Two years ago, choosing a JavaScript framework felt like Russian roulette. Would it survive? Would it change completely? Would something better emerge next month? Starting 2016, those questions feel answerable. The landscape has stabilized enough to make informed choices.
This isn't declaring winners—it's acknowledging that viable options exist and the churn has slowed.
The Big Three Emerging
Three frameworks are establishing themselves:
React: Dominant for SPAs, backed by Facebook, mature ecosystem. Not just a framework—a philosophy about components and data flow.
Angular 2: Complete rewrite, TypeScript-based, shipping soon. Google's bet on opinionated full-featured frameworks.
Vue: The "progressive framework," simpler than React/Angular but capable. Growing fast in Asia and among developers wanting less complexity.
Each serves different needs. This is progress—not one tool for everything, but clear options with distinct trade-offs.
React's Matured Ecosystem
React isn't just a view library anymore—it's a complete ecosystem:
- React Router: Standard routing solution
- Redux: Standard state management (not official but de facto)
- React Native: Production-ready for mobile
- Create React App: (Coming this year) Zero-config setup
The "bring your own everything" approach initially felt like a weakness. Now it's flexibility. You choose routing, state, testing—React doesn't impose.
This maturity means React is safe for production. The ecosystem won't disappear. Patterns are established. Hiring React developers is possible.
Angular 2's Long Journey
Angular 2 spent 2014-2015 in development. Final release is coming (finally) this year. The changes are total:
- TypeScript instead of JavaScript
- Components instead of controllers
- Complete API redesign
- No migration path from Angular 1
This was controversial and costly. Angular 1 teams faced rewrite or framework switch. Many switched—to React.
But Angular 2 solves Angular 1's problems: performance, mobile support, TypeScript integration. For teams that value opinionated frameworks with complete solutions, Angular 2 is compelling.
The question is whether the two-year rewrite and breaking compatibility was worth it, or if React gained too much ground during the wait.
Vue's "Progressive" Approach
Vue came out of nowhere (Evan You's personal project in 2014) and is gaining serious traction. The pitch: simpler than React, less opinionated than Angular, but scales to complex apps.
new Vue({
el: '#app',
data: { message: 'Hello Vue!' },
template: '<div>{{ message }}</div>'
});This simplicity appeals to developers exhausted by React's boilerplate and Angular's complexity. Vue is the "I just want to build something" framework.
Vue's growth in Asia (especially China) is remarkable. It might not dominate globally but it's proven a framework can succeed outside the Facebook/Google duopoly.
What About Ember, Knockout, Backbone?
These frameworks aren't dead but aren't growing:
Ember: Stable, excellent for teams that adopted it, but market share isn't expanding. Does conventions really well but React's flexibility won more developers.
Backbone: Still powers legacy apps but new projects don't choose it. Minimal frameworks fell out of favor as SPAs got complex.
Knockout: Similar story to Backbone. MVVM pattern works but two-way binding's complexity became understood.
These frameworks still work. But "works" isn't "growing." The momentum is elsewhere.
Framework Fatigue Declining
2014-2015's framework churn exhausted developers. 2016 starts with less churn:
- React's API is stable
- Angular 2 is (finally) near release
- Vue's API is settled
- New frameworks aren't emerging monthly
This stability lets teams invest in learning frameworks without fear of immediate obsolescence. The half-life of framework knowledge increased.
When to Use What
The choices are clearer now:
React when:
- Building complex SPAs
- Want flexibility in architecture
- Have JavaScript expertise
- Value component reusability
Angular 2 when:
- Want comprehensive out-of-box solution
- Team comfortable with TypeScript
- Need strong opinionation
- Enterprise environment
Vue when:
- Want simpler learning curve
- Need progressive enhancement
- Smaller team/project
- React/Angular feel like overkill
Something else when:
- Already invested in Ember/etc and it works
- Framework features don't justify complexity
- Building traditional server-rendered sites
Looking Forward
2016 promises less framework churn and more ecosystem maturation:
- Angular 2 ships, proves itself or doesn't
- React continues evolving incrementally
- Vue gains traction or remains niche
- Tooling improves across all frameworks
The framework wars aren't over—React vs Angular debates will continue. But the existential uncertainty about whether frameworks will exist next year feels past.
This is JavaScript growing up: having established tools that last longer than one year cycles.
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