10 Best JavaScript Frameworks in 2024 [Updated]

In this article, I'll explore the 10 best JavaScript frameworks in 2024.

Whether you’re looking to land a job as a web developer or enhance your portfolio, one thing's for sure: modern web development would not be where it is today without JavaScript frameworks.

But what is a JavaScript framework anyway?

If you're in a hurry, here's the TL-DR: JavaScript frameworks are a collection of pre-written JavaScript code that provides a structured foundation to build and manage complex web applications.

Wow, that sounds complicated. How about ELI5?

Sure! JavaScript frameworks are like a toolbox filled with special tools (pre-made code) that help you build a website or app more easily and quickly, kind of like building a cool LEGO set.

Put simply, they're kind of awesome and ideal for web developers.

Plus, when you consider that the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports an average salary of more than $85K for web developers, learning to use JavaScript framework can be lucrative.

Now, if you're ready, let's dive in to explore these JavaScript frameworks.

What Is A JavaScript Framework?

How about we start at the beginning and answer this basic question: What is a JavaScript framework?

Sure, you can take a JavaScript course and learn vanilla JS, but when you take your first steps into the world of modern web development, you're bound to bump into this concept!

A JavaScript framework is a collection of pre-written, reusable code that serves as a template or blueprint to help developers build web applications for all web browsers more efficiently.

We can also say that JavaScript frameworks are a type of web development framework, but they are specifically designed for creating and managing web applications with the JavaScript programming language.

They provide a structured way to organize your code, and they include built-in functions and tools for common tasks, which means you can focus on the unique aspects of your project instead of starting from scratch.

Essentially, they streamline the web development process, ensuring faster, more consistent, and error-free coding with JavaScript. Sounds great to me!

The 10 Best JavaScript Frameworks

Okay, let's dive in and look at the 10 best JavaScript frameworks available in 2024.

Now, depending on your own experience with JS frameworks, you might have a favorite that you'd like to see higher up, but really, they're all pretty great!

That said, let me know in the comments if you'd like to see something switched out!

Also, it's important to remember that while JS frameworks are incredible at streamlining the coding process, you still need to have JavaScript knowledge to use them.

Yep, you still need to understand basic syntax and how to use standard operators like the JS triple equals.

Now, let's check out the most popular frameworks!

1. React

What it's best for: building dynamic and interactive user interfaces for web and mobile applications.

Okay, before you say anything, I know React is a JS library, not a framework!

But I'm happy being controversial, as for me, the best JavaScript framework isn't even a framework. It's a library, and it's React.

Plus, if you ask most developers, the distinction does not matter as React is simply so popular!

As a declarative JavaScript library, it's ideal for building user interfaces, and it's particularly well known for its efficiency and flexibility in creating interactive and complex web applications.

Developed by Facebook, React focuses on building reusable components that manage their own state, leading to more predictable and easier-to-debug code.

It utilizes a virtual DOM to improve performance, updating only parts of the page that need to change without refreshing the entire view. This makes React ideal for dynamic applications with high user interaction.

React's component-based architecture not only streamlines development but also aids in maintaining a consistent codebase, which is especially beneficial for large-scale applications.

While React itself is concerned with UI rendering, it can be combined with other libraries like Redux for state management, making it a versatile choice for front-end development.

React's strong community support, rich ecosystem, and widespread adoption have cemented its status as a go-to tool for web developers globally.

And being so incredibly popular, there are lots of great ways to learn how to use it. If you're intrigued, I'd strongly recommend something like Educative's React Developer path.

Features:

• Declarative: Creates interactive and dynamic UI for websites and mobile applications. Declarative views make the code readable and easy to debug.
• Virtual DOM: For every DOM object, there is a corresponding "virtual DOM object." It creates a virtual copy of the original DOM and is a representation of a DOM object.
• Event handling: React has its fully compatible W3C object model event system created. It also provides a cross-browser interface to a native event.
• JSX: JSX is a markup syntax that closely resembles HTML. JSX makes writing React components easier by making the syntax almost identical to the HTML injected into the web page.
• Performance: React uses one-way data binding with an application architecture called Flux controls. ReactJS helps update the View for the user with Flux controlling the application workflow.
• React Native: React Native is a custom renderer for React; it uses native components instead of web components like React as building blocks.
• Component-Based: Everything is a component of the web page, divided into small components to create a view(or UIs). Components in ReactJS are used to define the visuals and interactions in applications.

2. Express

What it's best for: creating web applications and RESTful APIs quickly and easily with Node.js.

