I’ve been using React for about a year and recently started a side project with Vue.js. People keep asking me which one is better, so here’s my honest take.

The TLDR

  • React if you’re building a large app with a big team
  • Vue if you want to get productive quickly or have a smaller team
  • Both are great, pick based on your needs, not hype

Learning Curve

Vue wins here, hands down.

I got productive with Vue in a weekend. The documentation is excellent, and the API is intuitive. You can start with a simple script tag and gradually adopt more features.

<div id="app">
  {{ message }}
</div>

<script>
new Vue({
  el: '#app',
  data: {
    message: 'Hello Vue!'
  }
})
</script>

That’s it. No build tools, no JSX, no webpack config. Just works.

React has a steeper learning curve. You need to understand:

  • JSX
  • Component lifecycle
  • Props vs state
  • One-way data flow
  • Build tools (webpack, Babel)

It took me a solid month to feel comfortable with React.

Templates vs JSX

This is where opinions diverge.

Vue uses templates:

<template>
  <div>
    <h1>{{ title }}</h1>
    <ul>
      <li v-for="item in items">{{ item }}</li>
    </ul>
  </div>
</template>

React uses JSX:

render() {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>{this.props.title}</h1>
      <ul>
        {this.props.items.map(item => <li>{item}</li>)}
      </ul>
    </div>
  );
}

I prefer JSX now, but templates are more approachable for designers and junior developers. Vue also supports JSX if you want it.

State Management

React: You’ll probably need Redux. React itself doesn’t have opinions about state management.

Vue: Has Vuex, which is inspired by Redux but simpler. For small apps, Vue’s built-in reactivity is often enough.

I find Vuex easier to understand than Redux. Less boilerplate, clearer mental model.

Ecosystem

React wins on ecosystem size. More libraries, more components, more Stack Overflow answers.

But Vue’s ecosystem is growing fast. vue-router is excellent, and there are plenty of component libraries (Element, Vuetify, etc.).

Performance

Both are fast. React has a virtual DOM, Vue 2.0 also has a virtual DOM. In practice, performance is rarely the bottleneck.

I’ve built apps with both and never had performance issues that were framework-related.

Community

React has a bigger community, backed by Facebook. More jobs, more resources, more everything.

Vue’s community is smaller but very active and friendly. Evan You (Vue’s creator) is super responsive on GitHub and Twitter.

Real-World Experience

I used React for a dashboard with 50+ components. It worked great, but:

  • Lots of boilerplate
  • Redux added complexity
  • Junior devs struggled with concepts

I used Vue for a smaller project (20 components). It was:

  • Faster to develop
  • Less code
  • Easier for the team to pick up

When to Use React

  • Large, complex applications
  • You need a huge ecosystem
  • Your team already knows React
  • You’re building a mobile app (React Native)

When to Use Vue

  • Smaller to medium projects
  • You want to get productive quickly
  • Your team includes designers or junior devs
  • You’re migrating from jQuery (Vue plays nice with existing code)

The Honest Truth

Both are excellent frameworks. The “which is better” debate is mostly noise.

I’m using React at work because that’s what the team knows. I’m using Vue for side projects because it’s faster for me to build alone.

Pick based on your team, your project, and your preferences. Don’t pick based on what’s trendy on Hacker News.

What About Angular?

Angular 2 just came out, and it’s a complete rewrite. I haven’t tried it yet, but the migration path from Angular 1 looks painful. I’d probably choose React or Vue over Angular 2 for a new project right now.

My Recommendation

If you’re learning your first modern framework in 2016:

  1. Start with Vue - easier learning curve
  2. Once you understand reactive programming and components, try React
  3. Then you can make an informed choice

Both will make you a better developer. The concepts transfer between frameworks.

What are you using? Any strong opinions? I’d love to hear them.