Looking for a JavaScript framework for you next web application? There are plenty of options for JS developers. In recent few years the JavaScript frameworks have evolved and many different types of frameworks are available.
Just like any other language frameworks, JS frameworks are also good for specific needs. There is no one size fits all framework.
There are many good javascript books and tutorials available for learning to code in javascript, however use of framework is mostly done by self learning and experience. Picking the right framework for your application is an essential skill of experienced JavaScript developers.
With the massive growth in rich web applications containing JavaScript, a huge array of frameworks have been designed in order to help in building apps. There are so many of them that it is often difficult to choose the best one which suits your requirements. This article will discuss some of the most popular JavaScript Frameworks and point out their strengths. However, it is recommended that you should not take a decision based entirely on this article. It is encouraged to examine more frameworks prior to committing to a specific one, and hopefully that might help you choose the right JavaScript framework for you.
You may also want to read useful sites to test javascript code online.
Meteor.js
This is a JavaScript app platform that offers a full-stack framework to deliver mobile as well as web apps built entirely on JavaScript. It is a universal JavaScript framework that can integrate with AngularJS and ReactJS. It also offers user screen updates through Full-stack DB drivers and Livequery.
Backbone.js
It gives a structure to the web applications by providing models with aspects like custom and key-value binding events, collections containing rich API of enumerable functions, views including declarative event handling and also connects all to the existing API – over the RESTful JSON interface.
Ember.js
Do you want to write JavaScript web app but want to use less coding? You can do that using Handlebars integrated templates of Ember, which get automatically updated with the underlying data changes. The friendly APIs of Enber.js help you get the job done quicker.
Angular.js
It is a toolset used for building JavaScript frameworks that are most suited for the application development. Angular.js is fully extensible and also works well with other libraries. All the features of Angular.js can be replaced or modified to suit the feature needs and unique development workflow. This can be an alternative for HTML or CSS.
Knockout.js
This is a small and lightweight pure JavaScript that works with any type of web framework. This free open source program supports all mainstream web browsers like Chrome, Firefox 3.5+, IE6+, Safari and Opera. This JavaScript web framework comes with interactive tutorials, live examples and useful API documents.
Batman.js
Batman.js is the most familiar and best way to build rich web apps in CoffeeScript if you like Ruby on Rails. The Batman.js is built keeping the Rails development in mind that helps you save time and using less codes. The structured directory hierarchy and ease of scalability makes it a choice for the web app developers.
Agility.js
This is a JavaScript framework MVC that let you write reusable and maintainable browser codes without using infrastructural overhead or verbose that are found in other MVC libraries. It works with a single object type containing a stack with full model-view-controller. It helps the developer to write web apps as quickly using jQuery.
CanJS
This is a fast, flexible and powerful JavaScript library, which makes developing complex apps easy and simple. It works with varied interfaces like Dojo, jQuery, Mootools, Zepto and YUI. It contains responsive widgets and fast templates offering restful models and 2-way binding containing custom tags.
Maria
This is the MVC framework used for JavaScript apps and contains the Small Talk MVC, the Gang of Four MVC and the Real MVC. This framework is designed to be flexible so that the plugins in the framework can virtually modify any functionality of the framework.
ExtJS
If you want to build feature-rich cross-platform web application then there is nothing better than ExtJS that can help you. It is the most comprehensive JavaScript framework that leverages HTML5 features on the modern browsers and maintains the functionality as well as compatibility of the browser legacy.
Sammy.js
It is a tiny JavaScript framework that provides the basic structures required for developing JavaScript applications. This framework not only fetches full HTML but also render it asynchronously. It also fetches raw data in JASON and render it on the client side.
Stapes.js
The aim of designing Stapes.js is to be agonistic about your style of coding and setup. It offers the necessary building blocks to build an app when you fancy for using jQuery, Zepto, React and Rivets. It can do everything like class creation, data methods and custom events.
Epitome
It is a small modular and extensible open-source MVC framework that is built on MooTools Events and Classes. It can also be used as a classic MVC or MVP as it can help in creating pure controllers from the MooTools Classes.
PlastronJS
This is an MVC library and framework that uses Google Closure library along with Closure Compiler. Even though it is not just an MVC framework it is the start of an application framework. This is one of the Java web frameworks that can mimic the names of the frameworks like Spine and Backbone.
RAppid.js
This a MVC framework that has introduced a coding language named eXtendable Application Markup Language or XAML that defines the application and also MV-Bindings as well as event handling. It allows encapsulation of complexity into components that can be used beside HTML.
Serenade.js
It is a client side MVC framework for JavaScript web applications. It has zero dependency upon jQuery or any other frameworks you need to just drop the single JS file in the app and begin working. The template of Serenade.js gets automatically updated where there is change in data.
Kendo UI
This is basically a powerful toolset, which is light, fast and complete and contains more than 70 jQuery based UI widgets. It supports AngularJS integration and have features like offline data solution, mobile controls and Bootstrap support. It runs on JavaScript and HTML5.
Choco
This is JavaScript web framework that brings MVC to client side. This framework is just perfect if you want to build rich and maintainable internet applications. It consists of one HTML page and all the interactions are managed by JavaScript and the UI only uses CSS and HTML.
Eyeballs
It is a light weight JavaScript library that is designed with the aim that it can sit on top of the JavaScript framework like Prototype or jQuery. It can easily sit on the already run web app and is backed by HTML5 local storage or CouchDB.
Asana Luna
A Luna application specifies a data model and also a function from that model to the view of the user interface, which is annotated with the handler functions from user inputs to model mutations. This is a simpler way to write modern web applications and it writes in Web 1.0 or PHP style view code.
