In today’s world, providing a great user experience is key for businesses to succeed online. Users expect websites and apps to be simple, intuitive, and visually appealing, no matter how complex the behind-the-scenes functionality is. Big companies like Netflix, Facebook, and Instagram excel at this thanks to powerful front end framework popularity.
However, with increasing user demands, it can be tricky for developers to choose the best front end framework for their project’s needs. There are many options available, and the right choice depends on factors like performance requirements, scalability needs, team expertise, and more.
To help make this decision easier, in this blog, we have curated a list of some of the top front end frameworks for web development in 2024:
Understanding Frontend Framework
When you visit a website or use a web app, you interact with the front end. This is the part you can see and interact with, like the layout, images, menus, text styles, and where different elements are placed.
A front end framework is a special toolkit that helps developers build this front end part easily. It provides pre-made building blocks that developers can use, instead of coding everything from scratch.
Think of a front end framework like a construction scaffolding. It gives you a solid base to design and construct the interface, using ready-made components as building blocks.
With a front end framework, developers don’t have to code every single element of the interface themselves. The framework comes with pre-built components for common interface elements, like menus, buttons, forms, and more.
This allows developers to work faster and more efficiently. Instead of reinventing the wheel for every project, they can focus on creating unique and engaging user experiences using the framework’s tools.
The front end Framework Landscape: Recent Updates
The front end world keeps evolving, with new frameworks and established ones adapting.
As of 2023-2024:
- React (Facebook/Meta) remains the most popular, with a strong community and wide adoption.
- Vue.js continues to be widely used and praised for its simplicity and versatility, especially among smaller teams.
- Angular (Google) has improved performance and developer experience and is still popular for enterprise-level projects.
- Svelte and Preact have gained traction for being lightweight and innovative. Svelte has seen steady growth.
- Once dominant, Ember has declined in popularity but maintains a user base in certain areas.
The landscape is dynamic. New frameworks may emerge, and existing ones will change. Developers must evaluate project needs, team expertise, and long-term goals when choosing a framework.
The Most Popular Front end Toolkits
According to a recent survey, React (64%), Svelte (62%), and Vue.js (53%) got the most positive ratings from developers among all front end frameworks. React has the highest number of developers, 57%, planning to use it again. Vue.js is next at 30%, followed by Angular at 17%.
However, when it comes to new frameworks developers want to learn, Solid (46%), Qwik (46%), and Svelte (45%) are the top three.
Some frameworks haven’t sparked much interest. Ember tops that list with 63% of developers not interested in it, followed by Alpine.js (44%) and Preact (43%).
Let’s take a closer look at the most popular front end toolkits and see what makes them great (or not so great):
- React
React is one of the easiest front end toolkits to learn. It was created by Facebook to make it easier to add new features to their apps without breaking things. Now it’s open-source, and one thing that makes React stand out is its virtual DOM, which gives it an awesome performance. It’s a great choice if you expect a lot of traffic and need a solid platform to handle it.
As a tech expert, I would recommend React for projects that involve building single-page websites and progressive web apps (PWAs).
Pros:
- Reusable components make it easy for teams to collaborate and use the same building blocks
- Virtual DOM helps it perform consistently well, even with a lot of updates
- React hooks allow you to write components without classes, making React easier to learn
- React has really advanced and useful developer tools
Cons:
- With frequent updates, it can be hard to keep documentation up-to-date, making it tricky for beginners to learn
- JSX, the syntax React uses, can be confusing for newcomers to understand at first
- React only handles the front end, not the backend
- Angular
You can’t have a list of the best front end development frameworks without mentioning Angular. Angular is the only framework on this list that is based on TypeScript. Launched in 2016, Angular was developed by Google to bridge the gap between the increasing technological demands and traditional concepts that were showing limitations.
Unlike React, Angular has a two-way data binding feature. This means there is real-time synchronization between the model and the view, where any change in the model instantly reflects on the view, and vice versa. If your project entails creating mobile or web apps, Angular is an excellent choice!
Moreover, progressive web apps and multi-page apps may be created with this framework. Companies like BMW, Xbox, Forbes, Blender, and others have deployed applications built with Angular.
Angular is more difficult to understand than React. While there is an abundance of documentation available, it can sometimes be overly complex or confusing to understand.
