handlebars vs ejs vs pug vs nunjucks
Template Engines for Node.js
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Template Engines for Node.js

Template engines are tools that allow developers to generate HTML dynamically by embedding JavaScript code within HTML templates. They enable the separation of logic and presentation, making it easier to manage and maintain web applications. Each template engine has its own syntax, features, and design philosophy, catering to different development needs and preferences. Choosing the right template engine can significantly impact the development workflow, performance, and maintainability of your application.

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handlebars28,469,31618,5872.78 MB1173 years agoMIT
ejs23,824,6038,083183 kB2522 days agoApache-2.0
pug2,113,903-59.7 kB-2 years agoMIT
nunjucks1,914,1008,8831.77 MB3483 years agoBSD-2-Clause
Feature Comparison: handlebars vs ejs vs pug vs nunjucks

Syntax and Readability

  • handlebars:

    Handlebars employs a more structured syntax with placeholders and helpers that promote logic-less templates. This enhances readability and maintainability, especially in larger codebases where separation of logic is essential.

  • ejs:

    EJS uses plain HTML with embedded JavaScript, making it very intuitive for those familiar with HTML. This simplicity allows for quick adoption and easy readability, especially for small projects.

  • pug:

    Pug uses indentation-based syntax, which reduces the amount of code needed to create HTML. While it can be less familiar to new users, its concise nature can enhance readability once learned.

  • nunjucks:

    Nunjucks offers a syntax that is similar to Jinja2, allowing for advanced features like template inheritance and asynchronous rendering. Its syntax is clean and expressive, making it suitable for complex applications.

Features and Extensibility

  • handlebars:

    Handlebars supports helpers and partials, enabling developers to create reusable components and logic-less templates. This extensibility makes it suitable for larger applications where modularity is key.

  • ejs:

    EJS is lightweight and straightforward, focusing on rendering templates quickly without many built-in features. It allows for custom JavaScript logic but lacks advanced templating capabilities.

  • pug:

    Pug supports mixins and includes, allowing for reusable template snippets. Its extensibility makes it suitable for projects that benefit from modular design.

  • nunjucks:

    Nunjucks is highly extensible, supporting custom filters, tags, and asynchronous rendering. Its rich feature set makes it ideal for complex applications that require advanced templating capabilities.

Performance

  • handlebars:

    Handlebars is optimized for performance with precompiled templates, reducing the overhead during rendering. This makes it suitable for applications with a high volume of template rendering.

  • ejs:

    EJS is known for its speed and efficiency in rendering templates, making it a good choice for applications where performance is critical. However, it may not handle complex logic as well as other engines.

  • pug:

    Pug is designed for speed and efficiency, but its unique syntax may introduce a slight overhead during compilation. However, once compiled, it performs well in rendering.

  • nunjucks:

    Nunjucks can handle complex templates efficiently, but its performance may vary based on the complexity of the templates and the use of asynchronous rendering. It is generally performant for most use cases.

Learning Curve

  • handlebars:

    Handlebars has a moderate learning curve as it introduces concepts like helpers and partials, which may require some time to master but ultimately lead to better maintainability.

  • ejs:

    EJS has a low learning curve due to its straightforward syntax, making it easy for beginners to pick up and start using immediately.

  • pug:

    Pug's indentation-based syntax can be challenging for newcomers, leading to a steeper learning curve. However, its conciseness can be a significant advantage once mastered.

  • nunjucks:

    Nunjucks has a steeper learning curve due to its advanced features and syntax. However, once learned, it offers powerful capabilities for complex applications.

Community and Support

  • handlebars:

    Handlebars boasts a robust community and extensive documentation, making it easy to find help and resources for development.

  • ejs:

    EJS has a strong community and is widely used in various projects, ensuring good support and resources for developers.

  • pug:

    Pug has a dedicated community and is well-documented, offering plenty of resources for developers looking to learn and troubleshoot.

  • nunjucks:

    Nunjucks is backed by Mozilla and has a growing community. Its documentation is comprehensive, providing good support for developers.

How to Choose: handlebars vs ejs vs pug vs nunjucks
  • handlebars:

    Select Handlebars if you need a more powerful templating engine with a focus on logic-less templates. It allows for better separation of concerns and is great for larger applications where maintainability and readability are priorities.

