React vs. Vue.js in 2025, Which One Should You Choose?
React remains one of the most popular JavaScript libraries for building single-page applications in 2025. Meanwhile, Vue.js continues to call itself a “progressive framework” and its popularity skyrocketing day by day. Both share more in common than, say... Angular, which is often considered a “true” framework.
In this article, I will walk you through a detailed comparison between React.js and Vue.js, updated with the latest 2025 trends, so you can decide which library or framework is best for your next project.
⚖️ Framework Overview
React was created by Jordan Walke, a software engineer at Facebook (now Meta). It’s maintained by Meta and a large community of individual developers and companies. In 2025, React’s ecosystem is richer than ever, making it a top choice for building complex user interfaces and handling data processing tasks.
Furthermore, React Native remains a popular extension of React.js, allowing developers to create hybrid mobile applications using the same skill set.
Vue.js, on the other hand, was created by Evan You after he worked on several Google projects using AngularJS. Vue focuses on simplicity and efficiency in UI design and development. By 2025, its intuitive syntax and built-in features (like transitions and official state management via Pinia) have continued to attract developers seeking a straightforward framework for building interfaces.
🍏 Reasons for Using Vue.js
Vue.js has maintained its reputation for simplicity. Developers appreciate its clear and logical design, which speeds up development workflows. Unlike some other frameworks, Vue.js retains a consistent syntax throughout UI functionality. That's why I love it personally.
- Efficient Official Plugins: Vue’s core team provides well-structured solutions for common tasks like routing and state management.
- No Corporate Ownership: As of 2025, Vue remains community-driven and independent, appealing to developers wary of data exploitation by large tech companies.
- Great Ecosystem: Plugins like Vue Router and Pinia cover most app needs out of the box.
⚛️ Reasons for Using React
React.js brings unique features that keep it at the top of many developers’ lists (even though its popularity has been declining over time).
Here is why it is still popular nowadays:
- JSX Syntax: JSX (JavaScript XML) makes creating custom components more intuitive. You can write HTML-like code within JavaScript, streamlining component creation.
- SEO Support: React.js applications are relatively easy to optimize for search engines, especially when combined with frameworks like Next.js.
- React Native: Developers can reuse their React.js knowledge to build native mobile apps for iOS and Android.
- React Dev Tools: In 2025, the React Developer Tools are more handy than ever, offering deep insights for debugging and organizing complex apps.
🥇 Comparison of Popularity and Performance
Both React.js and Vue.js remain in high demand in 2025. React has a slight edge in terms of overall popularity, backed by its extensive ecosystem and the community around React Native.
- Performance: Both use a virtual DOM for efficient rendering. Vue.js often shines in component creation and updates due to its super fast optimizations.
- Usage Stats: According to a 2025 developer survey, over 45% of respondents have used React.js for web development, while around 20% have used Vue.js.
Note: The Statista survey report from previous years still shows React leading in global adoption, though Vue continues to grow steadily.
🧊 Scalability
React.js has the idea of “smart” and “dumb” components to manage complex architectures. Smart components handle data-heavy tasks, while dumb components focus on rendering.
Vue.js offers official libraries like Pinia for state management, enabling developers to handle larger applications. By 2025, Vue 3+ has proven its ability to scale effectively in enterprise projects.
📲 Adjust to Mobile Devices
Both frameworks have a growing demand for cross-platform solutions, although Vue.js is becoming more popular day by day. Let's have a brief overview:
- React Native: An established leader for building native iOS and Android apps with React.js.
- Weex (Vue): A mobile UI framework by Alibaba Group, allowing Vue.js components to run on mobile. While not as widespread as React Native, Weex provides a solid Vue-based mobile solution.
🚎🔩 Size and Community Support
- Bundle Size: Vue.js typically ships with a smaller bundle size, making it ideal for projects prioritizing fast load times.
- Community: React benefits from Meta’s backing and a massive open-source ecosystem. Vue.js, though smaller, boasts an active and dedicated community with thorough documentation and ongoing improvements. I think it's becoming more popular than React.js as recent data suggests.
🏒 Use Cases
- React.js: Perfect for complex web apps, large-scale projects, and teams needing to pivot between web and mobile with React Native.
- Vue.js: Ideal for small to medium-sized apps, real-time platforms, and content delivery systems where simplicity and performance are key.
🏇 Recommendation: Clean Code Book (2025)
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👏 Conclusion
I would say React.js is the first choice for developing large and complex apps. Also React Native for mobile apps is a huge plus. But you have to write separate code for web and mobile apps which is a huge downside as well. Therefore, plus-minus = zero.
Vue.js, meanwhile, is loved for its simplicity, fast performance, and smaller default size. It’s a more lightweight framework without sacrificing modern features. The great news is, you don't have to write separate code for web or mobile. Write once and now you can build desktop, mobile, or web apps in one go. So no downside. Only plus plus.
