react vs vue vs angular vs @hotwired/stimulus | JavaScript Frameworks and Libraries Comparison

Package	Downloads	Stars	Size	Issues	Publish	License

react	39,743,592	237,167	167 kB	1,006	3 months ago	MIT
vue	6,473,551	50,797	2.41 MB	1,056	23 days ago	MIT
angular	464,784	58,770	2.09 MB	463	-	MIT
@hotwired/stimulus	460,139	12,917	268 kB	50	2 years ago	MIT

Package

Downloads

Stars

Size

Issues

Publish

License

react

39,743,592

237,167

167 kB

1,006

3 months ago

MIT

vue

6,473,551

50,797

2.41 MB

1,056

23 days ago

MIT

angular

464,784

58,770

2.09 MB

463

MIT

@hotwired/stimulus

460,139

12,917

268 kB

2 years ago

MIT

Design Philosophy

react:
React emphasizes a component-driven architecture, allowing developers to build encapsulated components that manage their own state, promoting reusability and a functional programming style.
vue:
Vue combines the best features of Angular and React, offering a flexible and approachable framework that allows for both simple and complex applications, with a focus on the view layer.
angular:
Angular adopts a comprehensive framework philosophy, providing a complete solution with a strong emphasis on convention over configuration, which can lead to more structured and maintainable codebases.
@hotwired/stimulus:
Stimulus follows a minimalistic approach, enhancing HTML with JavaScript by applying behavior directly to elements, promoting a clean separation of concerns without requiring a complete overhaul of existing HTML.

State Management

react:
React utilizes a unidirectional data flow, where state is managed within components or through external libraries like Redux or Context API, allowing for predictable state management and easier debugging.
vue:
Vue provides a reactive data-binding system that automatically updates the view when the model changes, and it can be extended with Vuex for more complex state management needs.
angular:
Angular includes a powerful state management system through services and RxJS, enabling reactive programming and efficient data flow within applications, suitable for complex state interactions.
@hotwired/stimulus:
Stimulus does not provide built-in state management but encourages developers to manage state using standard JavaScript practices, making it lightweight and unobtrusive.

Learning Curve

react:
React is relatively easy to learn for those familiar with JavaScript, focusing on components and JSX, but mastering its ecosystem and advanced patterns can take time.
vue:
Vue is known for its approachable learning curve, with clear documentation and a simple syntax that makes it easy for new developers to get started quickly.
angular:
Angular has a steeper learning curve due to its comprehensive nature and the need to understand concepts like dependency injection, decorators, and RxJS, making it more challenging for beginners.
@hotwired/stimulus:
Stimulus has a gentle learning curve, especially for developers familiar with HTML and JavaScript, as it builds on existing knowledge without introducing complex abstractions.

Community and Ecosystem

react:
React boasts one of the largest communities and ecosystems, with a vast array of third-party libraries, tools, and resources, making it highly versatile and adaptable for various projects.
vue:
Vue has a rapidly growing community and ecosystem, with a strong focus on community-driven development, providing a wealth of plugins and tools that enhance its capabilities.
angular:
Angular has a large and mature community with extensive resources, libraries, and tools available, making it easier to find support and solutions for common challenges.
@hotwired/stimulus:
Stimulus has a growing community, but it is smaller compared to the other frameworks, which may result in fewer third-party resources and libraries available.

Performance

react:
React is designed for high performance with features like virtual DOM, which minimizes direct DOM manipulation, leading to faster updates and rendering, especially in complex applications.
vue:
Vue offers excellent performance with a virtual DOM similar to React, and its reactivity system ensures efficient updates, making it suitable for both small and large applications.
angular:
Angular's performance can be optimized using techniques like Ahead-of-Time (AOT) compilation and change detection strategies, but it may require more careful management in larger applications.
@hotwired/stimulus:
Stimulus is lightweight and performs well for small to medium-sized applications, as it adds minimal overhead and allows developers to optimize performance through standard JavaScript practices.

react

React is a JavaScript library for creating user interfaces.

The react package contains only the functionality necessary to define React components. It is typically used together with a React renderer like react-dom for the web, or react-native for the native environments.

Note: by default, React will be in development mode. The development version includes extra warnings about common mistakes, whereas the production version includes extra performance optimizations and strips all error messages. Don't forget to use the production build when deploying your application.

Usage

import { useState } from 'react'; import { createRoot } from 'react-dom/client'; function Counter() { const [count, setCount] = useState(0); return ( <> <h1>{count}</h1> <button onClick={() => setCount(count + 1)}> Increment </button> </> ); } const root = createRoot(document.getElementById('root')); root.render(<Counter />);