its role as needed.

That makes Vue a good fit both for beginners and for existing projects that need interactivity without rewriting the whole frontend.

Vue architecture

Architecturally, Vue combines the best ideas of React and Angular:

• like React, it uses a component model and a virtual DOM to update the interface efficiently,
• like Angular, it supports an HTML-based template syntax to describe the interface, which beginners often find easier.

Vue also offers two-way data binding in forms through the v-model directive, which simplifies handling user input.

As a result, Vue strikes a balance between structure and flexibility.

Vue advantages

Easy to learn.

Vue is known for its gentle learning curve. Developers with plain JavaScript experience, or even just basic HTML knowledge, can pick up the basics fairly quickly thanks to the readable template syntax.

The official Vue documentation is considered one of the most approachable and clear in the frontend world.

Easy integration.

Vue is easy to add to existing applications. You can include it with a regular script tag and gradually turn parts of the page into Vue components.

This approach is especially handy when modernizing legacy code without a major rebuild.

Flexibility and scalability.

Vue doesn't force a rigid project structure - you can organize the code the way that suits you.

Small projects can get by with simple scripts, while large ones can use the full ecosystem:

• Vue Router - routing,
• Vuex / Pinia - state management,
• Nuxt.js - server-side rendering and static generation.

This makes Vue suitable for both simple websites and serious SPAs.

Performance and size.

The Vue core is very compact - around 30-35 KB (gzip).

Optimized updates through the virtual DOM give high performance out of the box.

TypeScript support.

Since Vue 3, the framework fully supports TypeScript.

That makes it attractive for teams that care about strict typing.

Vue disadvantages

A relatively small ecosystem.

Although Vue is actively developing, it trails React in the number of ready-made libraries and components.

All the core tasks are covered, but for rare features you will sometimes have to write your own solution.

Lower demand on the job market.

Globally, there are noticeably more job offers for React developers than for Vue developers.

Vue is popular in Asia (especially in China), but it is used less often in Europe and the US.

Scaling limits.

Vue handles large projects too, but at extreme scale performance questions sometimes come up.

For example, Vue's reactivity system can consume more resources on huge data sets than Svelte or Solid.

When to use Vue

• When you need a balance between simplicity and functionality.
• For small teams and startups where speed of delivery matters.
• For gradual modernization of old websites: Vue can be adopted incrementally, component by component.
• For SPAs and PWAs of medium complexity, where managing the interface easily matters more than a heavy architecture.

When not to use Vue

• If your team needs the widest choice of ready-made libraries and tools - React offers more options.
• For very large projects with hundreds of developers, Angular may be better thanks to its strict architecture.
• If hiring a large number of specialists is critical, React is the better choice because of its popularity.

Svelte

Svelte is a relatively new frontend framework, or more precisely a compiler, that introduced an original approach to building web applications.

It was created by Rich Harris and first released in 2016, but it drew wider attention only around 2019, with the release of version 3.

The main difference between Svelte and React, Vue and Angular is that it moves the core work of updating the DOM to build time.

In other words, Svelte components are compiled ahead of time into clean, optimized JavaScript that updates the DOM directly.

As a result:

• there is no virtual DOM,
• there is no heavy framework runtime,
• the browser gets the leanest possible functions for updating the interface.

Svelte advantages

1. High performance.

Svelte often outperforms other frameworks in speed.

Because unnecessary abstractions are removed, the DOM is updated directly.

Reactivity without a virtual DOM eliminates overhead and keeps applications fast even on low-end devices.

2. Small size and low resource use.

Svelte applications have a minimal bundle size, because there is no large library inside.

This speeds up page loading and reduces memory use - which matters especially for PWAs and mobile web apps.

3. Simple, expressive syntax.

Svelte code lives in component files with the .svelte extension, where you can describe at once:

• the HTML markup,
• the JavaScript logic,
• the styles (scoped CSS).

Thanks to built-in reactivity, Svelte code is usually shorter and simpler than the equivalent code in React or Vue.

Developers don't need setState or complex hooks - you just assign a new value to a variable, and the framework updates the interface itself.

4. Independence.

Unlike React and Angular, which are backed by corporations (Meta, Google), Svelte is a fully open-source project that grew out of the community.

Many people like that there is no "corporate" control over it, although in 2022 Rich Harris joined the Vercel team, which gave the project a new boost.

Svelte disadvantages

1. A young ecosystem.

The Svelte community is much smaller than React's or Vue's.

There are fewer ready-made libraries and components, so some tasks you will have to solve yourself.

There are also fewer learning materials and articles.

2. Few examples of large projects.

In 2025 there are not many cases of huge enterprise systems built on Svelte.

Technically it can handle them, but the risk is higher because of limited experience and a short track record.

3. Tooling is still maturing.

SvelteKit - the official metaframework for building applications - is actively developing, but it is still relatively young.

That is why some features may be unstable or change.

4. A new way of thinking.

Teams used to React or Vue may find it hard to switch.

Svelte has no virtual DOM and none of the familiar hooks; instead it has its own concepts, such as reactive $: labels.

But after a short learning period, most developers admit that Svelte is even simpler and more pleasant to work with.

When to use Svelte

Svelte is a great choice if:

• maximum interface speed matters, even on low-end devices,
• you need a minimal bundle size,
• the project is small or medium-sized,
• you want to write clean, concise code without unnecessary boilerplate.

