In this post, we'll explore five of the top full-stack JavaScript frameworks of 2023 that every developer should consider for their next project - RedwoodJS, Wasp, T3 stack, MeteorJS, and the evergreen MERN Stack.
Depending on your requirements, picking the right one could mean the difference between seamless coding experience and a daunting development chore.
I know how it feels! Don’t worry, all your questions are going to be answered soon - buckle up and prepare for a deep dive into the world of full-stack JavaScript!
🌲 RedwoodJS - a solid choice for GraphQL lovers
RedwoodJS is a relatively new framework conceived by Tom Preston-Werner (co-founder of GitHub). This opinionated, full-stack, serverless web application framework brings several pieces together (React, Prisma, GraphQL) to offer a wholesome development experience.
Why it’s cool: If the underlying stack works for you, you can start building immediately without spending much time on configuration. Also, the docs are top-notch and there is a helpful CLI tool that comes along.
Check it out here: https://redwoodjs.com/
🐝 Wasp - the first AI-powered full-stack framework 🤖
Wasp is a cool new kid on the block. For example, they just released a GPT-powered app starter, which generates a full-stack app in React/Node.js/Wasp given just a short description. Wasp is in Beta, rapidly pushing towards their first 5,000 stars on GitHub. It glues React, Node.js and Prisma together in a seamless way that cuts down a lot of boilerplate.
Why it’s cool: Wasp provides a fresh approach to full-stack development via a simple config language that lets you describe common features (e.g. auth, cron jobs) at a high level, which then enables Wasp to take care of all the details for you, eliminating the need to manage boilerplate code.
Check it out here: https://wasp-lang.dev/
3️⃣ T3 - a fast app starter focused on type-safety
T3 is not a framework by a definition, but a collection of popular technologies aka stack. That means you might not get all the bells and whistles that frameworks pack, but on the other hand you get higher modularity. It is based on Next.js and also introduces tRPC, Prisma and Tailwind.
Why it’s cool: T3’s biggest asset is that packs together popular tools that work together well in a sensible way. It’s a no-nonsense stack that allows developers to start quickly with the preconfigured best practices, but also have the freedom to customise their stack as the project grows.
Check it out here: https://create.t3.gg/
🛰 MeteorJS - the classic among full-stack frameworks
Although it doesn’t get as much publicity these days as it used to, it’s definitely still a solution worth listing here. Meteor is actually the “OG” of the idea of a full-stack framework and during its peak was the most starred GitHub project ever (40k+ stars).
Why it's cool: MeteorJS continues to be a compelling choice because of its integrated JavaScript stack that extends from the database to the client's screen. All the layers of your app, from the database to templates, are reactive and update automatically which makes development simple and efficient.
Check it out here: https://www.meteor.com/
🏆 MERN - the timeless pick
While technically a stack of technologies rather than a singular framework, the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React, Node.js) has steadily risen to prominence thanks to the standardized end-to-end JS development experience it provides.
Why it’s cool: One thing that is sure with the MERN stack is that 99% of developers out there heard of it and there is also a good chance they worked on a codebase powered by it. When you google a specific issue, there will be a dozen of Stack Overflow entries about it. Although newer solutions have appeared in the recent years, MERN is still an evergreen choice and a the staple of web app development.
Check it out here: https://www.mongodb.com/languages/mern-stack-tutorial
What next? 🌯
And that’s a wrap! Hopefully this was a helpful overview that will make it easier for you to start your next project. And remember - the perfect framework isn't just about the newest tricks or the loudest buzz. It's about finding the "zone" where everything works just right for you.
Is there a stack or framework that you love and think should be mentioned here? Let me know in the comments and happy coding!
Disclaimer: I am one of the core maintainers at https://github.com/wasp-lang/wasp
Oldest comments (59)
I haven't read about Meteor in a while, surprised to read about it now. How is it with modern tooling (e.g. Typescript and Vite)?
Good question! I quickly scanned their changelog/roadmap and saw there were some tasks for improving their TS support, so I guess there is some support already there.
Nice list. I'm surprised I don't see SvelteKit on here though.
I think SvelteKit doesn't cover the database layer? What is its backend story?
You can use any DB with it, which is arguably better than a prescriptive choice.
Also, T3 is just a set of tools, so you could say SvelteKit + Supabase (or any similar provider) would be equivalent
Well, the benefit of a prescriptive choice is that there is a deeper integration within the stack/framework. Knowing your data models, full-stack frameworks such as Redwood/Wasp can do a lot for you, like generating CRUD operations, auto-invalidate cache etc.
Yea, I'm just saying T3 and MERN don't have any of that built in either so SvelteKit/Nuxt/Next would be comparable to them
Yeah, in this list I was focusing on fully full-stack (missing a better word) frameworks, meaning they cover everything from the database to front-end. SvelteKit is still mostly staying on the FE afaik. But would be cool to cover in the future, I will keep it in mind!
SvelteKit + something like Supabase would check that box. It supports creating APIs, etc. Def not just for the front end
thanks for the info. Have been considering diving into SvelteKit for some time now...
SvelteKit is comparable to Next/Nuxt if I got it right? Using BaaS-es is a totally legit choice but the focus of the article was on full-stack frameworks, so covering everything from db, BE and FE.
But BaaS-es would also be an interesting topic to cover, thanks for sharing!
Yes they're all "competitors" so to speak. Was just making the point that T3 and MERN are arbitrary stacks that people decided on, so doing SvelteKit+Supabase (or say Nuxt+Firebase) would be analogous to them
Give it a shot. Hit me up on Twitter(X) or Threads @danawoodman with questions
as well as SolidStart or Qwik City or Remix 😁
Yeah none od these take care of a database and mostly focus on FE so I haven't considered them here.
What do you mean by this? ORM included? SQLite out of the box?
Great summary! I'm was just looking for boilerplate generators for react apps. Looks like wasp does that.
Actually Wasp is trying to be more than a boilerplate generator and is instead trying to get rid of boilerplate! So unlike the scaffolders and similar that generate quite a lot of boilerplate, Wasp is a framework that abstracts all that away.
For a quick start checkout our GPT-powered app generator: magic-app-generator.wasp-lang.dev/
Lovely take on js
Glad you like it! What's your weapon of choice?
Yet to discover the best
Great list!
Thank you!
Thanks Nevo, glad you found it useful :)
Great list!
I've built several production—ready apps with Wasp already. One of them has been acquired.
Definitely can recommend if you need fast idea validation and prototyping
That's amazing to hear! 🔥🔥🔥
There is no full stack framework.
Nice, but how about tRPC? I think it's amazing 😁
Yep, T3 makes use of tRPC, and Wasp also has their own version of it :).
Wow, I did not know about that. Let me try for the next project, thank you! <3
Nice list. MERN still rocks
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