10 JavaScript Frameworks You Should Know

By Nikita. in Coding. Updated on March 31, 2023.

Looking to up your JavaScript skills and create dynamic, responsive web apps? If so, you might want to brush up yourself (or at least get familiarized) with some of the top JavaScript frameworks available today. These frameworks provide a wide range of tools and libraries that can help you streamline your development process and create high-quality code.

In this article, we will take a closer look at ten popular JavaScript frameworks you should know, from Angular to React and Vue.js and so on… So, whether you’re a seasoned JavaScript developer or just starting, read on to discover the best JavaScript frameworks to add to your toolkit.

1. Ember.js

Ember.js is a JavaScript framework used to develop scalable single-page web applications. It was initially known as the SproutCore 2.0 framework and comes with a Glimmer renderer that can render DOM elements.

The Ember.js command-line interface allows for in-browser tests, automatic component reloads, quick rebuilds, and more. There are many popular companies that use this framework, including Netflix, LinkedIn, Microsoft, and Apple.

PROS

It comes with a strong data layer that works well with Java.
It supports the URL, and you also get user-friendly documentation and an API.
Ideal for long-term thinkers since it provides stability without stagnation.
It has a quick boot time that aids server-side rendering, allowing search engines, curl, and other scrapers to access your project.
It offers an object model that represents the underlying data and makes key-value observation easier.

CONS

Lacks component reuse functionality at the controller level.
Bloated object model implementation due to its large size, and when debugged, it calls the stack.
Not suitable for small projects.
It may have outdated content. While working with Ember.js, you may come across a lot of outdated content that isn’t working anymore.

2. AngularJS

Angular is an MVC framework. It has a two-way data binding between models and views. This data binding allows both sides to be automatically updated whenever the data changes. This will enable you to create reusable presentation components that simplify the interaction between the back-end and the front-end.

Angular has NativeScript for native apps while developing Ionic for mashups. It allows you to add conditions, loops, and local variables directly inside the template, tracking, processing, and displaying changes from the user using data binding.

Moreover, Angular makes dynamic rendering easy with its JSON-based processing and rendering capabilities. Any developer with experience in basic front-end technologies like HTML5 and JavaScript can learn AngularJS easily.

Originally, Angular was designed to be modular, testable, and maintainable. Thus, it is suitable to become an excellent basis for the development of the interface.

Large organizations like PayPal, Freelancer, LinkedIn, Lego, Hopscotch, and a few others use their AngularJS interfaces.

PROS

Excellent MVC. Most frameworks require that developers split their app into multiple MVC components. After that, the programmer must develop code to reassemble them. However, AngularJS strings it together automatically. It saves you time and decreases the app’s time-to-market.
Intuitive. Because it uses HTML as a declarative language, AngularJS is more user-friendly. It’s also less brittle when it comes to reorganizing.
Injection of dependencies. This feature aids developers in better developing, testing, and understanding apps. For example, using the DI feature, you won’t have to seek dependencies or create them yourself; instead, they’ll automatically be created and provided to you.

CONS

Learning is difficult. One of the main reasons why most new developers need help from AngularJS Job assistance is that it is difficult for beginners.
Support for JavaScript is required to use AngularJS, and if JavaScript support is disabled on your device, you may have a big problem. When you have a large number of related users, the situation may deteriorate and when there is a large number of associated users, the problem can get worse.
Not recommended for those who are new to MVC. Developers who have never worked with AngularJS before may be unfamiliar with the MVC templates (Model View Controller). It indicates that the project will take a long time to complete. As a result, reaching the project’s deadline becomes difficult.

3. React

React is an open-source JavaScript library for building user interfaces. It allows you to create interface components for mobile and PC software. This framework is worth using if you are building a SPA, cross-platform application, or small business application.

The main purpose of the React framework is to split the user interface into a set of components to simplify the development process. The ability to use this framework for native development is one of its main advantages, among other things worth mentioning a large community, rich ecosystem, maximum SEO support, and reusable components.