Qooxdoo
This is a universal JavaScript framework, which enables the user to write applications for a wide range of platforms. It has object-oriented programming model that enables you to write rich interactive applications or RIAs, light weight traditional web applications and also native-like apps for the mobile devices.
Cappuccino
This is a framework that enables easy creation of advanced web applications. It is an open source framework that lets you build applications of desktop-caliber and can run in a web browser. It has controls like AppKit and runs on powerful object-oriented language called Objective-J.
Sproutcore
This is an open source framework that helps in building very fast and innovative user experience on the web. It leverages the power of HTML5 and is built on clean MVC architecture. It gives the user a native experience on the web it contains built-in tools that make the app look good.
Jamal
It is a set of small and conventional JavaScript libraries that is used to achieve the complete separation of JavaScript, CSS and HTML in the web applications. It is inspired by MVC framework like CakePHP or Ruby on Rails and is built on jQuery.
TrimJunction
It can be called as the port or clone of the terrific Ruby on Rails web MVC framework within JavaScript. It is the best bet when you are thinking of creating a single page application and it uses tried-and-true web MVC paradigm and also let you leverage the new technologies like Google Gears.
CorMVC
It is a jQuery based MVC framework that is useful in creating a single page jQuery application. This framework is a continuously evolving framework and it offers deep application architecture. It can run a large sample application without a server or building framework.
Liquid Lava Framework
It is a framework that is used to build user interfaces that scale from a simple interactive element available on the page to a complex and feature-rich applications. It has transparent internal design with unique class system. The speed of the Lava classes can be compared to the hand-written analogues.
YUI
This is a lightweight Y-attribute based model that contains the APIs for setting, validating, getting and syncing the attribute values to a persisting layer of the server. The roll up of the Model and the Model List along with Router and View components make the writing of NVC-style JavaScript application easy.
JQuery UI
This is basically a curated set of user interface effects, interactions, themes and widgets that are built on the basis of jQuery JavaScript library. This is the perfect choice if you want to build a web application that is highly interactive or just want to add a date picker to the form control.
Dojo Toolkit
This JavaScript toolkit that enables you to scale up your development process and saves you time as well. It offers you UI interface as well as language utilities in one place. This is an all-in-one toolkit required for writing web app.
MooTools
This is a collection of JavaScript utilities that is designed for both intermediate as well as advanced JavaScript developer. It is an open source MIT license and it enables you to extend the functionality according to your requirements and write flexible and powerful codes.
MochiKit
It is a well-tested and highly documented suite of JavaScript libraries that help you get the coding done faster. The Python and Objective-C are used for writing the codes so that it can adapt in the peculiar environment of JavaScript.
Prototype.js
If you want to take out the complexity from the client-side web programming Prototype is the best bet. This framework is built to solve the real-world problems and helps in adding extensions to the scripting environment of the browser. It offers elegant APIs in the clumsy environment og Ajax along with Document Object Model.
The M Project
The M Project enables you to create cross-platform mobile web apps that are based upon Backbone.js. It is a mobile HTML5 JavaScript framework. The M.Model extends Backbone.Model for the use of storage and entity. The fully documented framework covers wide variety of devices.
LoungeJS
It minimizes the usage of writing and JavaScript. It uses the loungejs: namespace eq: ‘loungejs:array’ within the HTML documents. It also references some JavaScript functionality as well. You can use HTML doc as the script source to use the loungejs-mod.
Underscore.js
This JavaScript library provides a complete mess of useful functional programming helpers without extending built-in objects. The framework starts with the front of a blank HTML page. It is tied in such a way that it goes along with suspender of the Backbone.js and tux of jQuery.
DHTMLX
It is a cross-browser JavaScript library that is used for building rich mobile and web apps. It uses the DHTMLX Connector extension in order to manage the data communication between the DHTMLX components and other server-side data sources. You can use Visual Designer tool for creating web application interfaces.
Scriptaculous
It offers you cross-browser easy to use JavaScript libraries to make the websites and web applications fly. It contains Ajax controls, drag and drop, DOM utilities, animation framework and unit testing. It is basically an add-on to the awesome Prototype framework.
Uize
It is a free and open-source JavaScript framework that includes all codes and examples that are available under the MIT license. It includes various flavors of JavaScript modules like Class, Package, JASON/data, CSS template, HTML template and JavaScript library. This library makes it easy to create different classes.
EmbedJS
It is a JavaScript framework that used for embedded devices like TVs, mobile phones etc. The approach of the framework is different compared to that of other framework. The EmbedJS is basically has multiple platforms but one API. It first uses the HTML-element feature that offers handy create method.
Raphael.js
This is a JavaScript library that simplifies your work with the help of vector graphics on the web. It uses VML and SVG W3C Recommendations as a base for creating graphics. The current version of Raphael.js supports Internet Explorer 6.0+, Opera 9.5+, Chrome 5.0+, Safari 3.0+ and Firefox 3.0+.
Spine
Spine assists you in building some awesome MVC JavaScript apps. It is built on the Model View Controller pattern. It is a simple and lightweight framework that does not contain a high amount of complex widgets. The resource comes with high-end and complete documentation.
Tiraggo.js
This framework enables you to write high level intuitive codes in JavaScript like that you do in on the server itself instead of working with the crude and low level Ajax. It is available in the C# cross platform ORM architecture as well along with the full Xamarin Mono Touch Support.
Soma.js
It is the framework that offers tools that help you create loosely-coupled architecture that is broken down in smaller pieces. It does not dictate its own structure and it can be used as a framework of model-view-controller. It can also be used for creating sandboxed widgets or modules that are independent.
Article Updates
- Updated On Oct 2016: Updated broken links and fixed minor formatting issues.