JavaScript Libraries and Frameworks: Which Should You Use?
Choose the smallest tool that solves the problem your website actually has. A website that needs an accessible FAQ or a menu may need only native HTML or a small script. A complex interface with shared state, reusable components and multiple screens can justify a library or framework.
Compare by what you are building
React provides components for building interfaces, and Vue can be adopted progressively for anything from a small interactive area to a larger application. Angular is a full framework with its own application conventions. AngularJS refers to the older framework and its official support has ended. Treat existing AngularJS work as maintenance and migration planning.
Use specialist tools for specialist tasks
jQuery may be relevant when maintaining an existing theme or plugin that depends on it. D3 is designed for data visualisation and gives you detailed control over how data maps to a chart. If you only need a simple chart or a single interaction, compare the effort with a smaller purpose-built component before taking on a larger dependency.
Prototype the hardest interaction first
Build one realistic interaction with representative data. Test keyboard access, loading and error states and how it behaves on a slow connection. For pages intended for search, check that meaningful content and links are available when rendered. Record who will maintain dependencies and how updates will be tested.
