Mupenzi

Dec 22, 2021

Best libraries in 2021 for Javascript

Updated June 2018.

Of all the languages you can use to create web applications, JavaScript has perhaps the most robust selection of truly useful libraries and frameworks. In fact, there are so many that it can be hard to figure out which ones to use, especially when you’re just getting started.

The key difference between JavaScript libraries and frameworks is that libraries consist of functions that an application can call to perform a task, while a framework defines how a developer designs an application. In other words, the framework calls on the application code, rather than the other way around. Of course, developers still need libraries to accomplish basic tasks on the web using JavaScript. And it's still important that you even if you are using a framework.

The nature of these tools has changed in the last few years. Back in 2015, for example, was the top JavaScript library. Today, according to , traditional JavaScript libraries remain important but face increased competition from JavaScript frameworks such as , , , and .

When considering any JavaScript library or framework, you may want to ask a few key questions: