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Muhammad Hamid Raza
Muhammad Hamid Raza

Posted on • Edited on • Originally published at hamidrazadev.vercel.app

Vanilla Website vs Framework Website

#webdev #career #javascript #productivity

When we talk about building websites, two common terms often come up — Vanilla Website and Framework Website. But what do they really mean? Let’s understand both in very simple words with clear examples.

🧁 What is a Vanilla Website?

A Vanilla Website is made using pure coding languages — HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, without using any extra tools or frameworks.

👨‍💻 Example:

Let’s say you want to make a small website that shows your name and a picture.
You write:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <title>My Website</title>
    <style>
      h1 { color: blue; }
    </style>
  </head>
  <body>
    <h1>Hello, I'm Hamid!</h1>
    <img src="me.jpg" alt="My photo" />
  </body>
</html>
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That’s it — no libraries, no frameworks, just pure code. This is a vanilla approach.

✅ Advantages of Vanilla Websites

  • Lightweight: Loads very fast because there are no extra files.
  • Full Control: You decide how everything works.
  • Good for Small Projects: Perfect for personal portfolios or simple websites.

❌ Disadvantages

  • Takes More Time: You have to code everything yourself.
  • Hard to Maintain: As the website grows, managing code becomes difficult.
  • No Built-in Features: You need to build features like routing, components, and data handling from scratch.

⚙️ What is a Framework Website?

A Framework Website is built using pre-made tools or systems like React, Next.js, Angular, or Vue. These frameworks give you ready-to-use features that make development faster and easier.

👨‍💻 Example:

If you use React, your code might look like this:

function App() {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Hello, I'm Hamid!</h1>
      <img src="me.jpg" alt="My photo" />
    </div>
  );
}

export default App;
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React handles updating the page, organizing your code, and much more — automatically!

✅ Advantages of Framework Websites

  • Fast Development: Frameworks handle complex parts for you.
  • Reusable Components: You can create and reuse pieces of UI easily.
  • Better Maintenance: Large websites become easier to manage.
  • Community Support: Frameworks like React have millions of developers sharing solutions.

❌ Disadvantages

  • Heavier: Framework files increase website size.
  • Learning Curve: Beginners need to learn how the framework works.
  • Less Control: Some things depend on how the framework is built.

🔍 Vanilla vs Framework — Quick Comparison

Feature Vanilla Website Framework Website
Speed Super fast Slightly slower due to extra code
Ease of Development Manual and time-consuming Fast and structured
Control Full control Limited by framework rules
Learning Curve Easy to start Needs time to learn
Best For Small websites Large, dynamic web apps

🎯 When to Use Which?

  • 🧃 Use Vanilla Website if you’re learning web development, or building a simple static page (like a portfolio, resume site, or landing page).
  • 🚀 Use Framework Website if you’re building something big — like an eCommerce store, social media app, or dashboard.

💡 Real-Life Example

Think of it like cooking:

  • Vanilla Website: You make pizza from scratch — dough, sauce, and toppings. It takes time, but you control everything.
  • Framework Website: You use a pizza base and ready-made sauce — it’s faster, and you can still make it taste great.

Both are good! It depends on what you want and how fast you need it.

🏁 Conclusion

A Vanilla Website gives you total control and is great for learning and small projects.
A Framework Website saves time, keeps code organized, and is best for complex applications.

In short — start with vanilla, grow with frameworks. 🍀

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