PROS

Quick rendering. The use of composed methods to reduce the number of DOM operations aids in the optimization and acceleration of the updating process.
Easier to create dynamic apps. Data binding in React creates the conditions for developing dynamic apps.
JSX makes the code of components and blocks readable. It shows how components are connected or combined.
Update procedure that has been improved and accelerated.

CONS

Rapidly changing environment. React environment is changing at a rapid pace and some developers are finding it hard to keep up with.
Documentation is lacking. This issue can be traced back to the constant release of new tools. Several members of the community think that React technologies are changing and accelerating at such a rapid pace that there isn’t enough time to produce comprehensive documentation. To solve this, developers create their custom documentation for specific tools used in current projects.
JSX. To work with HTML and JavaScript, React has introduced JSX. It allows you to combine HTML and JavaScript, but it has certain new attributes and syntaxes that make it harder to deal with when you’re new to React. Developing with JSX is made more difficult by the lack of comprehensive documentation.

4. Vue.js

Vue.js is a lightweight progressive JS framework that incorporates many of its concepts from ReactJS and AngularJS. It has a template style similar to Angular and has component-based props similar to ReactJS. Vue provides an easy and fast fix for apps, UI, and interactive web development.

The most important advantage of Vue is that the component dependencies are automatically tracked during its rendering. This way, the system knows which component needs to be re-rendered when the state changes. This prevents additional work required for optimization and allows the developer to focus more on building the application.

PROS

The approach is easy. Vue.JS is simple to integrate into an existing web project. Even if you are unfamiliar with JSX, ES2015, or the Build System, you can get started working with it fast and easily. As a result, switching to this framework is simple and beneficial in a fast-paced development environment.
Detailed documentation. The documentation for Vue.JS is so extensive that anyone with a basic understanding of JavaScript and HTML can quickly create a Web page or application.
MVVM Architecture. Vue.JS has an MVVM (Model-View-View-Model) architecture, making two-way communication possible. HTML Blocks are easier to work with this MVVM Architecture.

CONS

Resources are limited. While the ecosystem is fairly large, and all of the necessary tools are available to begin creating with Vue, it is still not as large as React or Angular.
Large-scale projects face a lack of backing. Vue.js is a relatively new framework. The scale of its community and development team is still incomparable to that of older Angular. It also does not receive financial help from huge corporations.
Flexibility. Vue.js offers a lot of alternatives and flexibility within the framework. However, if you’re working on a larger project with many developers, then excessive flexibility may cause complications, leading to additional errors and inconsistencies in the code.

5. Svelte

Svelte is an open-source JavaScript framework written in Typescript. It converts the project to JavaScript at build time, not runtime. As a result, application development with Svelte is generally faster compared to other JavaScript frameworks. Companies like Codustry and Kontist use Svelte for their projects.

PROS

Uses less boilerplate code to get the same functionality as other frameworks.
Converts code into Vanilla JS. You can convert your code into compact, framework-less Vanilla JS, ensuring that your app loads quickly.
Uses scoped styling without the usage of CSS-in-JS.
Adds reactivity to JS. No more complex state management libraries as Svelte adds reactivity to JavaScript itself.

CONS

Not much community support. It has very little community support making it difficult for developers to find a UI kit.
No cross-platform applications. So, you’ll either have to totally rewrite your mobile app in React Native or utilize hardcoded NativeScript and finish it manually.
No substantial backing by tech giants. Google has supported Vue.js and Angular, while Facebook has supported React. Svelte, however, is currently without any substantial backing mainly because it’s a very new framework, and may receive support in the future.

6. Backbone.js

Backbone.js is a lightweight JS framework based on the Model View Presenter (MVP) architecture. It has a RESTful JSON interface and helps you build client-side web applications.

Backbone gives structure to web applications by providing models with key-value binding and custom events, collections with a rich API of enumerable functions, views with declarative event handling, and connects it all to your existing application over a RESTful JSON interface.