Express.js, often referred to simply as Express, is a minimalist and flexible Node.js web application framework that provides a robust set of features for building web and mobile applications.

It's also an essential part of the MEAN and MERN stacks, thanks to its simplicity, speed, and scalability.

As a lightweight framework, Express streamlines the development of web applications and APIs with its intuitive and powerful features.

This includes middleware integration, which allows you to perform additional tasks on request and response objects, and a routing system that enables the definition of application endpoints and how they should respond to client requests.

Express is also widely celebrated for its minimalistic approach, as this allows you to write less code while achieving more functionality. It's designed to be unopinionated, giving you  the freedom to choose the best way to implement your solutions.

The framework also supports a range of templating engines, enabling developers to build dynamic content on the server side quickly and efficiently.

Testing and debugging are straightforward in Express, partly due to its small size and performance efficiency, making it a favorable choice for both development and production environments.

Express.js's ability to integrate with a multitude of middleware modules and its support for RESTful API development are key reasons for its popularity in building scalable applications.

Features

• Middleware Architecture: Enhances request-response cycle control and allows the use of third-party middleware for additional functionality.
• Routing System: Manages requests to different URI paths, improving the organization of the application and API endpoints.
• Template Engines Support: Supports various templating engines like Pug, Mustache, EJS, allowing dynamic HTML page generation.
• Performance: Optimized for performance and efficiency, making it suitable for handling high traffic and complex applications.
• Database Integration: Flexibility to integrate with various databases, both SQL and NoSQL, such as MongoDB, PostgreSQL, MySQL.
• Error Handling: Simplified error handling, providing a robust mechanism for managing exceptions and operational errors.
• Community and Ecosystem: Benefits from a large community and ecosystem, offering numerous plugins, middleware, and extensions for extended functionalities.

3. Next.js

What it's best for: developing server-rendered React applications with improved SEO and performance.

Next.js is an open-source framework built on top of Node.js for creating fast and user-friendly web applications.

Backed by Vercel and a vibrant community of developers, this formidable JavaScript framework is ideal for creating efficient, server-rendered React applications, as well as static websites.

Perhaps best known for its embrace of React, Next.js is ideal for creating dynamic user interfaces by leveraging React's component-based architecture for reusable code and efficient development practices.

Next.js also distinguishes itself with server-side rendering (SSR), static site generation (SSG), automatic code splitting, and built-in CSS support, which not only streamline the development process but also enhance performance and the user experience.

Going beyond traditional client-side rendering, Next.js also offers a complete solution with development, testing, and deployment tools, making it a more holistic framework compared with others that focus solely on the view layer.

Next.js also offers access to its intuitive file-system-based routing system, API routes to build server-side APIs and support for environment variables.

Features

• Hybrid Static & Server Rendering: Choose between static-site generation (SSG) or server-side rendering (SSR) for each page to optimize performance and scalability.
• Image Optimization: Automatically optimizes images using the new Next.js image component.
• Internationalization: Built-in support for internationalized (i18n) routing and language detection.
• Fast Refresh: Fast and reliable live-editing experience with Next.js' Fast Refresh feature.
• Zero Config: Start developing without worrying about complex configuration settings.
• TypeScript Support: Out-of-the-box support for TypeScript, enhancing code quality and maintainability.
• SEO-Friendly: With SSR and SSG capabilities, Next.js ensures your applications are optimized for search engines.

4. Vue.js

What it's best for: creating highly adaptable user interfaces and single-page applications with a more approachable learning curve.

Vue.js is renowned for its simplicity and flexibility, and it's often used for building user interfaces and single-page applications.

Designed to be incrementally adoptable, developers can integrate Vue into their existing projects piecemeal or use it to build complex applications from the ground up.

Vue's core library focuses on the view layer, making it easy to pick up and integrate with other libraries or existing projects.

It's also well-suited to sophisticated SPAs when combined with supporting libraries. Check out a Vue.js course if this is something you're intrigued by.

Its data binding and reactive components offer an efficient and simple way to manage the application state and build dynamic user interfaces.

Vue's ecosystem includes Vue Router for routing, Vuex for state management, and Vue CLI for project scaffolding, making it a comprehensive solution for developers seeking a balance between performance, flexibility, and ease of use.

