In the website development process, there are many ways to create the front appearance of the website via coding. One of the easiest is to use a front-end framework. You can make your website look attractive and professional more quickly.
Currently, there are many front end frameworks available that you can try. Of course, each framework has its advantages and disadvantages. Then, which one is the most suitable for you?
So, instead of bothering to try frameworks one by one until we find one that suits us, we will review the 10 best front end frameworks in full. At the same time, helping you choose which framework is most appropriate.
Curious right? Check out this article, OK!
10 Front End Framework
Here are the 10 best front end frameworks based on ratings obtained on Github:
Come on, see the full explanation of what the front-end framework is below!
1. Vue.js
GitHub rating: 190k stars
Vue.js is the highest-rated front-end framework on Github. This framework was launched in 2014 by Evan You. Someone who is also one of the creators of the Angular framework.
Vue.js is an MVVM (Model-View ViewModel) type framework built on top of the JavaScript language. This front-end framework has simple code-writing rules, so it’s easy for beginners to use.
Besides that, the size of Vue.js is also relatively small, only 18 KB! Even so, his ability does not need to be doubted. Because, it can be used to build web apps, mobile apps, to progressive web apps ( PWA ).
Vue.js Featured Features:
- Virtual DOM (Document Object Model) – A clone of the Real DOM for saving and reviewing code changes before implementing them in the Real DOM.
- Components – Create and manage custom elements in HTML format, so they can be used over and over again.
- Two-way Data Binding – Making every code change in JavaScript affect the HTML display and vice versa.
Also read: Web Programming Learning Guide for Beginners
Advantages of Vue.js:
- Complete and detailed documentation.
- Easy to use for developers with JavaScript skills.
- Very flexible to design application structure.
- Supports TypeScript, a JavaScript-based programming language.
Disadvantages of Vue.js:
- The available components are not yet stable.
- The community isn’t that big yet.
- Most of the plugins and components are written in Chinese making them difficult to use.
Use Vue.js If:
Vue.js is a front-end framework that is suitable for building small-scale projects from scratch, especially single-page application (SPA) types.
Don’t Use Vue.js If:
Vue.js is not recommended for large-scale projects, given the unstable components and minimal community support.
Vue.js Usage Examples:
Some companies that have used Vue.js include 9gag, Alibaba, Reuters, and Xiaomi.
2. React
GitHub rating: 178K stars
React is a front-end framework built by the world’s technology giant, Facebook (now Meta ) in 2011. React is an open-source framework under the MIT software license.
React is actually not a pure JavaScript front-end framework, but a library. Even so, it still has various features like a framework, for example, the DOM.
Besides that, React also has stable performance. This makes it reliable to build PWAs and SPAs that are prepared to accommodate a lot of traffic.
React Featured Features:
- Virtual DOM – Just like Vue.js, React is also equipped with a Virtual DOM which is useful for storing various code changes.
- Libraries Integration – Making React work with a variety of JavaScript-based libraries.
- JSX (JavaScript XML ) – A JavaScript syntax extension for easy modification of the DOM with HTML formatted code.
Advantages of React:
- Components can be used over and over again across different pages of the application.
- Ease of writing components without the need to introduce (declare) the class.
- Provides various developer tools with abundant features.
Disadvantages of React:
- Fluctuating documentation, considering the frequency of updates that are too frequent.
- It’s a bit difficult for beginners to learn because JSX tends to be complicated.
Use React If:
React is most suitable for building SPA which tends to be complex and requires a lot of user interface components such as navigation panels, buttons, and accordions.
In addition, React is also more suitable when used with other libraries such as Redux, because it can improve SPA performance.
Don’t Use React If:
React is not suitable for those of you who are beginners and don’t understand JavaScript, especially JSX which has more complicated code rules than ordinary JavaScript.
Examples of React Usage:
Apart from being a Facebook framework, React has also been used to build various other popular websites such as Netflix, Reddit, and Pinterest.
3. Angular
GitHub rating: 77k stars
Apart from React, it turns out that there are other front end frameworks made by other tech giants. The framework in question is Angular which was developed by Google in 2009.
Similar to React, Angular is also an open-source framework. Well, this front-end framework is of the MVC (Model View Controller) type and is built with the TypeScript language.