  • ejs:

    Choose EJS if you prefer a simple and straightforward syntax that closely resembles HTML. It is ideal for projects that require minimal overhead and quick rendering, making it suitable for small to medium-sized applications.

  • pug:

    Choose Pug if you prefer a concise and clean syntax that reduces the amount of boilerplate code. It is particularly beneficial for developers who want to write less code and focus on the structure of their templates.

  • nunjucks:

    Opt for Nunjucks if you want a feature-rich templating engine that supports asynchronous rendering and template inheritance. It is particularly useful for complex applications that require modular templates and advanced features like filters and custom tags.

Similar Npm Packages to handlebars

handlebars is a popular templating engine for JavaScript that allows developers to create dynamic HTML content by combining templates with data. It provides a simple syntax for defining templates and supports features like helpers, partials, and block expressions, making it a powerful tool for rendering HTML on the server or client side. While Handlebars is widely used, there are several alternatives that also offer templating capabilities. Here are a few notable ones:

  • ejs (Embedded JavaScript) is a simple templating engine that lets you generate HTML markup with plain JavaScript. EJS allows you to embed JavaScript logic directly within your templates, making it easy to create dynamic content. Its syntax is straightforward and familiar to those who are comfortable with JavaScript, making it a popular choice for developers looking for a lightweight solution for server-side rendering in Node.js applications.

  • mustache is a logic-less templating engine that emphasizes simplicity and readability. It uses a minimal syntax, where templates are defined with placeholders that are replaced with actual data. Mustache is designed to be language-agnostic, meaning it can be used in various programming environments, not just JavaScript. Its lack of logic in templates encourages a clean separation between logic and presentation, making it a good choice for projects that prioritize maintainability.

  • pug (formerly known as Jade) is a high-performance templating engine that uses a unique indentation-based syntax to create HTML. Pug allows for cleaner and more concise templates by eliminating the need for closing tags and reducing boilerplate code. It supports features like mixins, inheritance, and conditionals, making it suitable for complex applications. Pug is particularly favored in projects where readability and maintainability of templates are crucial.

To see how Handlebars compares with EJS, Mustache, and Pug, check out the comparison: Comparing ejs vs handlebars vs mustache vs pug.

Similar Npm Packages to ejs

ejs (Embedded JavaScript) is a templating engine for Node.js that allows developers to generate HTML markup with plain JavaScript. It provides a simple syntax for embedding JavaScript code within HTML, making it easy to create dynamic web pages. EJS is known for its speed and simplicity, making it a popular choice for rendering views in web applications. However, there are several alternatives to EJS that offer different features and capabilities. Here are a few notable ones:

  • handlebars is a powerful templating engine that extends the capabilities of Mustache templates. It provides a more expressive syntax and allows for the creation of reusable templates with helper functions. Handlebars is particularly useful for projects that require more complex templating logic, as it supports features like conditionals, loops, and custom helpers. If you need a templating engine that balances simplicity with powerful features, Handlebars is a great option.

  • nunjucks is a full-featured templating engine inspired by Jinja2 (a popular templating engine for Python). It offers a rich set of features, including template inheritance, asynchronous control, and powerful filters. Nunjucks is well-suited for applications that require advanced templating capabilities and is particularly useful for projects that need to render templates on both the server and client sides. If you are looking for a versatile templating engine that can handle complex scenarios, Nunjucks is worth considering.

  • pug (formerly known as Jade) is a high-performance templating engine that uses a unique indentation-based syntax, which eliminates the need for closing tags in HTML. Pug allows for cleaner and more concise templates, making it easier to read and maintain. It also supports features like mixins and template inheritance. If you prefer a more minimalistic syntax and want to reduce the amount of boilerplate code in your templates, Pug is an excellent choice.

For a detailed comparison of these templating engines, check out the link: Comparing ejs vs handlebars vs nunjucks vs pug.

