Choosing the Right Framework: Angular, React, or Vue

Choosing the right programming language and framework can be a daunting task, especially when you are not a technical person: there are multiple options available and comparisons on the web are often vague. 

The goal of this article is to simplify the challenging task of selecting the most appropriate JavaScript framework for your project to help you make an informed decision. We will compare the three JavaScript frameworks — Angular, React, and Vue — so that you can build your next web development project with clarity considering the technicalities, specifications, and pros & cons of these frameworks.

Angular vs React vs Vue: History

Before diving into the technicalities of these JavaScript frameworks, let’s take a look at their history and how they came to be so popular and loved by engineers. 

Angular

Before the release of Angular, a Google employee, Miško Hevery, was working on a side project with the intent of simplifying the development process for building web applications. Hevery decided to implement MVC architecture into it. Later on, this side project came into shape and now is known as AngularJS. The name “Angular” refers to the use of angle brackets “< >” in HTML.

Angular is a full-fledged front-end JavaScript framework that is TypeScript-based. Its original version was released in 2010 by Google as AngularJS, and, in 2016, Google launched Angular/Angular 2+, a new iteration of the framework. It was a TypeScript-based JavaScript framework (as opposed to a previous, more basic framework, that was JS-based). Angular 2 and further versions boosted component-based architecture and a new approach to dependency injections. The latest stable release of this framework is 13.0, published in February of 2023.

The framework has been used by many famous companies for their websites and applications, including the following:

1. PayPal
2. Netflix
3. Microsoft Office
4. Gmail
5. UpWork
6. Overleaf
7. Samsung
8. Forbes
9. Delta
10. Deutsche Bank

The Angular framework is known for its ability to handle complex data structures and user interfaces, which is essential and useful in building large-scale applications by Angular.js developers, enterprise software, and long-term app development.

React

React is just a JavaScript library, not a framework. Developers use it to build interactive web interfaces for web apps, while a complete framework, React Native, a sister software to React.js, is utilized for crafting multiplatform mobile apps. React is a creation of Jordan Walke, a software engineer at Meta. He launched it in 2013. Since then, it has grown to become one of the most widely used libraries for web applications.

The boom and popularity of React are due to its useful features, including its component-based architecture, easily understandable JSX syntax, unidirectional data flow, Virtual DOM, and one of the largest and most active communities.

React’s Virtual DOM is a lightweight representation of the actual DOM that allows React developers to efficiently render and update React elements on the web page. React Native developers build cross-platform mobile apps with a soft and smooth UI quickly. 

The latest version of the React.js library is 18th, and the new features — like concurrency mechanisms for development teams to prepare multiple variations of a page’s UI at once that allow building even better performative websites — are loved by React.js developers. Because in React.js engineers utilize reusable components across the code base, the UI library is often used for prototyping in early-stage startups. 

Due to the versatility of React, it is used by numerous top companies for their products, including Meta, Airbnb, Discord, Pinterest, Skype, and others. 

Vue

Vue.js, commonly referred to as Vue, is a progressive JavaScript framework used for crafting UIs. Vue developers are usually employed for projects that require building single-page apps. It was created by Evan You, a JavaScript developer at Google. He made the first commitment to the project in July 2013 and released it in February 2014.  

Evan You wanted to come up with a tool with the capabilities of AngularJS, but one that’s more lightweight and fast. As you would see later, when we’ll get to compare the two in more detail, a progressive framework, Vue.js, really managed to outperform even Angular 2+ in these aspects. 

Since it is a progressive JavaScript framework used for building user interfaces, numerous big companies use it for their websites and applications, including:

1. Alibaba
2. Xiaomi
3. Baidu
4. Adobe
5. Trivago
6. Gitlab
7. BMW
8. Apple
9. Google.

The latest version of the framework a Vue developer would use is a stable release v3.3.0-alpha.4. Vue’s MVC architecture allows developers to utilize it both in small and large-scale projects. 

Angular vs React vs Vue: Popularity

Popularity rates will help you estimate how challenging the search for qualified candidates would be. Let’s analyze some recent surveys about the popularity of these three web development frameworks.

Vue Js vs React vs Angular: Statistics

The StackOverflow survey of 2022 shows that 42.62% of engineers they’ve used React in the past year. Subsequently, Angular was the second most popular, with 20.39% of engineers utilizing it, followed by Vue, used by 16.1%. So, React was one of the most popular web frameworks among countless developers around the world in 2022. 

According to the States of JS, there’s been a continuous fluctuation in the popularity of these three front-end web development frameworks with time. The 2022 variation of this survey indicates that React remained consistently high in the past few years, with an 83% satisfaction rate, followed by Vue with 77% and Angular with 43%.

So, React is still widely used. It is the most popular web development front-end library, followed by Vue and Angular frameworks. 

Angular Js vs React Js vs Vue Js: NPM Trends

NPM stands for Node Package Manager; it is a complete package manager for Node.js, a Chrome V8-based JS runtime. NPM provides a convenient way to install and manage packages and dependencies of web applications. NPM is also used — for the same purposes — for building front-end web applications built with React, Vue, and Angular, too. Millions of developers use this tool to manage their JavaScript dependencies.

Now let’s see the NPM trends graph to analyze the popularity of React, Angular, and Vue.

According to the NPM trends graph, React has consistently been the most popular library among the three frameworks, followed by Vue, which is gaining popularity over time day by day and even has crossed React with a short-term spike at some point. 

Vue vs Angular vs React: Google Trends

Google trends is a powerful tool that allows users to track and analyze the states and popularity of specific search queries over a period of time from around the globe.

WorldWide

React library remains the most used query among the frameworks, followed by Angular and then Vue. However, the popularity of Vue is consistently increasing over time.

