React vs Vue vs Angular: Which JavaScript Framework Should You Use in 2025?

Choosing the right JavaScript framework is one of the most important decisions for modern web development. Three frameworks dominate the landscape: React, Vue, and Angular. Each has distinct philosophies, strengths, and use cases.

React is a library for building user interfaces, Vue is a progressive framework that's easy to learn, and Angular is a full-featured framework for enterprise applications. This comparison will help you understand which one fits your project and team.

What is React?

React is a JavaScript library (not a full framework) created by Facebook for building user interfaces. It focuses on the view layer and uses a component-based architecture. React is the most popular frontend library, used by companies like Facebook, Netflix, Airbnb, and Instagram.

What is Vue?

Vue.js is a progressive JavaScript framework created by Evan You. It's designed to be incrementally adoptable—you can use as much or as little as you need. Vue is known for being approachable, versatile, and performant.

What is Angular?

Angular is a full-featured TypeScript-based framework developed by Google. It's a complete solution with everything built-in: routing, HTTP client, forms, testing, and more. Angular is designed for large-scale enterprise applications.

Detailed Comparison

Learning Curve

React

React has a moderate learning curve:

• Need to learn JSX syntax
• Understand component lifecycle and hooks
• Learn state management (if needed)
• Choose and learn additional libraries
• More concepts to grasp (props, state, hooks)

Time to productivity: 2-4 weeks for basics, 2-3 months for proficiency

Vue

Vue has the gentlest learning curve:

• Template syntax is familiar (HTML-like)
• Easy to understand concepts
• Excellent documentation
• Can start simple and add complexity
• Less mental overhead

Time to productivity: 1-2 weeks for basics, 1-2 months for proficiency

Angular

Angular has the steepest learning curve:

• Need to learn TypeScript
• Many concepts (modules, components, services, dependency injection)
• Strict structure and conventions
• More boilerplate code
• Complex setup and configuration

Time to productivity: 4-6 weeks for basics, 3-6 months for proficiency

Performance Comparison

React

React performance:

• Virtual DOM for efficient updates
• Small bundle size
• Excellent performance optimization tools
• Can be very fast with proper optimization
• React 18+ includes concurrent features

Vue

Vue performance:

• Virtual DOM (similar to React)
• Smallest bundle size of the three
• Excellent runtime performance
• Optimized rendering
• Very fast out of the box

Angular

Angular performance:

• Larger bundle size
• Good performance with optimization
• Change detection can be optimized
• Ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation
• Can be fast but requires more optimization

Ecosystem and Community

React

React has the largest ecosystem:

• Most npm packages and libraries
• Largest community
• Most tutorials and resources
• Most job opportunities
• Extensive third-party support

Vue

Vue has a growing ecosystem:

• Good selection of libraries
• Growing community
• Excellent official documentation
• Growing job market
• Active development

Angular

Angular has a strong ecosystem:

• Large collection of libraries
• Strong enterprise community
• Comprehensive official resources
• Strong job market (enterprise)
• Google backing and support

Use Cases

When to Use React

When to Use Vue

When to Use Angular

Job Market and Career

React

React dominates the job market:

• Most job postings mention React
• Highest average salaries
• Most opportunities across company sizes
• Best for freelancers and contractors
• Most in-demand skill

Vue

Vue job market is growing:

• Growing number of job postings
• Competitive salaries
• More opportunities in startups and mid-size companies
• Less competition (easier to stand out)

Angular

Angular has strong enterprise demand:

• Strong in enterprise and large companies
• High salaries for senior Angular developers
• More opportunities in corporate environments
• Often requires TypeScript knowledge

Migration and Longevity

React

React is very stable and widely adopted:

• Backed by Meta (Facebook)
• Continuous development and updates
• Large community ensures longevity
• Easy to migrate from other frameworks
• Strong backward compatibility

Vue

Vue is stable and growing:

• Active development and community
• Version 3 is mature and stable
• Growing adoption in companies
• Good migration path from Vue 2 to 3

Angular

Angular has strong enterprise backing:

• Backed by Google
• Long-term support (LTS) versions
• Stable for enterprise use
• Regular major updates (every 6 months)
• Migration tools available

Code Examples

Simple Component Comparison

React (with Hooks):

function Counter() {
  const [count, setCount] = useState(0);
  return (
    <div>
      <p>Count: {count}</p>
      <button onClick={() => setCount(count + 1)}>
        Increment
      </button>
    </div>
  );
}

Vue:

<template>
  <div>
    <p>Count: {{ count }}</p>
    <button @click="count++">Increment</button>
  </div>
</template>

<script>
export default {
  data() {
    return { count: 0 }
  }
}
</script>

Angular:

@Component({
  selector: 'app-counter',
  template: `
    <div>
      <p>Count: {{ count }}</p>
      <button (click)="increment()">Increment</button>
    </div>
  `
})
export class CounterComponent {
  count = 0;
  increment() { this.count++; }
}

Conclusion

All three frameworks are excellent choices, but they serve different needs:

• React is best for maximum flexibility, largest ecosystem, and most job opportunities. It's the most popular choice for a reason.
• Vue is best for ease of learning, progressive adoption, and a balance of features and simplicity. Perfect for developers new to frameworks.
• Angular is best for large enterprise applications, TypeScript enthusiasts, and teams that want everything built-in with strong conventions.

The right choice depends on your project requirements, team size, technical expertise, and long-term goals. Consider starting with the framework that matches your current skill level and project needs, but also think about where you want to be in your career.