Front end frameworks have become essential tools for building web applications. They provide developers with pre-built components, libraries, and tools that make creating responsive and interactive user interfaces more accessible. Using frontend frameworks can also improve the overall performance of your application and save time in the development process.
In this article, we will discuss the top front-end frameworks to use in 2024, their features, benefits, use cases, pros and cons, and the famous brands using them. We will also compare them based on performance, ease of use, learning curve, community support, popularity, and adoption. Lastly, we will guide you on choosing the right frontend framework for your project.
Table of contents
What are frontend frameworks?
Front-end framework recommendations
What makes an excellent frontend framework?
What are the most used frontend frameworks?
Top frontend frameworks to use in 2024
➤ React
➤ Angular
➤ Vue.js
➤ jQuery
➤ Preact
➤ Ember
➤ Backbone
➤ Svelte
➤ Semantic-UI
➤ Foundation
Comparison of top frontend frameworks
Conclusion
What are front-end frameworks?
Frontend development is creating the visual and interactive elements of a website or web application. It involves making the user interface that visitors see and interact with using a variety of programming languages, frameworks, and tools.
Frontend developers are in charge of ensuring that the website or application is user-friendly and intuitive to use. They use web languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. So they specialise in developing and designing the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) of websites and web applications.
Frontend web development has several benefits:
- Creates an attractive and engaging user interface that attracts and retains visitors. A well-designed frontend makes it easier and more enjoyable for visitors to navigate the site and find what they need.
- Optimises page load speeds and reduces server requests to display content. This can speed up user experience and boost search engine rankings.
- Makes websites responsive for desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Responsive designs are essential for making websites accessible and easy to use as mobile internet use rises.
- It lets developers add animations, sliders, forms, and other dynamic content to websites and web apps. This improves user experience and adds value.
So frontend developers collaborate closely with backend developers to ensure that the frontend and backend systems are integrated and work smoothly together. In essence, frontend development is concerned with creating a seamless and engaging user experience for visitors to a website or application.
A framework is a software that makes it easier to build and keep up with big projects. Frameworks are groups of basic software modules with ready-to-use code that developers can use to solve common programming problems. They also tell you how to build the architecture of the app. You start with a basic structure you must add to and change based on the requirements.
Front end frameworks include utility programs, code libraries, scripting languages, and other types of software that make it easier to build and deploy a large software product. With frameworks, developers don't have to start projects from scratch. Instead, they have a base to build other features specific to the project.
Front-end framework recommendations
Your frontend framework should adapt to user needs as technology advances. In 2024, your frontend framework should do these:
- Scalability: Your framework should handle large, complex, and smaller applications.
- Performance: It should load quickly to provide a smooth user experience.
- Accessibility: Your framework should support disabled users.
- Security: It should protect your application from attacks with built-in features.
- Mobile-first: Your framework should be mobile-friendly since mobile devices use most of the internet.
- Clean UI, great UX: You won't make sales without a smooth, fast digital experience that meets all customer needs. That requires flawless user experience and interface.
- Code efficiently: Reusing code and web elements across multiple projects saves time and resources during development.
- Optimise navigation: Intuitive frontend development guides visitors to the right place on the website, often without their knowledge.
- Increase engagement: An intelligent, intuitive website provides everything users need for easy conversions, building brand trust and loyalty.
What makes an excellent frontend framework?
Consider these factors when choosing a frontend framework for your project:
- Features: You should be able to choose the best framework based on your application development and documentation. Which frameworks handle validation, processing, communication, templates, and more, and which are most important to your project?
- Community: Help and resources come from a strong community.
- Learning curve: Assess your team's framework expertise and learning curve.
- Compatibility: Your tech stack should work with your framework.
- Performance: Optimised framework performance ensures fast load times and a smooth user experience.
- Flexibility: The framework must adapt to the changing project requirements.
- Easy of use: You must be comfortable with your framework's ability to launch any app or web tool quickly. Check a framework's ease of use and deployment if you haven't used it before. It's not the right platform if it's hard to use or requires special knowledge.
- Customisation: Each framework should be customisable to match your branding. It must be customisable and configurable to provide a seamless, on-brand end tool.
- Integration: You must beable to integrate external features or implement outside operators even with the best frontend framework. Data manipulation, formatting, and editing often require additional tools and libraries.
- Mobile development: Frontend development must address the mobile market's growth. Your framework must support mobile development with easy-to-use tools and options.
- Rendering: Server-side rendering is essential with so many mobile users. Your site won't rank well if your frontend framework doesn't support server-side rendering.
- Support: Few frameworks are easy to learn, so choose one with lots of support: documentation, a healthy community, and tool maintenance and upgrades.
- Popularity: We want you to use the best tool for your project, so choosing a framework because everyone else does isn't good science.
What are the most used frontend frameworks?
What are the most used frontend frameworks? Some of the most popular frontend frameworks include React by Facebook, Angular by Google, Vue.js, and Svelte. These frameworks help developers create interactive and dynamic web applications with modern user interfaces more efficiently.
But let's take a closer look at some of the most popular frontend frameworks on the market today to help you make an informed decision when selecting the best tool for your next project.
Read on to find out the top 10 tech stacks for software development in 2024.
According to the State of JS 2022, the leading frameworks regarding frontend developers' usage are React and Angular.
Here we can also notice which frontend frameworks are more interesting to developers:
Moreover, here are the front end framework downloads per year. Hint: React, jQuery and Vue have the most downloads in 2024:
Top frontend frameworks to use in 2024
Here are the top 10 frontend frameworks:
React
React is a popular frontend framework developed by Facebook. It is a declarative, efficient, and flexible JavaScript library for building user interfaces. React's key features include JSX, a syntax extension that allows you to write HTML-like code in JavaScript, and virtual DOM, a lightweight in-memory representation of the real DOM that improves performance by minimising updates.
React is suitable for building large and complex applications, including single-page applications (SPAs), e-commerce, and social media platforms.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
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When to use:
- For building large-scale applications with dynamic, high-performing user interfaces.
- When you need a robust ecosystem of tools and community support.
- If you want to leverage server-side rendering for SEO benefits and faster page loads.
When not to use:
- If you prefer a framework that dictates architecture and best practices, React is more of a library than a full-fledged framework.
- When you need a lightweight application, the size of the library might be a concern.
Famous brands using React include Facebook, Netflix, Airbnb, Uber, and Instagram.
Angular
Angular is a powerful front-end framework developed by Google. It is a TypeScript-based open-source framework for building web applications. Angular's key features include two-way data binding, dependency injection, and a modular architecture that allows you to organise your application into reusable components.
Angular is suitable for building complex enterprise-level applications, including large-scale e-commerce platforms and financial and healthcare systems.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
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When to use:
- For enterprise-level applications that require a full framework with solid opinions on architecture and development.
- When your project benefits from TypeScript's strong typing out of the box.
- If you need a comprehensive solution with most of the tools included without relying on third-party libraries.
When not to use:
- For small, simple projects that don't require the overhead of a full framework.
- If you aim for a project with a quick learning curve for new developers.
Famous brands using Angular include Google, Microsoft, IBM, and Intel.
Vue.js
Vue.js is a progressive frontend framework developed by Evan You. It is a lightweight and easy-to-learn JavaScript library for building user interfaces. Vue's key features include reactive and composable data bindings, a virtual DOM, and a component-based architecture.
Vue is suitable for building small to medium-sized applications, including blogs, forums, and personal websites.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
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When to use:
- For small to medium-sized projects due to its simplicity and gentle learning curve.
- When you need a progressive framework that is easy to integrate into existing projects.
- If you want a balance between a full-fledged framework and a lightweight library.
When not to use:
- For projects where you anticipate needing many third-party libraries, Vue's ecosystem is less extensive than React's or Angular's.
Famous brands using Vue include Alibaba, Xiaomi, GitLab, and Xiaomi.
jQuery
jQuery is a popular frontend library developed by John Resig. It is a lightweight and fast JavaScript library for simplifying HTML document traversal and manipulation, event handling, and animation.
jQuery is suitable for adding interactivity and animation to existing websites or building small-scale applications.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
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When to use:
- For projects where you need to perform DOM manipulations and event handling with ease.
- When working on legacy projects that already use jQuery extensively.
When not to use:
- In modern web applications, you want to leverage the latest front-end development practices.
- If you are building a single-page application, more advanced frameworks would be beneficial.
Famous brands using JQuery include Google, Microsoft, and IBM.
Preact
Preact is a fast and lightweight frontend library developed by Jason Miller. It is a smaller, faster alternative to React offering a similar API and feature set. Preact's key features include a virtual DOM, component-based architecture, and server-side rendering.
Preact is suitable for building small to medium-sized applications that require excellent performance, including mobile applications and e-commerce websites.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
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When to use:
- For projects where performance is critical, you need a lightweight alternative to React.
- When you are developing applications for environments with limited resources.
When not to use:
- If you require the full power and ecosystem of React, Preact is a more lightweight alternative with some trade-offs.
Famous brands using Preact include Lyft, Uber, and Grammarly.
Ember
Ember is a frontend framework developed by Yehuda Katz. It is a robust and opinionated JavaScript framework for building ambitious web applications. Ember's key features include two-way data binding, a component-based architecture, and a powerful CLI for generating code and managing dependencies.
Ember is suitable for building complex applications that require high scalability, including enterprise-level systems and business applications.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
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When to use:
- For large-scale applications where you want a convention-over-configuration approach.
- When you need strong stability and long-term support.
When not to use:
- For small projects that would not benefit from Ember's extensive feature set and structure.
Famous brands using Ember include Microsoft, Square, and LinkedIn.
Backbone
Backbone is a lightweight and flexible frontend library developed by Jeremy Ashkenas, who also created CoffeeScript and Underscore.js. It is a minimalist JavaScript library for building single-page applications (SPAs) and providing structure to web applications.
Backbone's key features include a simple API, event-driven architecture, and the ability to work seamlessly with other libraries and frameworks.
Backbone is suitable for building small to medium-sized applications that require flexibility, including simple e-commerce websites and social media platforms.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
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When to use:
- For smaller applications, you need a lightweight library that provides structure without too much opinion.
- When you want the freedom to choose your tools and libraries to work with.
When not to use:
- In applications where you need a more modern, component-based architecture.
Famous brands using Backbone include Walmart, Airbnb, and SoundCloud.
Svelte
Svelte is a modern and innovative frontend framework developed by Rich Harris, the graphics editor at The New York Times. It is a component-based framework that compiles your code into highly optimised JavaScript code that runs faster than traditional frameworks. Svelte's key features include reactive data binding, virtual DOM, and simple syntax.
Svelte is suitable for building small to medium-sized applications that require excellent performance, including mobile applications and simple e-commerce websites.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
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When to use:
- For applications where you want to compile your code to highly optimized vanilla JavaScript.
- When you need a reactive framework that eliminates the virtual DOM overhead.
When not to use:
- If you rely on a large community and ecosystem, Svelte's is smaller compared to other frameworks.
Famous brands using Svelte include The New York Times, Netflix, and Square.
Semantic-UI
Semantic-UI is a frontend framework that provides a set of pre-built UI components and styles that follow a semantic naming convention. It is a modern and intuitive framework that simplifies the development of responsive and accessible user interfaces. Semantic-UI's key features include a simple syntax, responsive design, and cross-browser compatibility.
Semantic-UI is suitable for building small to medium-sized applications that require a simple and intuitive user interface, including blogs and personal websites.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
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When to use:
- For projects that require a UI framework with pre-designed components that follow semantic naming conventions.
- When you must rapidly prototype and build user interfaces with a consistent design.
When not to use:
- If you need a framework for building the application logic, not just the UI, Semantic-UI is more of a UI kit.
Famous brands using Semantic-UI include Amazon, Twitter, and GitHub.
Foundation
Foundation is a front-end framework developed by ZURB. It is a flexible and responsive framework that provides a set of pre-built UI components and styles. Foundation's key features include a grid system, a component-based architecture, and cross-browser compatibility.