Features

• Virtual DOM: Vue.js utilizes a virtual DOM, a clone of the principal DOM element.
• Data Binding: This feature facilitates the manipulation or assignment of values to HTML attributes.
• CSS Transitions and Animations: Vue has several methods to apply a transition to HTML elements when added, updated, or removed from the DOM.
• Template: Vue provides HTML-based templates that bind the DOM with the Vue.js instance data. The templates are compiled into Virtual DOM Render functions.
• Complexity: Vue.js is simpler in terms of API and design. A web developer can build simple applications in a single day.

5. Angular

What it's best for: developing large-scale, high-performance, and enterprise-level applications with a complete solution.

Angular is a powerful, open-source web application framework led by the Angular Team at Google and a community of enthusiastic developers.

This popular JavaScript framework is a comprehensive solution for building efficient and sophisticated single-page applications (SPAs).

Angularjs stands out with its rich set of features like two-way data binding, modular development structure, form handling, routing, and dependency injection, which streamline the development process and improve productivity.

Unlike libraries that focus solely on the view layer, Angular provides a complete framework, including tools for testing, developing, and deploying applications.

It also adopts TypeScript to ensure consistent code, enhanced readability, and robust type-checking.

Angular's component-based architecture allows for reusable code and efficient development practices.

This framework is particularly favored in enterprise-scale applications due to its scalability, maintainability, and a strong emphasis on testing and best coding practices.

With so many plus points, it's no surprise that there are many great Angular courses for learning how to use this JS framework.

Features

• Progressive Web Apps: It has modern web platform capabilities to deliver app-like experiences that are high-performance, offline, and have zero-step installation.
• Desktop: Desktop-installed apps across Mac, Windows, and Linux can be created using the same Angular methods as the web, plus the ability to access native OS APIs.
• Code Generation: Angular turns templates into highly optimized code for JavaScript virtual machines, benefiting hand-written code.
• Code Splitting: With the new Component Router, angular apps load quickly, delivering automatic code-splitting.
• Templates: Create UI views with simple and powerful template syntax.
• Angular CLI: Command line tools allow you to start building fast, add components and tests, and then instantly deploy.
• Animation: Create high-performance, complex choreographies and animation timelines with very little code through Angular's intuitive API.
• Accessibility: Create accessible applications with ARIA-enabled components, developer guides, and built-in test infrastructure.

6. Node.js

What it's best for: building fast and scalable network applications, particularly for backend services.

Node.js might not be a JavaScript framework in the purest sense, but it's hugely popular for working on the backend, and definitely deserving of a space on our list!

As a powerful, open-source, cross-platform runtime environment, it allows developers to execute JavaScript code on the server side.

Built using Chrome's V8 JS engine, Node enables the development of fast and scalable network apps. It's also well known for its non-blocking, event-driven architecture, which makes it very efficient with data-intensive and real-time apps on distributed devices.

This has made Node.js popular for developing a wide range of applications, from web applications to RESTful APIs and even for IoT devices. If it involves server-side rendering, Node is ideal.

It's no wonder there are so many impressive Node.js courses to choose from!

Features:

• Fast: The library of Node.js is fast when it comes to code execution, as it is built on the V8 JavaScript engine of Google Chrome.
• Asynchronous and Event-Driven I/O: All the APIs are asynchronous, which means that the server does not wait for the API to come back with data.
• Single-threaded: Node.js, along with event looping, follows a single-threaded model.
• Highly scalable: Node.js follows an event mechanism that makes it possible for the server to respond in a non-blocking manner, which makes it scalable.
• No buffering: When it comes to uploading audio and video files, Node.js cuts down processing time significantly. It does not buffer any data, and the application gets the data out in chunks.
• Open source: Being open-source, Node.js community has come up with several amazing models that can be used to add more capabilities to the Node.js applications.

7. Svelte

What it's best for: creating highly efficient, reactive web applications with less boilerplate and direct DOM manipulation.

The newest entry to our list in 2024, Svelte, is a really original JavaScript framework for building user interfaces.

Unlike traditional frameworks that do most of their work in the browser, Svelte shifts that work into a compile step that happens when you build your app. This results in smaller, faster runtime code, as there is no need for a virtual DOM.

One of the standout features of Svelte is its component-based architecture, which means you can build highly reactive and efficient web applications with much less boilerplate code.

Components in Svelte are written with a syntax that's very similar to HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, making them intuitive and easy to learn for those familiar with these web technologies.

This also means that it doesn't rely on complex concepts like JSX or the use of a virtual DOM, resulting in more readable and maintainable code.

The Svelte framework also automatically updates the DOM when the state of the application changes, which greatly simplifies the development process.

