React, Angular, or Vue: Which Is the Best Front-end Framework?
The front-end of your website or web application has a huge influence over the user experience.
The framework you use to build your front-end—React, Angular, or Vue—can impact your front-end functionality.
Therefore, which framework you choose ultimately affects the user’s interaction with and perceptions of your software.
So which is the best framework to use: React, Angular, or Vue?
The answer depends on a few different factors. How quickly do you need to build your application? What’s its scale? How versatile does it need to be?
These and other factors will help you determine the best front-end framework for your needs. This article provides an overview of React, Angular, and Vue to help you make a more informed decision.
Angular
Angular is a TypeScript-based JavaScript framework that provides all the tools you need to build large-scale apps. Google developed and first released AngularJS in 2010, so it’s the oldest framework of the three. The JS was dropped from the name in 2016, with the release of Angular 2.
The current version is Angular 13, released in November 2021. Angular 14 is expected to drop in May 2022, based on Angular’s own stated cadence of planning major updates every six months. They also wait another six months before deprecating any major APIs.
Angular Components
In Angular, components are called directives, and are simple markers on DOM elements. Angular can track and attach specific behaviors to directives, separating the UI part of components as attributes of HTML tags, and their behaviors in the form of JavaScript code.
Angular is a complete front-end development toolkit that has all you need to build large-scale apps.
Learning Curve
If you’re new to Angular, be prepared for a steep learning curve. Because the framework is intended to be a complete solution, Angular requires a knowledge of concepts like TypeScript and the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern. Angular fans say the time spent leads to a better understanding how the front-end works.
Advantages of Angular
- Reusable components
- Easy to maintain
- Accelerates development
- Simplifies collaboration
Who Should Use Angular?
If you have a large development team and already use TypeScript, Angular might be a good choice for your application.
React
React is a JavaScript library used for the rapid development of front-end user interfaces.
Facebook (or Meta, as the company is now called) developed React and uses it for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The company released the first version 2013; the current version (17) was released in October 2020.
React Components
Unlike Angular, React doesn’t separate the UI and behavior of components. In React, the same part of the code creates a UI element and dictates its behavior.
Learning Curve
React makers claim their “Getting Started” guide will have you up and running with React in about an hour. In reality, it depends on the path you take.
While their documentation is fairly complete and there’s a lot of support available on Stack Overflow, be aware that React is not a complete framework. Some of the framework’s advanced features require you to use
So yes, you may be able to understand React’s core framework with their guide, but if you need additional functionality, the learning curve gets a little steeper.
Advantages of React
- Easy to create elements
- Reusable system components
- Integrates easily with other frameworks
- Ensures stable code
- Strongly supported
Who Should Use React?
If you’re new to front-end frameworks, React may work well for you. You may also like React if you want some flexibility in your code, because it integrates seamlessly with other frameworks.
Vue
The Vue front-end framework is focused on interface-related tasks. is the youngest member of the group. An ex-Google employee developed Vue in 2014 and its popularity quickly skyrocketed. The current stable version is 3.2.20, released in October 2021. Unlike Angular and React, Vue is not backed by a major tech company, but gets funding via Patreon supporters.
Vue Components
Like React, Vue doesn’t separate the UI and behavior of components, which makes working in Vue more intuitive. Vue also allows for a great degree of customization and integrates well with other libraries.
Learning Curve
Vue’s customizability makes its learning curve the easiest of the three frameworks. It also shares enough similarities with the other two that moving to Vue from either Angular or React is fairly simple.
Advantages of Vue
- Logical and straightforward design
- Single syntax
- Expansive plugin library
- Simple and efficient
- More versatility
Who Should Use Vue?
Vue is great if you want simplicity plus flexibility. It has proven to be the equal of Angular and React, and it’s the primary front-end JavaScript framework of high-profile users like Alibaba, Grammarly, and GitLab. If you want to break away from frameworks tied to tech giants like Google and Facebook, Vue is for you.
No Clear Winner
When it comes to deciding between Angular vs. React vs. Vue, there’s no definitive answer. Like most aspects of software development, which tool you use depends on your needs.
Each framework has plusses and minuses. You must weigh your product requirements, your team size, and your team skill set, among other things, to know which of the three will give you the functionality and development speed you require.
Get Help with Front-End Development
Still not sure which front-end framework you should use? Let Taazaa help!
Our consultants will dig into your business needs and recommend the best technology for your software development project.
And if you need a little more help than that, our skilled front-end developers are ready to pitch in and develop a front-end for you. Your customers will be wowed by a great user experience and beautiful, intuitive user interface.
When you choose with Taazaa as your front-end development partner, you get fresh thinking and design from a team you’ll truly love working with. We’re highly collaborative and we practice iterative, agile development to keep you in the loop at every stage.
To learn more about how Taazaa can help you with front-end development, give us a buzz.