Foundation is suitable for building small to medium-sized applications that require a responsive and flexible user interface, including e-commerce websites and mobile applications.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
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When to use:
- For responsive web applications that need a mobile-first approach.
- When you require a framework that provides a lot of pre-built components and a flexible grid system.
When not to use:
- If you are looking for a UI framework with a minimal footprint or a simple project that doesn't require a robust framework.
Famous brands using Foundation include eBay, Mozilla, and National Geographic.
Comparison of top frontend frameworks
Performance
Regarding performance, all of the top front end frameworks are highly optimised and efficient. However, some frameworks are better suited for specific types of applications.
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React, Preact, and Svelte are known for their excellent performance and small codebase, making them ideal for building applications that require fast rendering and responsiveness.
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Angular, Ember, Vue and Backbone have more heavyweight codebases but offer advanced features and powerful tooling that can help with building complex applications.
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Semantic-UI and Foundation are highly optimised for responsive design and offer a vast library of pre-built UI components that can help developers quickly create user-friendly interfaces.
Ease of use
When it comes to ease of use, all of the top frontend frameworks have their learning curves, but some are easier to use than others.
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React, Preact, jQuery and Vue are known for their intuitive and simple APIs, making them easy to pick up and use immediately.
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Angular, Ember, and Backbone have more rigid conventions and require more learning time.
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Svelte, Semantic-UI, and Foundation offer simple syntax and intuitive interfaces to help developers quickly create responsive, user-friendly designs.
Learning curve
The learning curve for each frontend framework varies, depending on the application's complexity and the developer's level of expertise.
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React, Preact, Vue, and Svelte have relatively low learning curves and are suitable for developers with minimal experience.
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Angular, Ember, jQuery and Backbone have steeper learning curves and require more time and effort to master.
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Semantic-UI and Foundation are relatively easy to learn, but their customisation options can be more complex.
Community support
All the top frontend frameworks have strong and active communities, providing developers with a wealth of resources and support.
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React, Angular, Vue, jQuery and Ember have the largest communities and offer many resources, including documentation, tutorials, and plugins.
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Backbone, Preact, Svelte, Semantic-UI, and Foundation have smaller communities but still offer excellent resources and support.
Popularity and adoption
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React, Angular, Vue and jQuery are the most widely used frontend frameworks, followed by Svelte and Preact.
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Ember, Backbone, Semantic-UI, and Foundation have smaller but significant user bases.
Conclusion
Frontend frameworks are essential for building modern, responsive, interactive web applications. They offer a standardised frontend development approach, improving code efficiency, consistency, and maintainability.
This article explored the top frontend frameworks in 2024, including React, Angular, Vue, JQuery, Preact, Ember, Backbone, Svelte, Semantic-UI, and Foundation. We have discussed their features, benefits, use cases, and drawbacks, providing you with the necessary information to make an informed decision.
Choosing the right frontend framework for your project depends on several factors, such as requirements, developer expertise, future scalability, and community support. Consider these factors before ensuring that your project meets your expectations and achieves your goals.
Overall, the frontend framework you choose will impact your development process and the outcome of your web application. With this knowledge, you can decide which frontend framework best suits your project's needs and constraints. By using the proper frontend framework, you can improve your productivity, create a more efficient and maintainable codebase, and deliver a better user experience to your users.
Here you can discover some of the projects where Imaginary Cloud worked with front-end development.
FAQs
What is a front-end framework?
A frontend framework is a collection of pre-written code that provides a structure for building web applications. It includes tools, libraries, and design patterns that enable developers to create interactive and responsive user interfaces for web applications.
What are the most used front end frameworks?
The 2022 Stack Overflow survey found that React was the most widely used frontend framework among developers.
Which frontend framework to use in 2024?
some of the popular frontend frameworks to use in 2024 are React, Angular, Vue.js, jQuery, and Preact.
How do I choose the right frontend framework for my project?
Choosing the right frontend framework depends on several factors, such as project requirements, developer expertise, future scalability, and community support. Consider your project's needs and constraints, such as the size and complexity of the application and the required level of interactivity and responsiveness. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each framework and choose the one that best meets your project's specific needs.