Another major benefit of Svelte is its performance. By compiling components to highly optimized vanilla JavaScript, Svelte ensures that your application remains lightweight and fast. This makes it an excellent choice for web applications that prioritize speed and efficiency.

Svelte also integrates seamlessly with various build tools, and it comes with a built-in module bundler (SvelteKit), which provides server-side rendering (SSR) and static site generation (SSG) capabilities.

Features

• Compile-time Framework: Transforms components into highly optimized JavaScript during build time, reducing the need for heavy runtime libraries.
• Reactive State Management: Automatically updates the DOM when the application state changes, simplifying state management.
• Component-based Architecture: Enables the creation of reusable and encapsulated UI components.
• No Virtual DOM: Directly updates the DOM, leading to improved performance and simpler code.
• Built-in State Management: Eliminates the need for external state management libraries.
• Rich Integration Capabilities: Works seamlessly with various build tools and preprocessors.
• SvelteKit for Advanced Features: Offers functionalities like SSR and SSG for versatile web development.

8. NestJS

What it's best for: building scalable, enterprise-grade server-side applications with a strong emphasis on modularity and TypeScript.

NestJS is an efficient, versatile, and modular framework for building server-side applications in Node.js that's brand new on our list for 2024.

It draws inspiration from Angular, blending elements of Object-Oriented Programming, Functional Programming, and Functional Reactive Programming to create a robust development environment.

NestJS is also great for scalability, making it an ideal choice for building enterprise-grade applications.

It provides an out-of-the-box application architecture, which allows you to build highly testable, scalable, loosely coupled, and easily maintainable applications.

The choice to use TypeScript by default also brings strong typing and enhanced code reliability, contributing to a better development experience for enterprise-grade applications.

NestJS also makes extensive use of TypeScript features like decorators and interfaces to provide a level of abstraction that boosts development speed and results in cleaner, more maintainable code.

It's also nice that NestJS integrates smoothly with popular Node.js libraries, allowing you to use a vast array of third-party modules. This flexibility makes it a versatile tool for a wide range of applications, from small-scale projects to large enterprise systems.

It's also helpful that this framework has comprehensive documentation and active community support to ease the learning curve for developers at various skill levels.

Features

• Scalable: Designed for building scalable applications, both small and large.
• Modular: Encourages modular application structure with its system of controllers, modules, and services.
• TypeScript-Based: Utilizes TypeScript, enhancing code quality and maintainability.
• Extensible: Easily integrates with other libraries, providing flexibility in using the best tools available.
• Dependency Injection: Features a robust dependency injection system, streamlining the creation of loosely coupled components.
• Microservices Support: Offers first-class support for microservices architectural styles.
• GraphQL and REST API Support: Supports both GraphQL and REST APIs, making it a versatile choice for web services development.

9. NuxtJS

What it's best for: building Vue.js applications with server-side rendering, static site generation, and improved SEO.

Another new entry to our list for 2024, Nuxt.js is a powerful and versatile framework based on Vue.js designed to create modern web applications.

Overall, it simplifies the development of Universal Vue.js Applications, primarily focusing on the UI rendering while abstracting away the client/server distribution.

As an opinionated framework, Nuxt.js provides conventions and default configurations, which can massively reduce the time and effort involved in setting up a project.

This also makes it particularly appealing for projects where rapid development and a well-defined structure are important.

Nuxt.js is also renowned for server-side rendering (SSR), which is really helpful for SEO and initial load times. It also supports generating a static website from Vue.js applications via Static Site Generation (SSG).

This JavaScript framework also offers a powerful routing system with asynchronous data handling, making it easy to fetch data and render the pages. This is particularly useful for applications that rely on external APIs.

By making use of a plugin system and a modular architecture, NuxtJs allows you to extend its core functionalities with a rich set of modules. Plus,  the community is active and continually growing, providing a wealth of resources, plugins, and modules to enhance development.

Features

• Server-Side Rendering: Allows applications to be rendered on the server, improving SEO and initial page load times.
• Static Site Generation: Provides the ability to generate a static website from Vue.js applications.
• Powerful Routing System: Comes with a file-based routing system and supports dynamic routes.
• Asynchronous Data Handling: Simplifies the process of handling asynchronous data in the application.
• Plugin System: Offers a robust plugin system for extending the functionality of applications.
• Modular Architecture: Encourages a modular approach to building applications, enhancing code organization and maintainability.
• Auto-importing Components: Automatically imports Vue components, simplifying the development process.
• Vuex Store: Supports the integration of Vuex store out of the box, streamlining state management.