Similar Npm Packages to pug

pug is a high-performance template engine for Node.js that allows developers to write HTML in a more concise and readable way. Originally known as Jade, pug uses a clean syntax that eliminates the need for closing tags and allows for easy nesting of elements. This makes it a popular choice for developers looking to create dynamic web pages with minimal boilerplate code. While pug is a powerful templating engine, there are several alternatives available that cater to different needs and preferences. Here are a few notable alternatives:

  • ejs (Embedded JavaScript) is a simple templating engine that allows you to generate HTML markup with plain JavaScript. EJS provides a straightforward syntax that is easy to learn, making it a great choice for developers who prefer a more traditional approach to templating. It supports features like partials and includes, allowing for code reuse and modularity. If you are looking for a templating engine that integrates seamlessly with JavaScript and offers flexibility, EJS is a solid option.

  • handlebars is a popular templating engine that extends the capabilities of Mustache templates. Handlebars allows for more complex logic and provides features such as helpers, partials, and custom functions. It emphasizes separation of logic and presentation, making it easier to maintain and scale applications. If you need a templating engine that supports advanced features while keeping your templates clean and readable, Handlebars is an excellent choice.

  • nunjucks is a powerful templating engine created by Mozilla that is inspired by Jinja2. It offers a rich feature set, including template inheritance, asynchronous rendering, and custom filters. Nunjucks is particularly well-suited for applications that require a high degree of flexibility and control over the rendering process. If you're building complex applications that need a robust templating solution, Nunjucks is worth considering.

To see how pug compares with ejs, handlebars, and nunjucks, check out the comparison: Comparing ejs vs handlebars vs nunjucks vs pug.

Similar Npm Packages to nunjucks

nunjucks is a powerful templating engine for JavaScript that is inspired by Jinja2, a popular templating engine for Python. It allows developers to create dynamic HTML pages by embedding JavaScript logic directly within their templates. Nunjucks is particularly useful for server-side rendering and can be integrated seamlessly with various web frameworks. Its syntax is clean and intuitive, making it easy to create reusable templates and manage complex layouts.

While Nunjucks is a robust option, there are several alternatives available in the JavaScript ecosystem that also serve as templating engines. Here are a few noteworthy alternatives:

  • ejs (Embedded JavaScript) is a simple and lightweight templating engine that allows you to generate HTML markup with plain JavaScript. EJS is known for its straightforward syntax, making it easy to embed JavaScript code within HTML. It is a great choice for projects that require minimal overhead and a quick setup, especially when you need to render views on the server side.

  • handlebars is a popular templating engine that extends the Mustache templating language. It provides a more powerful way to create dynamic HTML by allowing developers to define templates with expressions and helpers. Handlebars is particularly useful for projects that require logic in the templates, such as conditionals and loops, while still maintaining a clean separation between HTML and JavaScript. Its simplicity and flexibility make it a favorite among developers.

  • pug (formerly known as Jade) is a high-performance templating engine that uses a unique indentation-based syntax to create HTML. Pug emphasizes readability and conciseness, allowing developers to write less code while achieving the same output. It is particularly well-suited for projects where clean and maintainable code is a priority. Pug's ability to create reusable mixins and templates can significantly enhance productivity in larger applications.

To see how Nunjucks compares with EJS, Handlebars, and Pug, check out the comparison: Comparing ejs vs handlebars vs nunjucks vs pug.

README for handlebars

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Handlebars.js

Handlebars.js is an extension to the Mustache templating language created by Chris Wanstrath. Handlebars.js and Mustache are both logicless templating languages that keep the view and the code separated like we all know they should be.

Checkout the official Handlebars docs site at https://handlebarsjs.com/ and the live demo at http://tryhandlebarsjs.com/.

Installing

See our installation documentation.

Usage

In general, the syntax of Handlebars.js templates is a superset of Mustache templates. For basic syntax, check out the Mustache manpage.

Once you have a template, use the Handlebars.compile method to compile the template into a function. The generated function takes a context argument, which will be used to render the template.

var source = "<p>Hello, my name is {{name}}. I am from {{hometown}}. I have " +
             "{{kids.length}} kids:</p>" +
             "<ul>{{#kids}}<li>{{name}} is {{age}}</li>{{/kids}}</ul>";
var template = Handlebars.compile(source);

var data = { "name": "Alan", "hometown": "Somewhere, TX",
             "kids": [{"name": "Jimmy", "age": "12"}, {"name": "Sally", "age": "4"}]};
var result = template(data);

// Would render:
// <p>Hello, my name is Alan. I am from Somewhere, TX. I have 2 kids:</p>
// <ul>
//   <li>Jimmy is 12</li>
//   <li>Sally is 4</li>
// </ul>

Full documentation and more examples are at handlebarsjs.com.