Pros:
- Built-in feature that updates changes made in the model to the view and vice versa.
- Reduces the amount of code since many prominent features like two-way data binding are provided by default
- Separates components from dependencies by defining them as external elements
- Components become reusable and manageable with dependency injection
- A vast community for learning and support
Cons:
- Since Angular is a complete dynamic solution, there are multiple ways to perform tasks, so the learning curve is steeper. However, the large Angular community makes it easier for new learners to understand concepts and technology
- Dynamic apps sometimes don’t perform well due to their complex structure and size. However, code optimization and following Angular best practices can mitigate this issue
- Vue.js
One of the most popular front end frameworks today, Vue is straightforward and aims to remove complexities that Angular developers face. It is lightweight and offers two major advantages – virtual DOM and a component-based structure. It also supports two-way data binding.
One of the most popular front end frameworks today, Vue is straightforward and aims to remove complexities that Angular developers face. It is lightweight and offers
Vue is versatile and can assist you with multiple tasks. From building web applications and mobile apps to progressive web apps, it can handle both simple and complex processes with ease.
Although Vue is designed to optimize app performance and tackle complexities, it is not widely adopted by major tech giants. However, this approach is used by companies such as Alibaba, 9gag, Reuters, and Xiaomi. Vue continues to grow in popularity despite fewer adoptions from Silicon Valley.
Pros:
- Extensive and well-documented resources
- Simple syntax – developers with a JavaScript background can easily get started with Vue.js
- Flexibility in designing the app structure
- Support for TypeScript
Cons:
- Lack of stability in components
- Relatively smaller community
- Language barrier with some plugins and components (many are written in Chinese)
- Ember.js
Ember.js, developed in 2011, is a component-based framework that, like Angular, allows for two-way data binding. It is designed to keep up with the growing demands of modern technology. You can develop complex mobile and web applications with Ember.js, and its efficient architecture can handle various concerns.
However, one of Ember.js’s drawbacks is its steep learning curve. Due to its rigid and conventional structure, the framework is considered one of the toughest to learn. The developer community is small due to its recent inception and lack of exploration. Anyone willing to dedicate the time and effort can consider learning Ember.js.
Pros:
- Well-organized codebase
- Fast framework performance
- Two-way data binding support
- Comprehensive documentation
Cons:
- A small community, less popular
- Complex syntax and infrequent updates
- Steep learning curve
- Potentially overkill for small applications
- Semantic-UI
Although a recent addition to the framework’s landscape, the Semantic-UI framework is quickly gaining popularity across the globe. What separates it is its elegant user interface and straightforward functionality and usefulness. It incorporates natural language principles, making the code self-explanatory.
This means that newcomers to coding can quickly grasp the framework.
Additionally, it allows for a streamlined development process thanks to its integration with numerous third-party libraries.
Pros:
- One of the latest front end frameworks
- Offers out-of-the-box functionality
- Less complicated compared to others
- Rich UI framework components and responsiveness
Cons:
- Larger package sizes
- It is not suitable for those with no prior experience with JavaScript.
- Requires proficiency to develop custom requirements
- Svelte
Svelte is the newest addition to the front end framework landscape. It differs from frameworks like React and Vue by doing the bulk of the work during a compile step instead of in the browser. Svelte writes code to update the Document Object Model (DOM) in sync with the application’s state.
Pros:
- Improved reactivity
- Faster performance compared to other frameworks like Angular or React
- The most recent framework
- Scalable architecture
- Lightweight, simple, and utilizes existing JavaScript libraries
Cons:
- Small community
- Lack of support resources
- Limited tooling ecosystem
- Not yet widely popular
- Backbone.js
Backbone.js is one of the easiest frameworks available, allowing you to swiftly develop single-page applications. It is a framework based on the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture. Similar to a Controller, the View in MVC architecture allows the implementation of component logic.
Additionally, this framework can run engines like Underscore.js and Mustache. When developing applications with Backbone.js, you can also use tools like Thorax, Marionette, Chaplin, Handlebars, and more to make the most of the framework.
The platform also allows you to create projects that require multiple categories of users, and arrays can be utilized to distinguish between models. So, whether you intend to use Backbone.js for the front end or back end, it is an ideal choice as its REST API compatibility provides seamless synchronization between the two.