I would choose Vue.js for its simplicity and super fast performance.
Thank you for your time. For more regular posts visit: codewithshahan.com
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Top comments (43)
While I do like the idea of this article, I dislike the execution and conclusion. Pretty certain it was written by AI.
I’ve been working with React and Vue professionally for over a decade, here are some of the details that were missed by this article:
In conclusion I don’t think React is the right choice in 2025. If you are stuck with it due to legacy or need to bust out something quickly and temporarily, it’s not great, but all right. But if you are starting a new project… there are a dozen of alternatives (including Vue) that would certainly be a better choice in the long run.
Blunt but oh so true - Vue just rocks, React falls short (but hey, it's popular - jobs and gigs) ... I couldn't have said it better!
Exactly, I researched about it and found React.js is still popular for frontend jobs. Some people are commenting like they were with me while writing this article.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
By the way. It's not AI-generated. You can't judge an article just by its conclusion or something. Maybe the writing style seems AI-generated, but why would I spend over eight hours researching, writing, and designing this article?
To the point: I found that the majority of frontend jobs still require React.js in 2025. I simply made a comparison, as I don’t know everyone’s goals and needs. That said, I personally love Vue.js for its fast performance.
It’s like jQuery in 2015… I personally would look for jobs with technologies from the future than the ones from the past that everyone knows.
Smaller job pool also means less competition.
SSR has nothing to do with performance... You can still render slowly on the server. SSR exists because of SEO. SPAs typically don't have any initial content on the page for search engines to index.
Also, while I agree that a lot of people write horribly performing React code, that's not the frameworks fault. React is very forgiving in this regard, which unfortunately made the problem bigger, as more people with more opinions started using it. useMemo and useCallback were not "added" to remedy this. They we're part of the core of React hooks from the beginning... What they DID add to remedy the problem is the React compiler in React 19, which let's developers "forget" about properly ensuring the stability of their application state. That imho is a terrible move and will eventually lead to the downfall of React, but not for some time. Hopefully enough time for SolidJS to become stable and work on it's ecosystem.
Yes and what happened with react compiler? It turned out not only that you still need to remember what useCallback and useMemo do, but that you even need to step further and know even better what you are doing, because react forget could actually lead to even worse performance than without it… fun
My main concern with the compiler is that more junior developers will not learn how to write proper JavaScript code, which was one of the big advantages React had over other frameworks like Svelte that already use a compiler. That makes the devs knowledge not transferable and so when React gets surpassed, they will be at a disadvantage. There's no reason to use a compiler with React, except as a tool to fix badly written code, which should never be the job of a compiler imho.
The problem here is that React's model of reactivity is "inverted" from how every other framework, library, and even Javascript itself works. In every other case, the unit of reactivity is a callback function connected either via an event (e.g. vanilla
addEventHandler) or signal-based reactive primitive (e.g. Vue'swatch). Only in React is the unit of reactivity the full component function itself and this fundamental design decision is the root cause of a lot of the pain around memoization, double renders inStrictMode, and complexity in managing state and placement of code. Signals could fix this to a large extent by removing the need to re-run the entire component function on update. React's new compiler is just fixing a self-inflicted wound and building on top of an inherently flawed paradigm that doesn't actually reduce complexity or defects in building web front-ends.I have worked with FAANG and other global tech companies on several projects and I must say what you have written is absolute rubbish.
React dominates for practical reasons, not just hype. When you’re dealing with large teams, long-term maintainability, and hiring at scale, Vue simply doesn't come close. Sure, it’s nice for smaller projects, and some companies use it effectively, but global tech companies overwhelmingly standardize on React because of:
Ecosystem & Tooling: Vast library support, Next.js, React Native, etc.
Hiring & Talent Pool: More React developers available = easier recruitment.
Enterprise Adoption: Meta, Airbnb, Netflix, Microsoft, Shopify… the list goes on.
Long-term Stability: React has evolved but stayed consistent in its core principles.
Honestly, Vue is fine if you have a small, well-contained project with a team that prefers it. But in serious large-scale tech? React isn’t just viable - it’s the default.
If you want to pursue Vue that's your choice, but you're going down a rabbit hole you'll end up regretting.
Ok, first pointing that you “worked” with FAANG is pointless and doesn’t make your opinion stronger or more valid.
Second, any company that hires developers with the preface that they need to know React !specifically! is doomed. React is just a tool. It’s like saying “I will hire a handyman only if they know how to use a hammer”. Even if your particular task requires a hammer, not everything is a nail…
Vue has plenty of enterprise adoption. Google, Alibaba, Gitlab, Nintendo, Behance, the website with the most traffic is build with Vue. Yes pornhub! Is this a d**k measuring contest?What’s your point? ;)
What consistency? Are we talking about the same react that switched between class components and hooks and threw a curveball with server components? Or is that the react that is not written in TypeScript and has no TS support for some of its core functions? Wait it’s the one that’s not a framework, it’s just a “library” bro. Maybe that’s one it has no solid routing solution and let’s not talk about styling, cause we will make many staff engineers out there pull their hair.
