In 2025, the JavaScript ecosystem continues to evolve rapidly, but three contenders consistently stand out in front-end development: React, Vue, and SolidJS. While each of these frameworks has a strong community and robust tooling, they take very different approaches under the hood.
In this showdown, we'll compare them across five core areas:
- Performance
- Developer Experience
- Reactivity Model
- Ecosystem & Tooling
- Use Cases
π 1. Performance (Hydration, Rendering & Reconciliation)
Framework | Hydration Speed | Runtime Overhead | Benchmark Score (JS Framework Benchmark) |
---|---|---|---|
React 19 (w/ Compiler) | Improved, still VDOM based | Medium | 52K ops/sec |
Vue 4 (Reactivity Transform) | Fast, but VDOM | Low-Medium | 61K ops/sec |
SolidJS 1.7+ | Near-native | Ultra-low | 118K ops/sec |
β Winner: SolidJS
SolidJSβs fine-grained reactivity and compiled output make it blazing fast. It avoids the virtual DOM altogether, which pays off in hydration and CPU-bound rendering.
π οΈ 2. Developer Experience
- React now supports React Compiler, simplifying useMemo/ useCallback boilerplate.
- Vue offers the Composition API, still regarded as highly intuitive for newcomers.
- SolidJS borrows heavily from Reactβs DX but removes complexity around hooks.
// SolidJS - No hooks, just reactive primitives
const count = createSignal(0);
const double = () => count() * 2;
β Tie β React wins for large team support and devtools, Vue wins for simplicity, Solid wins for logic clarity.
βοΈ 3. Reactivity Model
Feature | React | Vue | SolidJS |
---|---|---|---|
Virtual DOM | Yes | Yes | β |
Signals | Coming Soon | Supported | β |
Reactive Primitives | useState, useMemo | ref, reactive | createSignal, createEffect |
React and Vue are adding Signal-based models, but SolidJS is already there. Its reactivity works like an automatic spreadsheet, where updates flow without overhead.
β Winner: SolidJS
π¦ 4. Ecosystem & Tooling
- React dominates in libraries, job market, SSR tools (Next.js), and UI components.
- Vue has Nuxt 4, Pinia, Vite integration, and growing TypeScript support.
- SolidJS is catching up with SolidStart, but enterprise adoption is still limited.
β Winner: React
π§βπ» 5. Ideal Use Cases
Use Case | React | Vue | SolidJS |
---|---|---|---|
Enterprise-Scale Apps | β | β | β οΈ (emerging) |
Lightweight Widgets | β οΈ | β | β |
Edge Rendering (SSR) | β (Next.js) | β (Nuxt) | β (SolidStart) |
Real-Time Dashboards | β οΈ | β | β |
Developer Onboarding | β οΈ | β | β οΈ |
β
Vue remains the sweet spot for rapid onboarding and productivity.
β
React rules at scale and cross-platform ecosystems.
β
SolidJS wins when performance matters most.
π Conclusion: Which Should You Use in 2025?
- π§© Choose React if you're working in a large team, need mature libraries, or plan to use Next.js.
- β‘ Choose SolidJS for building highly-performant, reactive apps with minimal overhead.
- π¨ Choose Vue if you want a smooth developer experience, fast prototyping, and clear syntax.
All three are solid choicesβpun intendedβbut the right tool depends on your context.
π¬ Whatβs your go-to JavaScript framework in 2025?
Let's chat in the comments π
Top comments (1)
I use Vue itβs my go to framework i actually enjoy the framework