Framework Comparison: React vs. Vue vs. Angular vs. Svelte

1. DOM Usage

React

• Virtual DOM: Uses a virtual DOM to optimize updates and minimize direct manipulation of the actual DOM
• DOM Manipulation: React abstracts direct DOM manipulation through the virtual DOM diffing process

Vue

• Virtual DOM: Like React, Vue utilizes a virtual DOM to efficiently update the actual DOM
• DOM Manipulation: Vue’s reactivity system helps abstract direct DOM manipulation

Angular

• Real DOM: Angular primarily uses the real DOM for updates
• Change Detection: Angular’s change detection mechanism can be more resource-intensive than virtual DOM approaches

Svelte

• No Virtual DOM: Svelte operates without a virtual DOM, directly compiling components to highly optimized JavaScript
• DOM Manipulation: Svelte compiles components at build time, resulting in optimized and minimal runtime DOM updates

Which is Faster?

• React and Vue (with virtual DOM) generally offer faster updates compared to Angular (real DOM)
• Svelte, due to its compile-time approach, can provide even faster performance in terms of DOM updates

2. Rendering

React

• Rendering: React uses a component-based architecture for rendering
• JSX: React uses JSX (JavaScript XML) for defining components in a syntax that looks similar to XML/HTML

Vue

• Rendering: Vue also employs a component-based architecture
• Template Syntax: Vue uses template syntax, allowing developers to write HTML-like code directly in the markup

Angular

• Rendering: Angular is based on a component-based architecture similar to React and Vue
• Templates: Angular uses templates written in HTML with additional Angular-specific syntax

Svelte

• Rendering: Svelte introduces a unique approach where components are compiled during build time, resulting in highly optimized JavaScript
• No Framework Runtime: Unlike the other frameworks, Svelte components don’t carry a runtime library

Which is Faster?

• React, Vue, and Angular can have comparable rendering performance depending on the specific use case
• Svelte’s compile-time approach often results in faster runtime performance

3. Performance

React

• Performance: React is known for its efficient updates, making it suitable for large-scale applications
• Ecosystem: React has a vast ecosystem and community support

Vue

• Performance: Vue’s reactivity system and virtual DOM contribute to good performance
• Ease of Learning: Vue is often praised for its simplicity and ease of integration

Angular

• Performance: Angular’s performance can be impacted by its real DOM updates and more extensive framework size
• Full-Fledged Framework: Angular is a comprehensive framework with features suitable for complex applications

Svelte

• Performance: Svelte is designed for optimal performance with its compile-time approach and absence of a runtime library
• Bundle Size: Svelte often results in smaller bundle sizes compared to the other frameworks

Which is Good?

• React: Excellent for large applications and has a robust ecosystem
• Vue: Offers a balance of performance and simplicity, making it suitable for various projects
• Angular: Best suited for large enterprise applications with its comprehensive feature set
• Svelte: Excels in performance and simplicity, especially for smaller to medium-sized projects