Precompiling Templates

Handlebars allows templates to be precompiled and included as javascript code rather than the handlebars template allowing for faster startup time. Full details are located here.

Differences Between Handlebars.js and Mustache

Handlebars.js adds a couple of additional features to make writing templates easier and also changes a tiny detail of how partials work.

Block expressions have the same syntax as mustache sections but should not be confused with one another. Sections are akin to an implicit each or with statement depending on the input data and helpers are explicit pieces of code that are free to implement whatever behavior they like. The mustache spec defines the exact behavior of sections. In the case of name conflicts, helpers are given priority.

Compatibility

There are a few Mustache behaviors that Handlebars does not implement.

  • Handlebars deviates from Mustache slightly in that it does not perform recursive lookup by default. The compile time compat flag must be set to enable this functionality. Users should note that there is a performance cost for enabling this flag. The exact cost varies by template, but it's recommended that performance sensitive operations should avoid this mode and instead opt for explicit path references.
  • The optional Mustache-style lambdas are not supported. Instead Handlebars provides its own lambda resolution that follows the behaviors of helpers.
  • Alternative delimiters are not supported.

Supported Environments

Handlebars has been designed to work in any ECMAScript 3 environment. This includes

  • Node.js
  • Chrome
  • Firefox
  • Safari 5+
  • Opera 11+
  • IE 6+

Older versions and other runtimes are likely to work but have not been formally tested. The compiler requires JSON.stringify to be implemented natively or via a polyfill. If using the precompiler this is not necessary.

Performance

In a rough performance test, precompiled Handlebars.js templates (in the original version of Handlebars.js) rendered in about half the time of Mustache templates. It would be a shame if it were any other way, since they were precompiled, but the difference in architecture does have some big performance advantages. Justin Marney, a.k.a. gotascii, confirmed that with an independent test. The rewritten Handlebars (current version) is faster than the old version, with many performance tests being 5 to 7 times faster than the Mustache equivalent.

Upgrading

See release-notes.md for upgrade notes.

Known Issues

See FAQ.md for known issues and common pitfalls.

Handlebars in the Wild

  • Assemble, by @jonschlinkert and @doowb, is a static site generator that uses Handlebars.js as its template engine.
  • Cory, by @leo, is another tiny static site generator
  • CoSchedule An editorial calendar for WordPress that uses Handlebars.js
  • dashbars A modern helper library for Handlebars.js.
  • Ember.js makes Handlebars.js the primary way to structure your views, also with automatic data binding support.
  • Ghost Just a blogging platform.
  • handlebars_assets: A Rails Asset Pipeline gem from Les Hill (@leshill).
  • handlebars-helpers is an extensive library with 100+ handlebars helpers.
  • handlebars-layouts is a set of helpers which implement extendible and embeddable layout blocks as seen in other popular templating languages.
  • hbs: An Express.js view engine adapter for Handlebars.js, from Don Park.
  • koa-hbs: koa generator based renderer for Handlebars.js.
  • jblotus created http://tryhandlebarsjs.com for anyone who would like to try out Handlebars.js in their browser.
  • jQuery plugin: allows you to use Handlebars.js with jQuery.
  • Lumbar provides easy module-based template management for handlebars projects.
  • Marionette.Handlebars adds support for Handlebars and Mustache templates to Marionette.
  • sammy.js by Aaron Quint, a.k.a. quirkey, supports Handlebars.js as one of its template plugins.
  • SproutCore uses Handlebars.js as its main templating engine, extending it with automatic data binding support.
  • YUI implements a port of handlebars
  • Swag by @elving is a growing collection of helpers for handlebars.js. Give your handlebars.js templates some swag son!
  • DOMBars is a DOM-based templating engine built on the Handlebars parser and runtime DEPRECATED
  • promised-handlebars is a wrapper for Handlebars that allows helpers to return Promises.
  • just-handlebars-helpers A fully tested lightweight package with common Handlebars helpers.

External Resources

Have a project using Handlebars? Send us a pull request!

License

Handlebars.js is released under the MIT license.

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