Top frontend frameworks of 2023 for web development

Take it from the frontend agency that has a front row in all things web development - the industry is constantly evolving and changing. Together with the best companies in the field, our frontend web development service also keeps upgrading with new technologies and practices.

Each year, we’ve observed new entries taking the spot in the top frontend frameworks alongside some old ones but proven and tested with complex and exciting web development projects.

The list of top frontend frameworks of 2023 for web developers is full of familiar faces and some newer additions, so if you have been wondering what to use for your next project, wonder no more!

Discover more about web development in our blog, for example, our recent web developer vs. app developer comparison piece.

List of best front end frameworks

We've compiled this list with all the best and most popular frameworks from our development team, so you can choose wisely what you want to use for your next frontend development project.

The React framework/library

Facebook’s open-source creation, React, is one of, if not the most widely used UI framework and library and one of the simplest ones to learn as well. Its creators’ primary intention was to get rid of code maintainability issues that occurred because they kept adding more and more features to their app.

The most essential React features include the following:

• Virtual Document Object Model (DOM) for more predictable code, more customization options, and apps that can be updated without a refresh;
• Reusable components;
• A tool-rich library;
• Regular updates.

Frameworks within React

Besides being a proper framework itself, React also has UI component frameworks within it - tools that help developers who use React in their frontend projects to speed up the process by adding even more pre-built components.

Take a look at the following frameworks within React: GRUI by Sencha (for UI data grids and its features), Bootstrap (to replace JavaScript Bootstrap components), Grommet (to add mobile responsiveness), Inferno (great for rendering UI in the DOM), and Evergreen (for building enterprise-level applications).

Angular

Angular is a rich client-side application framework developed by Google that simplifies both the development and testing of complex web applications, making it possible for developers to build their own libraries.

Being one of the most popular JavaScript frameworks in use today, Angular’s popularity can be attributed to its ease of use as well as its powerful features that make it easy to create complex dynamic web apps.

Some of its standout features, like two-way data binding, modularity, and dependency injection, help developers easily maintain their code and speed up the process because they don't have to write everything from scratch whenever they want to add functionality or change something on the page.

Vue.js

Vue.js is an open-source progressive JavaScript framework for building user interfaces on the web, focusing on simplicity and ease of use. It's used by companies like Alibaba, Baidu, Google, Nike, and more.

This progressive, incrementally-adoptable framework for building modern web interfaces is easy to learn and get started with, but it also can scale up as your project grows in size and complexity. It provides simple templates that make it easy to render dynamic data from your models onto the page, along with built-in transitions and animations when changing components on the page.

Vue has been gaining traction recently, especially among startups, because it is lightweight and easy to learn, making it an ideal choice for smaller projects where only one developer is working on the project.

Svelte

As it happens, one of the more recent frameworks on our list, Svelte, is not a framework. It’s not a library either, like some of the other tools mentioned here. Svelte is actually a JavaScript compiler created for high-performance UI development.

Svelte has been used to design websites and platforms like Rakuten, 1Password, and New York Times and is considered one of the fastest and more reactive client-side frameworks currently on the frontend market.

It’s also super lightweight, scalable, simple-to-use. However, it is also not quite as popular and, as a result, lacks support from the community and offers fewer ready-made tools than others on this list.

Ember.js

Another framework that supports two-way data binding, Ember is an open-source well-managed component-based tool to help developers build modern UI for various digital solutions and applications.

The slight downside of using the Ember framework for your project is its steep learning curve. It’s not for web development novices, true, as a result of its structure lacking proper flexibility, but once you get a hold of it, this tool can also help you with server-side rendering.

The pros of using Ember consist of its great testing and debugging tools, URL-focused approach, helpful community, JavaScript and TypeScript support, and consistent documentation.

jQuery

One of the oldies but goodies on our top frameworks for frontend list is jQuery - a fast, cross-platform, beginner-friendly, feature-rich JavaScript-based library for client-side development, including HTML scripting.