Unfortunately, Angular has quite complicated coding rules. In addition, the size is also relatively large, namely 566 KB. Even so, Angular has proven to be reliable for building web and mobile apps, from PWA, to RIA (Rich Internet App).
Angular Key Features:
- Directives – Makes it easy for developers to set the DOM so they can produce more dynamic HTML-formatted content.
- Hierarchical Injections – Makes it easy to manage code components for testing or reuse purposes.
- Two-way Data Binding – Similar to Vue.js, Angular uses two-way data binding for easy synchronization between Model and View.
Advantages of Angular:
- Every code change can display the results instantly thanks to Two-way Data Binding.
- Can use components repeatedly with just one component writing.
- The number of lines of code required to build the application is reduced.
- Official support from Google and the wider community.
Angular Disadvantages:
- It’s a bit difficult for beginners to learn, considering the rules for writing code are quite complicated.
- The resulting application structure tends to be complicated, so it can reduce application performance.
- Limited SEO capabilities making it less SEO Friendly.
Use Angular If:
Angular is the best front-end framework for building complex applications for large-scale business needs.
Don’t Use Angular If:
Angular is not quite right for building simple and lightweight applications given its complexity. Apart from that, it is also not suitable for websites with the aim of capturing traffic, because it is less SEO Friendly.
Examples of Angular Usage:
Besides being used to build various Google services, Angular is also used by many companies ranging from Forbes, LEGO, UPS, and BMW.
4. jQuery
GitHub rating: 55k stars
jQuery is one of the oldest front end frameworks released since 2006. Even so, jQuery is still quite relevant for building websites, mobile apps, and desktop apps.
Just like React, jQuery is actually a JavaScript library and not a framework. Well, jQuery’s main function is to manipulate CSS and DOM to produce a more interactive website.
In addition, jQuery also offers ease of use by trimming the rules for writing JavaScript code to be more concise. jQuery is also supported by an extensive and experienced community.
Top features of jQuery:
- Versatile Event Handling – Reduces the number of lines of code for commands that involve user activity, such as mouse clicks.
- jQuery Mobile – System-UI-based HTML5 framework to make it easier for developers to build mobile apps.
- Browser Interchangeability – Able to perform various functions in almost all browsers without experiencing significant problems.
Advantages of jQuery:
- It is easy for beginners to learn and use due to the simple writing of the code
- Supports almost all browsers on the market.
- Provides a wide selection of plugins to add to its features.
Disadvantages of jQuery:
- Relatively large in size, one jQuery package consists of all DOM, Events, Effects, and AJAX components.
- Performance is relatively slow, considering the large size.
- It doesn’t have a Data Layer, so the process of manipulating the DOM is more complicated.
Use jQuery If:
jQuery is more suitable for building JavaScript-based desktop applications. Apart from that, jQuery is also the right choice for building interactive websites for use in various types of browsers.
Don’t Use jQuery If:
jQuery is not suitable for building modern website ecosystems such as PWAs, SPA or web apps. This is due to the absence of a Data Layer which can cause slow performance.
Examples of jQuery Usage:
Several companies that are noted to use jQuery include Microsoft, Uber, Twitter, and Pandora.
5. Svelte
GitHub rating: 52k stars
In contrast to jQuery, Svelte is the youngest front end framework on this list. Because Svelte was just launched in 2016.
Unlike the others, Svelte is neither a framework nor a library, but a compiler. Well, this compiler is based on JavaScript, HTML, and CSS as well.
Even though it combines the three elements, the performance remains stable. In fact, Svelte is considered one of the fastest frameworks out there. In addition, it is also relatively lightweight because the rules for writing code tend to be concise.
Svelte Featured Features:
- Modularity Principles – Grouping various components and then isolating them so as to facilitate the application development process.
- Boilerplate-free Coding – Uniformly generate modules in Vanilla JavaScript from HTML, CSS, and JavaScript formatted components.
Pros of Svelte:
- It’s lighter and simpler because it can use existing JavaScript libraries.
- Faster performance than other popular frameworks like React or Angular.
- Minimalist code rules so that the application development process is faster.
Disadvantages of Svelte:
- Minimal and undeveloped community support
- The available developer tools are still few.
- Not too popular because it is still relatively new.