10. Gatsby

What it's best for: building static sites with rich data integration, leveraging React and GraphQL for performance-focused projects.

Gatsby is a modern web framework based on React designed to help you build fast and efficient websites and applications.

Perhaps its stand-out feature is the focus on performance by leveraging the power of static site generation (SSG) to produce websites that are fast and secure.

Gatsby also offers the ability to integrate with a wide range of data sources, including CMSs, APIs, databases, and file systems. This flexibility allows you to use your preferred data sources and transform them into a unified GraphQL schema.

Another significant plus point for Gatsby is its rich ecosystem of plugins, which extend the capabilities of Gatsby sites by offering functionalities like image optimization, SEO enhancements, and more.

Gatsby also makes use of modern web technologies like React and GraphQL, which enhance both the development experience and the capabilities of the web applications you build.

This framework also excels in creating Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), as the sites you build with Gatsby are not just fast, but they can also work offline and deliver an app-like experience on mobile devices.

Despite being a newer entry to our list for 2024, Gatsby has strong community support and extensive documentation, making it accessible to both beginners and experienced developers.

The community also contributes to a growing number of starters and plugins, making it easier to kickstart new projects.

Features

• Static Site Generation: Builds sites as static files for faster load times and improved security.
• Rich Data Integration: Pulls data from various sources into a unified GraphQL schema.
• Plugin Ecosystem: Offers a vast range of plugins for extending functionality easily.
• React-Based: Utilizes the power of React for building user interfaces.
• Image Optimization: Automatic image optimization for better performance.
• Progressive Web App (PWA) Support: Supports offline functionality and app-like experiences.
• SEO Friendly: Generates SEO-optimized websites with ease.
• Fast Development: Hot-reloading and other features provide a quick development experience.
• Community and Resources: A large community with extensive resources, including plugins, starters, and tutorials.

Community Feedback

I'm always interested in hearing back from the community. That's why I read every poll response in the Hackr newsletter. I also reached out for feedback on JavaScript frameworks. Here's what a security analyst at Increditools had to say about React, which is almost always a top recommendation for JavaScript frameworks.

"While many refer to React as a framework due to its widespread use and capabilities, it's important to clarify that React is technically a library.

Its popularity, comparable to frameworks, is evident as major companies like Netflix and PayPal rely on it for its efficient update of webpage elements without needing to reload entirely.

Since 2016, React has maintained its top position, even surpassing other frameworks like Vue and Angular. It's particularly appealing for beginners due to its relative ease of learning compared to Angular.

Mastering React not only aids in web development but also in mobile app creation through React Native."

- Kelly Indah (CISSP) 

Wrapping Up

So there you have it, the 10 best JavaScript frameworks in 2024.

Whether you’re looking to land a job as a web developer, enhance your portfolio, or boost your skills, JavaScript frameworks are one of the best ways to stay ahead of the curve in modern web development.

Even if you're new to the world of JavaScript frameworks, I hope you now have a better idea of what they are and why they're so useful.

And if anyone asks you what they are, you should be able to say, well, they are like a toolbox filled with pre-made code that helps you build a website or app more quickly.

Which one is your favorite? And are there any others you'd like to see us include on our list of JavaScript frameworks? Let us know in the comments below.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which Framework Is Best For JavaScript?

The best JavaScript framework really depends on your project requirements and developer preference, but popular choices include React, Angular, and Vue.js.

2. What Is The Fastest JS Framework?

The "fastest" JS framework can vary based on the context and specific use case, but frameworks like React and Vue.js are renowned for their performance and efficiency.

3. How Many Frameworks are in JavaScript?

There are numerous JavaScript frameworks available, with new ones emerging regularly, but some of the most recognized include React, Express, Angular, Vue.js, and NextJS.

4. Is jQuery a Framework?

jQuery is not a framework but rather a fast, small, and feature-rich JavaScript library designed to simplify HTML DOM tree traversal and manipulation, as well as event handling, CSS animation, and Ajax.

5. What is the Difference Between a JavaScript Framework and a JavaScript Library?

The main difference between a JavaScript framework and a JavaScript library is that a framework provides a complete solution and dictates the architecture of your project, while a library offers specific functionalities and greater flexibility in how it's used.

References

1. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022, 15-1254 Web Developers and Digital Interface Designers [Internet]. [updated 2021 Mar 31; cited 2024 Jan 15]. Available from: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes151254.htm