PROS

Makes it easier to create one-page apps and front-ends using JavaScript functions.
Well-structured apps. Backbone.js allows the developers to create well-structured and well-organized client-side web or mobile apps.
Offers many building elements for creating client-side web apps including models, views, events, routers, and collections.

CONS

Regenerate the entire tech pack after error fixing. Even if one error is still within the same parameters as the previously created tech pack, you have to regenerate the entire tech pack once the error is fixed.
Offers a bad workaround by asking us to the fit and revision section for TP notes. The Compare Samples section is inoperable and difficult to view.
Requires extra plugins. Due to the fact that Backbone is lightweight, you have to add missing functionality with different plugins.

7. Next.js

Next.js lets you develop Jamstack and server-side applications. It supports CSS and styled JSX. Plus, it allows you to import JavaScript modules and React components.

Using Next.js it is possible to export a completely static site from within the application. Companies like Netflix, Github, and Avocode use this framework.

PROS

Split code. It breaks the code automatically to make the page load faster.
Security. Because there is no direct link to the database, dependencies, user data, or other private information, the static site is absolutely secure.
Faster load page time. Because JS websites are static, they load quickly. It can also optimize pages automatically when needed.

CONS

Not a backend framework. As a result, backend logic, such as a database or an accounts server, should be kept in a separate server application.
All data must be loadable from both the client and the server.
Not ideal for a small project. Next.js is a powerful tool, but it might be overkill for developing a small project.

8. Aurelia

Released in June 2019, Aurelia is a relatively new Javascript framework. Today it is one of the most advanced and developer-friendly front-end frameworks. It is also called the "Next Generation UI Framework".

One of the principles of Aurelia is "Convention over Configuration". This principle aims to reduce the number of required configurations without sacrificing flexibility.

PROS

Easy to extend. One may add or remove any of the framework tools, as well as any additional tools that aren’t part of Aurelia’s framework.
Unobtrusive style. Aurelia’s standards-based style makes development a pleasure and saves a significant amount of time.
Aimed towards web standards and will constantly stay up to date with new concepts.

CONS

A small development community and the number of developers who use it is limited.
Two-way data binding which is often considered an anti-pattern.
Not supported by big corporations. Aurelia has no big success stories so far.

9. Node.js

Node.js is one of the most downloaded, open-source, cross-platform frameworks for executing JavaScript outside of the browser. It is used to build internal services or APIs and develop server and network applications.

PROS

Single-threaded model.
Manage asynchronous I/O through an event-driven architecture.
Properties similar to Java can be used, such as multithreading or looping.

CONS

Unstable API. The API of Node.js updates regularly, and the updates are often incompatible with previous versions.
Not Suitable for Heavy-Computing Apps. Node.js can handle far more complex applications than Ruby, but it is unsuitable for long-running computations. Heavy computations might cause incoming requests to be blocked, resulting in a loss in performance.
Immaturity of Tools. Although the core of Node.js is stable, many packages in the npm registry are still of bad quality or lack proper documentation.

10. Meteor

Meteor is a full-stack framework that helps you build a modern, highly scalable web and mobile application in one JavaScript.

It allows for rapid prototyping and cross-platform code creation. With Meteor, applications for any device can be developed with less coding and using only one language (JavaScript). Companies such as Mazda, Honeywell, and Qualcomm use Meteor.

PROS

Smart Packages are available. One of the most significant advantages of Meteor.js is that it allows you to create users through a relatively simplified accounts system. The system simplifies the procedure considerably.
Develop Using Only One Language. Meteor.js simplifies development by combining the frontend, backend, and database into a single language – JavaScript.
Web Development in real-time. It is a development framework with the unique capability of real-time development. When changes have been made to the data, the data in the templates are automatically updated.

CONS

Tough learning curve. Meteor requires basic understanding of programming and its own functionality. Although the Meteor Docs are sufficient for this purpose, several less-experienced developers may need additional help.
Resource intensive. The very heavy apps may require a lot of CPU, RAM, and time to construct a separate app for production.
No native support for MSSQL / MySQL or any other DB than MongoDB.