Use Svelte If:
Svelte will be suitable for building small-scale projects with a small number of developers. This compiler is also the best choice for those of you who are beginners considering the brevity of the code rules.
Don’t Use Svelte If:
Svelte is not the best choice for building large-scale projects, given the lack of community support and not many available tools.
Svelte Usage Example:
Some popular websites built using Svelte include The New York Times, 1Password, and Rakuten.
6. Semantic UI
GitHub rating: 47k stars
Similar to Svelte, Semantic UI is a relatively new front-end framework. This framework was just launched in 2014 by Jack Lukicthis, a full-stack developer.
Well, Semantic UI is the best CSS framework. That is why this one front-end framework does not use DOM or Data Binding by default.
Even so, Semantic UI supports integration with other frameworks, such as React, Angular, and Ember.js. Apart from that, it also provides third-party plugin support to enhance its features.
Semantic UI Featured Features:
- Themes Collections – Provides thousands of themes and dozens of components to beautify and add interface-related features.
- Exchangeable Concepts – Adopt human language into the rules of writing code, for example when writing Classes.
- Development Toolset – Makes it easy to configure CSS, JavaScript, and Fonts, so that they can be used for other applications with just one write.
Pros of Semantic UI:
- A wide selection of themes and UI components is available.
- Easy-to-understand code-writing rules.
- Supports various integrations so many features can be added.
Disadvantages of Semantic UI:
- The package size is quite large.
- Community support is still relatively minimal.
- Built-in features and functions tend to be limited.
Use Semantic UI If:
Semantic UI is the best front-end framework for building applications with an attractive, responsive User Interface, but still lightweight when used.
Don’t Use Semantic UI if:
Semantic UI is not the right choice for those of you who are less proficient in JavaScript. This is because the default features are quite limited and can only work optimally when integrated with other frameworks.
Example of using Semantic UI:
Semantic UI is widely used by several well-known companies such as Snapchat, Oversea, Kong, and Accenture.
7. Preact
GitHub rating: 30k stars
React is a front-end framework launched in 2015 by Jason Miller. As the name implies, this framework is an alternative to React. Because it has features and API that are almost similar to React.
Even so, the size of Preact is much smaller than React, which is only 3 KB! That way, the resulting application is lighter in terms of size and has agile performance.
Just like React, Preact is actually a library and not a pure framework. Even so, this front end framework already uses Virtual DOM as a framework.
Preact Features:
- Preact CLI – Preact’s built-in Command Line-based tool, to speed up application development.
- Link State Module – Responsible for optimizing every change to components that are used automatically.
- ES6 API – Makes it easy for developers to switch to Preact on applications that are already built.
Advantages of Preact:
- The size is very small so it lightens the workload of applications that are built.
- Agile performance using Virtual DOM in a compact way of working.
- Compatible with almost all ecosystems that exist in React, such as components and plugins.
Disadvantages of Preact:
- The less popular and relatively small community, when compared to React.
- It doesn’t support propTypes, a key feature built into React, so it only supports migrating with the ES6 API.
Use Preact If:
Preact is the right choice for building websites either from scratch or modifying existing ones, especially those previously built using React.
Don’t Use Preact If:
Preact is not recommended for those of you who are beginners and haven’t mastered React. With minimal community support, it’s better to learn React first before moving on to Preact.
Examples of Preact Usage:
Several companies that are listed as using Preact include Dailymotion, Domino’s, Pepsi, Groupon, and Lyft.
8. Foundation
GitHub rating: 29k stars
Unlike some of the frameworks above, such as Vue.js and jQuery, which are suitable for beginners, this framework is aimed more at advanced-level developers. It is Foundation, a front-end framework launched by Zurn in 2011.
This JavaScript, HTML, and CSS-based framework are intended specifically for building large-scale projects within the scope of the company. Foundation is supported with various features for advanced development.
In fact, the Foundation also has a special framework for building SPA with Foundation for Apps. There is also a framework intended for creating email applications called Foundation for Email.
Foundation’s Featured Features:
- GPU Acceleration – Improves application performance when rendering animations, both on mobile and desktop devices.
- Autonomous Project – Makes it easy for developers to work around complexities so they can learn Foundation more quickly.
Advantages of Foundation:
- Supports integration with HTML5 Libraries, for example, Form Validation.
- Automatic rendering for views that adapt to various devices.