Examples of successful use cases:

• interactive widgets embedded on other websites,
• PWAs where every millisecond of loading counts,
• admin panels and dashboards for internal teams,
• quick prototypes for startups.

When not to use Svelte

• If the application is meant to be a large enterprise system with dozens of teams and a complex architecture.
• If your team relies on a mature ecosystem and ready-made solutions for every task.
• If you need long-term stability and time-tested tools - Angular or React may be the safer bet.
• If the company lacks the knowledge and time to learn a new approach.

Svelte summary

Svelte is a fresh, lightweight and very fast framework that changes the usual idea of how frontend is built.

It is still niche for now, but it is gaining popularity fast and has huge potential.

If speed and concise code matter to you, it may turn out to be an excellent choice.

Other frameworks and solutions

Besides React, Angular, Vue and Svelte, the frontend ecosystem has many other tools.

Some deserve a mention:

jQuery

Although jQuery is not an SPA framework but a library for working with the DOM, historically it was extremely popular.

jQuery still runs in many projects today, especially older ones.

But for new applications it is considered outdated: modern frameworks offer better code structure, modularity and performance.

AngularJS (Angular 1.x)

This is the first version of Angular, released in 2010.

It was revolutionary in its time, but it is no longer officially supported and is considered outdated.

There are still AngularJS projects around the world, but new applications should be built on modern Angular 2+ or other frameworks.

Ember.js

In the mid-2010s, Ember was a serious competitor to Angular and React.

The framework offered the "convention over configuration" principle and an integrated ecosystem (its own templating engine, module system and so on).

Today Ember is used only in rare cases - interest in it is gradually fading.

A well-known product built on Ember is LinkedIn.

Backbone.js

Backbone was once very popular as a lightweight tool for structuring the code of jQuery-based applications.

Today it has almost completely fallen out of use and serves mostly as a historical example.

Preact

Preact is a slimmed-down version of React that weighs only about 3 KB but is almost fully compatible with its API.

It suits projects where an ultra-small bundle size matters, such as embedded widgets.

However, Preact has a smaller community, and some React features may behave differently.

SolidJS

SolidJS is a modern framework with fine-grained reactivity, similar to MobX or Knockout.

It combines ideas from React and Svelte and delivers excellent performance.

SolidJS still has a small audience, but it is growing steadily and enjoys a high level of satisfaction among its users.

Qwik

Qwik was created by the author of AngularJS - Miško Hevery.

Its key idea is resumability: the page loads instantly, and code is activated only when the user interacts with it.

This makes Qwik promising for websites where first-render speed and SEO matter.

In 2024-2025 Qwik has been actively gaining popularity, especially among developers working on content websites and e-commerce.

Metaframeworks

Metaframeworks are layers on top of the core frameworks that simplify complex tasks:

• Next.js - built on React, it provides server-side rendering, static generation and a powerful API.
• Nuxt.js - the equivalent for Vue.
• SvelteKit - the equivalent for Svelte.
• Remix - a modern React-based framework focused on routing and performance.

The choice of metaframework usually depends on which core framework you use.

How to choose a frontend framework: typical scenarios

The choice of framework depends on the specifics of the project, the business goals and the team's experience.

Below are the main scenarios.

1. A large enterprise application

For enterprise solutions with lots of forms, tables and complex business logic, Angular is the best fit.

The reasons:

• a strict architecture,
• built-in solutions for forms, testing and security,
• long-term support from Google.

Examples: CRM and ERP systems, corporate portals, banking interfaces.

2. A flexible SPA and a fast product launch

If speed to market and flexibility matter, choose React or Vue.js:

• React - better for scalability and a huge choice of ready-made libraries,
• Vue - easier to start with, a team of beginners will pick it up faster.

Examples: marketplaces, SaaS platforms, dashboards, client portals.

3. Minimal size and high performance

If every extra kilobyte is critical, choose Svelte or Preact.

• Svelte is ideal for PWAs, mobile interfaces and widgets.
• Preact works well for embedded mini-apps.

Examples: mobile web apps, high-traffic landing pages, interactive widgets.

4. SEO and first render

If the project is sensitive to SEO and the speed of the first page view:

• React + Next.js,
• Vue + Nuxt.js,
• Angular + Universal,
• Svelte + SvelteKit.

These combinations give you server-side rendering and fast first content.

Examples: news portals, blogs, e-commerce.

5. Gradual modernization of old code

If you have a legacy project that can't be rewritten all at once:

• Vue.js - best suited for gradual integration, component by component.
• You can use React too, but integrating through JSX is a bit harder.

6. A very small project or prototype

If you need a quick prototype or a minimal application:

• Vue or Svelte - the easiest to start with, they give quick results without a heavy architecture.

Sometimes plain JavaScript without a framework is enough, especially for small websites.

Final thoughts

Frontend evolves at lightning speed, and developers have a rich choice of tools.

React, Angular and Vue remain proven and reliable solutions:

• React - flexibility and a huge ecosystem,
• Angular - scalability and a strict architecture,
• Vue - simplicity and smooth adoption.

Newer frameworks such as Svelte, SolidJS and Qwik offer fresh approaches and often beat older rivals on speed and convenience, but for now they remain niche.

The main rule for choosing a framework - follow the needs of the project, not the trends:

• performance requirements,
• team composition and experience,
• the product's growth prospects,
• long-term support.

Any of the modern frameworks can become the foundation of a successful application if it is used well.

With proper attention to architecture and code quality, you will build a product that is convenient, fast and stable.