Several competitors in the JavaScript front-end market came into existence about ten years ago. Angular.js, Vue.js and React.js, Ember.js. (Fun-Fact - the creator of Handlebars.js was a summer student working on this very site's underlying code in 2006 ). For some time, Angular had the high ground but in a competative merit based environment React and Vue began to win over developers.
Vue is a very well-thought-out platform. We develop with Vue via one of it's frameworks; NUXT.js. However, as developers, by necessity we prefer React.
React’s advantages are …
- It is solidly backed by Meta but allowed to move along on under it's own direction.
- It has deep roots in mobile app development thanks to React Native that appear to have withstood the test of the arrival of Flutter on the scene.
- It is broadly implemented with a lot of React programmer talent out there with a deep bench of knowledge on leveraging the platform.
- Its only competitors in the spaces it moves as of late are Vue on the desktop front and Flutter on the mobile app front.
- Vercel.com is a major supporter of React and has championed the standardization of the use of NEXT.js (based on React) to great effect and utility for all.
- In the fall of 2022 Next.js 13 became capable of both client-side and server-side rendering meaning it can work in the front-end and the back-end. As such it has crossed over to being 'full-stack' as an option. This is a non-trivial task. Many of React's competators have been less effective at achieving this goal.
If you are looking for a Javascript framework so you can start building real-world complex websites, as of NEXT.js 13 we suggest NEXT.js as your first choice as a sole soultion. We prefer Rails in the backend and React in the front end. This is based on our deep bench of knowledge in both. Rails is still a better back end .. if you have the resources or know Ruby already.
If you want to try out mobile app development and you prefer a solution that allows you to ship one solution for both IOS and Android, then head on over to React Native.