- Advanced customization to produce an attractive appearance.
Disadvantages of Foundations:
- It’s quite difficult for novice developers to learn.
- Community support is still minimal because it is not very popular.
Use Foundation If:
Foundation is the right front-end framework for beautifying the appearance of the website with CSS components but still pays attention to the responsive aspects of the website on various devices.
Don’t use foundation if:
Foundation is not a suitable framework if you are a beginner. Because, how to change the code and customization is complicated and confusing.
Examples of Using Foundation:
Foundation has been used on several websites owned by leading companies, such as eBay, Mozilla, Disney, Amazon, and National Geographic.
9. Backbone.js
GitHub rating: 27k stars
Backbone.js is a front end framework developed by Jeremy Ashkenas, author of CoffeeScript in 2010. This framework is an open-source framework published under the MIT software license.
Backbone.js belongs to the MVC-type framework built on top of the JavaScript language. This front end framework is considered the easiest framework to use because the rules for writing code are simple.
With simple code rules, its ability cannot be underestimated. Because Backbone.js can be used to build SPA smoothly.
Backbone.js Prominent Features:
- Key-Value Binding & Custom Events – Similar to Two-way Data Binding, making every change to the Model affect the View, and vice versa.
- API Integration – Allows websites to communicate with other languages or applications via existing APIs, such as RESTful JSON.
Advantages of Backbone.js:
- The performance is relatively fast and the size is still light.
- Very easy to learn even for beginners.
- It’s easy to build more complex systems thanks to the API.
Cons of Backbone.js:
- Only provides tools for standard version developers with limited capabilities.
- Have to write code in Boilerplate form (writing in multiple places) so Model and View can communicate with each other.
Use Backbone.js If:
Backbone.js is the right front-end framework for building small to large-scale dynamic applications. The reason is that it can separate the logic and appearance of the application so as to maintain application performance faster.
Don’t Use Backbone.js If:
If you want to build applications with popular frameworks, Backbone.js is not the right choice considering its declining popularity.
Example of Using Backbone.js:
Some examples of companies using the Backbone.js framework include Trello and Tumblr.
10. Human.js
GitHub rating: 22k stars
Ember.js is a JavaScript front-end framework developed in 2011 by Yehuda Katz. Just like some of the previous frameworks, it is also an open-source framework under the MIT license.
Well, Ember.js is an MVVM-type framework built with the JavaScript language. In contrast to Backbone.js, this framework is considered one of the most difficult frameworks to learn.
In fact, his ability does not need to be questioned anymore. Ember.js is indeed designed to be able to meet the needs of the website and mobile app development through a variety of excellent features.
Ember.js Featured Features:
- Two-way Data Binding – Facilitates synchronization between Model and View in real-time.
- Fastboot.js Module – Speeds up server-side rendering (rendering through the server) and improves UI performance.
- Large Ecosystem – Provides a variety of templates, tools, and plugins to reduce the number of lines of code, add functionality, and improve performance.
Advantages of Ember.js:
- Server-side rendering that makes web pages appear faster.
- Fast and responsive performance thanks to a variety of built-in tools such as routing and testing.
- Complete documentation.
Disadvantages of Ember.js:
- Community support is still minimal.
- Creators who rarely update.
- Rigid code structure makes it difficult to learn.
- Too many features make it unsuitable for simple applications.
Use Ember.js If:
Ember.js is an ideal front end framework for building complex applications and provides a wide range of features, be it a mobile app or SPA.
Don’t Use Ember.js If:
Ember.js is not suitable for creating small-scale simple projects such as UI views or simple AJAX functions. It is also not recommended if you are still a beginner considering the code structure is difficult.
Ember.js Usage Example:
Some examples of websites or mobile apps built with Ember.js include Apple Music, Yahoo!, Linkedin, and Tinder.
Let’s Build a Website with the Best Front End Framework!
In this article, you are familiar with the 10 best front end frameworks along with a brief explanation. Of course, each framework has its own characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages.
For that, choose the framework that best suits your needs and front end skills as a developer. The goal is for the front end development process to run smoothly and produce an attractive website interface.
Even so, it should be remembered that building a website is not only about the front end. There are many things to watch out for. Starting from determining the type of website, building a website according to its type, to optimizing the website.