United States

According to Google Trends, the popularity of web development frameworks in the United States is more or less consistent with the worldwide tendency. 

China

The popularity of React, Angular, and Vue in China shows a slightly different trend compared to worldwide and US trends. Vue is the most popular framework among the others, but the gap between Vue and React is minor. Angular hasn’t gained much popularity over the past year in China and there are fewer Angular and React applications in the country. 

Angular vs React vs Vue: Main Applications

When developing complex apps and dynamic web applications, there are several programming languages and development tools to choose from. Vue, Angular, and React are three popular JS tools that can be used to build a variety of web applications and mobile apps. 

Both Angular and React can be used to build progressive web apps. 

Angular is well-suited for building large-scale, enterprise-grade, complicated programs, while React is a great choice for building UI components and front-end-heavy applications. Finally, Vue is a versatile framework that can be used for a wide range of applications, from small to large, and is particularly good for building single-page applications (SPAs).

In general, these frameworks can be used to build progressive web applications, while React’s React Native can be used to build native mobile applications. Ultimately, the best framework for a project will depend on its specific requirements and constraints.

Angular vs React vs Vue: Performance Indicators

When developing web applications, performance indicators can be crucial. The importance of performance increases as the web app project becomes more complex and larger in scope.

With that said, let’s take a look at the performance indicators to analyze and make a comparison between Angular vs React vs Vue with the help of JS Framework Benchmark and Perf Track.

JS Framework Benchmark: Angular vs React vs Vue

The JS framework Benchmark is an open-source project designed and developed to provide a test suite for JavaScript libraries and frameworks.

The benchmark suite includes various tests to measure the performance of different aspects of JS frameworks, including rendering performance, memory usage, start-up time, handling more complex apps, and small- and large-scale user interactions.

The nine tests above are part of a JavaScript benchmark framework. Based on their results, we can see that Vue.js is generally the fastest framework compared to React and Angular. 

However, there are some differences in performance when it comes to specific functionalities such as swapping and selecting rows — Vue.js is faster at swapping rows but slower at selecting rows compared to React and Angular. Angular, on the other hand, is slower when it comes to memory and booting time than React and Vue.

Perf Track: Angular vs Vue Js vs React

Performance tracking, often referred to as the perf track, is a project that aims to measure and analyze the performance of websites that use popular JavaScript frameworks and libraries. The results and insights Perf Track provides help developers identify the loopholes and areas that can be improved, including rendering time, page load time, server load time, memory usage, etc. 

Perf Track uses five metrics. 

With that said, let’s analyze the differences between these three technologies according to these metrics. 

Angular

According to the above data, Angular is the slowest framework in terms of rendering a complete page, with only 38% of the websites scoring in the acceptable range for the Largest Contentful paint. Angular has performed well in terms of Time To First Byte, with 59% of websites scoring well in the Google range. 

React

The data shows that React performs well in terms of First Contentful Pain, Cumulative Layout Shift and First Input Delay, with around 60%, 72%, and 85% of websites scoring in the good range. 

Vue

Vue, on the other hand, is one the fastest and most lightweight frameworks among the three. Vue also performs well in terms of First Contentful Paint and Cumulative Layout Shift, with 58% and 68% of websites scoring in the good range. Additionally, Vue excels in terms of First Input Delay with 87% of website scoring, which has outperformed Angular and React. 

Angular vs React vs Vue: Comparison Table

Let’s make a comparison between Angular vs React vs Vue to help you understand the major difference between these three web development frameworks. When it comes to web development, choosing the right tools and technologies can make all the difference. 

Let’s see the differences between Angular, React, and Vue.

Of course, other javascript frameworks and other libraries exist and can be used, e.g. Knockout and Backbone, and you’re welcome to explore their properties and characteristics. A general rule of thumb is that before picking any technology, make sure it has proper documentation, projects that have been built using it (popular projects), consistent updates, and a large enough community of engineers. 

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FAQ

Is Angular Better than React?

Both tools have their own features that facilitate the development process. However, Angular is better than Meta’s JavaScript library if your complex applications are large and enterprise-grade because it’s more stable and opinionated than React — maintaining a consistent infrastructure will be easier with it. At the same time, React is good to use when you want to work quickly while still creating beautiful, seamless UI interactions on the front end. 

Also, it’s somewhat more useful to build a React app for web if you want to craft cross-platform mobile applications later with React Native. Of course, RN won’t give you the high, sleek quality of native mobile apps built with Kotlin or Swift, but it provides a solid technology stack for building beautiful iOS and Android apps nevertheless. (And it’s not really fair to compare native apps to those that have been built via cross-platform development). 

Which Is Faster: Angular, React, or Vue?

Based on the above analysis and benchmark tests, we’ve learned that overall Vue has performed best followed closely by React. The same study has demonstrated that Angular has shown slightly lower performance scores compared to Vue and React. That is why Vue and React are most often used for creating single-app applications — speed and robustness are critical factors for them. 

Why Is Angular Losing Popularity?

Angular is losing its popularity due to a few reasons, including its relatively steep learning curve, complex syntax, performance, and larger bundle size compared to other modern frameworks like Vue and React. Additionally, a major reason is the rise of React and Vue popularity has led to a shift in the developer’s preferences towards newer and lightweight frameworks.

Is Angular Still Relevant in 2023?

Yes, Angular is still relevant but even one of the most popular front-end frameworks in 2023. It is under active development, regularly maintaining and adding new features to it — and supplementing the new versions with detailed documentation. Additionally, global tech companies like Microsoft Office, Gmail, Samsung, PayPal, and others, still use Angular, which is proof that Angular is yet not out of the race. It’s especially useful for developing complex applications to be used by large businesses and enterprises.