And I could’ve easily ignored all the rest of the BS in your comment, if it wasn’t for the part where you said Vue is only for small/contained projects. This is the type of nonsense that’s really annoying. Apart from the fact that you can create scalable solution with any tool (check the source code for the Apollo missions for example) anyone can also write bad software with any tool too. How can you work in an enterprise company and not know something as basic as that? In my experience it’s the completely opposite. and I can bet your FAANG commission that I’ve written more react in the last 10 years than you. It’s much easier to boil spaghetti with react due to its complexity, edge cases and rendering inconsistency. Add to that reacts poor performance and bad memory management and I fail to see any grounds for your claims…
You see what I did above? I made a statement and backed it up with claims and information. Things that are easy to confirm, verify and explain… Compare that to your opinions without any reasonable justification beyond “It’s more popular”. You know what’s even more popular big guy? JQuery and Wordpress. So what! Popular doesn’t mean better and in many cases not even good.
Lol... But that's the point, react is popular because it's popular.... Not my fault if vue is becoming better. Don't trample on the little guy just because it's the little guy. It might never be a good career path but your argument is that everyone uses react so there's no point in suggesting learning anything else.
"it might never be a good career path"
Say no more.
Why don't you write an article about that? I'll wait for it!
Done: dev.to/cmacu/the-react-trap-why-it...
Man, we really need a way to flag AI generated articles 😩
Man, this is not an AI-generated article. I wrote it by hand, just slightly refined by AI for better readability. I didn’t just ask AI and copy-paste ... come on, that’s bullshit, and everyone knows it.
I researched and found that the majority of tech companies still require React.js for frontend jobs in 2025. It was a solid comparison. So why are people making negative comments about it?
Then ask yourself why this article feels so much like it's AI-generated.
Maybe because of the AI-generated pictures?
Maybe it's the division into sections of equal length, many of them with a couple of lines of introduction followed by a bullet list?
Maybe because there are exactly zero lines of code and zero figures of data that should let us decide to choose between only the two most hyped frameworks, leaving the rest to dust?
No, it's not a "solid comparison". It's click-baity and shallow. If people think it's made by AI, it's time for you to rethink how to write your articles.
Go into depth. Give examples. Make a series. Consider alternatives. Do better.
I can kind of see his point. Don't get so bent up over it, for most people writing at an ai level is a compliment. It does really streamline things and make us people have to work harder to write outstanding content. You may need to spend a week to come up with research that exceeds ai, reach out to contacts, get quotes cite unique examples.
It's just the environment we live and work in now. Sorry, though I liked the article, I wouldn't just dismiss this criticism but probably most people need to write lots of filler to make a living and while your research may go 10% further than anything ai can generate, human eyes can't detect that difference.
the especially frustrating part is that this crap with zero information value gets attention, while you spend half a day composing something meaningful and it shows to noone
Man you are promoting your own article by insulting me 😆
You better check the rules first
This article is about React.js and Vue.js only.
Sorry, no personal insult intended, nothing with you in particular, but this is now becoming a social issue on DEV and it's starting to demand awareness.
Every other day someone comes up with yet another article about the same "top" 4 (ok, this time just two) frameworks put on the same top list for the same top reasons. The other day I've seen a list of the "fastest" JavaScript frameworks and guess what? Same Angular and React on top. Something's so broken here...
Come on, guys, let's get creative, let's put some effort and come up with something new, dunno, the most exotic frameworks, the top contrarian ones, the slowest ones, the most beautiful ones, the most boring ones, the most promising ones, the newest ones, the least buggy ones, the ones making best and worst use of memory, the ones causing the most bugs or the ones preventing them the most, or something, shall we? :)
Oh yeah... like this idea. We should do that.
Btw I don't follow these trends. I literally chose hashtags that are described in a particular article. doesn't matter if its popular or not.
If you are working on personal projects , perhaps this could suffice:
1K lib
Here is a demo : OneKJS
Use Vue for large and complex apps, even better use Nuxt
Svelte.dev
None! Don't use React or Vue.
Use WebForms Core Technology.
github.com/elanatframework/Web_for...
This is not a new front-end framework.
WebForms Core is a high-level technology that handles HTML tags on the server side. This technology can also be used offline (without the need for multiple server visits).
Here is an example of this technology working offline mode:
Article:
WebForms Core Technology in GO
Svelte guys, svelte!
For angular 🤔
Biased article. Author just likes Vue.
Me too. Go vue!
What's not to like about Vue?
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