Use this tool if you want an API that is supported by numerous browsers, with high versatility and features like document manipulation, event handling, animation, Ajax, streamlined HTTP requests, etc.

Some other benefits include DOM and CSS manipulation and responsiveness, while the apparent downside is its somewhat insufficient speed and many better alternatives.

Preact

Preact frontend framework is a JavaScript library offering not only the standard DOM rendering but the tiniest possible DOM abstraction as well, created to be used without transpiling, i.e., directly in the browser with easy interactions with other libraries/frameworks.

This super lightweight JavaScript-based frontend tool is rapid and responsive, effortless-to-learn, with an easy-to-execute codebase, lovely designed command line, and is an excellent choice for those wanting to create small apps without too complex integrations.

However, mind that it is not compatible with the React prototype, nor is it offering any context support or the support for a synthetic event use available in React.

Foundation

This following framework will bring the most benefits for experienced frontend developers and is great, especially for creating responsive and good-looking enterprise-grade applications due to its advanced features and GPU acceleration option for mobile rendering.

Other pros of using this platform involve flexible grids, effortless animations and page-to-page transitions, HTML5 library authentication, personalized user experience, and data-interchange features.

The cons are its learning curve, less support from the communities than other similar tools due to less popularity, and fewer communities overall.

Backbone.js

And last but not least, another high-demand JavaScript library called Backbone has been used to develop popular platforms like Reddit, Trello, Pinterest, and Uber.

Backbone’s primary purpose is to provide structure to web apps by offering models with key-value binding and customized events. It, in turn, uses two other JS libraries, such as jQuery and Underscore, and is handy for creating single-page web apps.

Even though this framework doesn’t support two-way data binding and has peculiar architecture, it is still well-regarded by the frontend developers for its array of extensions, no learning curve, and lightweight nature.

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What are frontend frameworks?

Frontend frameworks are a set of tools that help developers create web and mobile applications. They provide the necessary libraries to develop the frontend code and various other features, such as responsive design and routing.

There are many types of frameworks on both web and mobile platforms. All have their own pros and cons, but they all share one thing in common: they allow for rapid development with minimal effort.

Each framework has its unique set of features and functionality, making it challenging to choose the right one for your project. It's essential to consider factors such as the size of your team, the complexity of your application, company preference, and budget before deciding which framework is best for you.

Benefits of using a front-end framework

Why should you use these frameworks? Well, each framework has its own benefits and drawbacks. For example, React is a very lightweight library that can be used with other libraries like Redux. On the other hand, Vue is also an easy-to-learn framework, but it has fewer features than React.

Let’s go through the common benefits of using a front-end framework for your project. First and foremost, the goal of the frontend framework is to make it easier for web developers to build custom UIs that match their specific needs.

In addition, frontend frameworks streamline the process by providing developers with pre-defined UI elements, such as buttons, menus, forms, etc., and a pre-defined style sheet. Other benefits encompass:

• Speedier development if you’re in a hurry to meet deadlines;
• Consistency throughout the project;
• Steady foundation for responsive design;
• Reliable code;
• Cross-browser compatibility;
• Thorough documentation;
• Most have loads of free templates and themes.

Verdict - which is the best frontend framework in 2023?

Which framework you should use depends on your needs. React will be the best choice for you if you work in media. In fact, several new frameworks are built off of React, like Bootstrap or Inferno.

Angular might suit your needs if you're working with enterprise apps. It has been used by Netflix and Google Maps, among others, because it's easy to scale up when required without changing code.

So, what about Vue? Well, it's similar to Angular but also different enough to do things that Angular can't, such as having two-way data binding between the view and the model.

Here’s a direct quote from one of our developers: “Most often, we use React.js and Vue.js. React, though, is still No. 1 because of its current popularity among stakeholders and other developers. Plus, I personally find it much more convenient than Vue. In addition, React has a huge amount of libraries with ready-to-use solutions.”

Overall, one of the most effective ways to determine which is ultimately best for you is to test them all and see what works for your particular project!