Pros:
- One of the popular JavaScript frameworks
- Easy to learn
- Lightweight framework
Cons:
- Offers basic tools to design the app structure (the framework does not give a pre-made structure)
- Requires writing boilerplate code for communication between view-to-model and model-to-view
- jQuery
jQuery is one of the first and most well-known front end frameworks, having been released in 2006. Despite its age, it remains relevant in today’s tech world. jQuery offers simplicity and ease of use, minimizing the need to write extensive JavaScript code. Thanks to its long existence, there is a considerable jQuery community available for solutions.
Fundamentally a library, jQuery is used to manipulate CSS and the Document Object Model (DOM), optimizing a website’s functionality and interactivity.
While initially limited to websites, recent developments in jQuery Mobile have expanded its usage boundaries. Developers can now build native mobile applications with its HTML5-based UI system, jQuery Mobile. Moreover, jQuery works with every browser you want to utilize and is browser-friendly.
Pros:
- Flexible DOM for adding or removing elements
- Simplified HTTP requests
- Facilitates dynamic content
- Simplified HTTP requests
Cons:
- Comparatively slower performance
- Many advanced alternatives are available
- Outdated Document Object Model APIs
- Foundation
Up until now, there have been a few front end frameworks that are perfect for beginners. With Foundation, however, things are very different. It was designed by Zurb, especially for enterprise-level responsive and agile website development. It is complicated and difficult for beginners to begin designing applications utilizing Foundations.
It has GPU acceleration for ultra-smooth animations, fast mobile rendering features, and data-interchange capabilities that load lightweight sections for mobile devices and heavy sections for bigger devices. In order to tackle the complexities of the Foundation, we advise working on independent projects to familiarize yourself with the framework before beginning work on it. It is used by Mozilla, eBay, Microsoft, and other businesses.
Pros:
- Flexible grids
- Lets you create exquisite-looking websitesÂ
- HTML5 form validation libraryÂ
- Personalized user experience for various devices and media
Cons:
- Comparatively hard to learn for beginners
- Fewer community forums and support platformsÂ
- Competitor frameworks such as Twitter Bootstrap are more popular than Foundation
- Preact
Preact is a JavaScript framework that can serve as a lightweight and speedier alternative to React. It is compact – only 3kB in size when compressed, unlike React’s 45kB – but offers the same modern API and functionalities as React. It is a popular choice for application development because it is compact in size and provides the quickest Virtual DOM library.
Preact is similar to and compatible with React, so developers need not learn a new library from scratch. Additionally, its thin compatibility layer (preact-compact) allows developers to use existing React packages and even the most complex React components with just some aliasing.
Therefore, Preact can save time whether developing an existing project or starting a new one. Preact may be the solution if you enjoy using React for creating views but also want to give performance and speed top priority. Preact is used by numerous websites, such as Etsy, Bing, Uber, and IKEA.
Pros:
- Reduces library code in your bundles, enabling quicker loads as less code is shipped to users
- Allows highly interactive apps and pages to load in under 5 seconds in one RTT, making it great for PWAs
- Portable and embeddable, making it a good option for building parts of an app without complex integration
- Powerful, dedicated CLI which helps create new projects quickly
- Functions nicely with a wide range of React ecosystem libraries
Cons:
- Small community support not maintained by a major tech company like Facebook maintains React
- No synthetic event handling like React, which can cause performance and maintenance issues due to implementation differences if using React for development and Preact for production
Selecting the Appropriate Framework
Although the frameworks mentioned are among the most popular and widely used for front end development, it’s essential to understand that the choice ultimately depends on the specific project needs, team knowledge, and personal preferences.
Furthermore, each framework has its own advantages, disadvantages, and compromises, so it’s crucial to evaluate them based on factors such as performance, ease of learning, community support, and the maturity of the surrounding ecosystem.
Conclusion
Regardless of the chosen framework, the ultimate goal remains the same: delivering exceptional user experiences that captivate and engage users. By leveraging the power and features of these top front end frameworks, developers can create visually stunning, responsive, and highly interactive web applications that stand out in today’s competitive digital landscape.
As the web continues to evolve and user expectations rise, the front end development landscape will undoubtedly witness the emergence of new frameworks and paradigms.
However, the principles of crafting amazing user experiences will remain paramount, and these top front end frameworks will continue to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of web development.
