Hayden

When starting a new web development project or learning frontend development, one of the first questions that comes up is: “Which framework should I use?” React, Angular, Vue.js… these names alone can feel overwhelming. Today, we’re diving deep into Vue.js, a framework known for being both easy to learn and high-performing.

As of 2025, over 8 million websites have been built with Vue.js, with more than 3.3 million live sites currently running. Global companies like Alibaba, Netflix, Adobe, and GitLab have all chosen Vue.js. So what makes so many developers and companies pay attention to Vue.js?

 

Vue.js-Progressive-JavaScript-Framework

 

 

1. What Exactly Is Vue.js?

Vue.js (pronounced /vjuː/) is a JavaScript framework for building user interfaces. Simply put, it’s a tool that helps you build website interfaces more easily and efficiently.

The biggest characteristic of Vue.js is that it’s a “Progressive Framework.” This means you don’t need to use all its features from the start—you can adopt them gradually, piece by piece. Think of it like LEGO blocks: you can assemble only the parts you need.

The Origin Story

Vue.js was created by Evan You, a former Google employee, in 2014. While working with AngularJS at Google, he thought, “What if I could extract just the parts I really like and make something lightweight?” That’s how Vue.js was born.

The first source code was released in July 2013. Vue 3 launched in September 2020, and in February 2022, Vue 3 became the official default version. In 2024, Vue 3.5 was released with significant performance improvements, and the framework continues to evolve.

Official website: https://vuejs.org/

 

 

2. Why Do Developers Love Vue.js?

Easy to Learn

Vue.js has a gentle learning curve, making it accessible even for developers new to JavaScript frameworks. If you know the basics of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, you can get started quickly.

Compared to other frameworks, Vue is consistently rated as the easiest to learn, thanks to its intuitive syntax and simple configuration.

Excellent Performance

Vue 3.5 features a significantly improved reactivity system that reduces memory usage by 56%. Additionally, large array processing is up to 10 times faster.

Vue uses a Virtual DOM to update only the necessary parts, providing fast rendering performance. In performance comparisons, Vue ranks among the fastest frameworks alongside React.

Small and Lightweight

Vue is the smallest and lightest among React and Angular, resulting in faster initial load times. A smaller bundle size means faster performance on mobile devices too.

Outstanding Documentation

Vue’s documentation is comprehensive and accessible, making it beginner-friendly. The official docs are available in multiple languages, creating an excellent learning environment.

Official guide: https://vuejs.org/guide/introduction

 

 

3. Core Features of Vue.js

Reactive Data Binding

One of Vue.js’s most powerful features. When data changes, the UI automatically updates.

Here’s an example:

<div id="app">{{ message }}</div>

<script>
import { createApp, ref } from 'vue'

createApp({
  setup() {
    const message = ref('Hello, Vue!')
    return { message }
  }
}).mount('#app')
</script>

When you change the message value, the text displayed on screen updates automatically.

Component-Based Architecture

Vue allows you to build large applications by combining small, reusable components. Like assembling LEGO blocks.

<!-- Button Component -->
<template>
  <button @click="handleClick">{{ text }}</button>
</template>

<script setup>
const props = defineProps(['text'])
const emit = defineEmits(['click'])

const handleClick = () => {
  emit('click')
}
</script>

Single File Components (SFC)

Vue’s Single File Components let you write HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in one .vue file.

<template>
  <div class="greeting">
    <h1>{{ title }}</h1>
    <p>{{ description }}</p>
  </div>
</template>

<script setup>
import { ref } from 'vue'

const title = ref('Getting Started with Vue.js')
const description = ref('Easy and fast web development')
</script>

<style scoped>
.greeting {
  padding: 20px;
  background-color: #f0f0f0;
}
</style>

Composition API vs Options API

Vue 3 offers two API styles:

Options API – Familiar approach for beginners

export default {
  data() {
    return {
      count: 0
    }
  },
  methods: {
    increment() {
      this.count++
    }
  }
}

Composition API – More flexible and reusable

import { ref } from 'vue'

export default {
  setup() {
    const count = ref(0)
    const increment = () => count.value++
    
    return { count, increment }
  }
}

Starting with Vue 3.5, the Reactive Props Destructure feature has been stabilized, enabling more concise code.

 

 

4. How Does Vue.js Compare to Other Frameworks?

Vue.js vs React

React currently holds the highest market share, but Vue is easier to learn and has a more complete set of official libraries.

Feature Vue.js React
Learning Curve Easy Moderate
Bundle Size Smaller (lighter) Medium
Development Style Template-based (HTML-like) JSX (JavaScript + HTML)
State Management Pinia (official) Redux, Zustand (third-party)
Routing Vue Router (official) React Router (third-party)
Corporate Backing Open source community Meta (Facebook)

Over 700,000 websites are built with React, while over 8 million are built with Vue.

Vue.js vs Angular

Angular is a complete framework suited for large enterprise applications, while Vue is more flexible and can be adopted progressively.

Feature Vue.js Angular
Learning Curve Easy Difficult
Bundle Size Small Large (143KB)
Language JavaScript/TypeScript (optional) TypeScript (required)
Structure Flexible Strict MVC
Best For Small to large projects Large enterprise apps

In terms of performance, Vue and React use Virtual DOM, providing faster updates than Angular’s Real DOM.

Job Market in 2025

As of 2025 in the US, there are 52,103 React job postings, 23,070 Angular postings, and 2,031 Vue postings. While React remains dominant, Vue is steadily growing with over 17% of developers using it regularly.

 

What is ‘React’? The Most Popular Component-Based JavaScript Library

What is Angular? Google’s JavaScript Frontend Framework

 

 

5. Which Major Companies Use Vue.js?

Global Companies’ Choice

As of May 2025, over 3.5 million websites use Vue.js, and world-class companies have adopted it.

1. Alibaba China’s largest e-commerce platform chose Vue.js for its modular structure that enables component reuse. They use Vue.js across various services including Taobao and TMall.

2. Netflix While not for their main streaming interface, Netflix uses Vue.js for cloud data storage utilities and internal tools.

3. Adobe Adobe uses Vue.js in products like Adobe Portfolio, leveraging Vue’s modular structure for drag-and-drop interfaces.

4. GitLab GitLab actively uses Vue.js, even presenting “How We Do Vue at GitLab” at VueConf 2018. They implemented dynamic parts of their developer collaboration platform with Vue.js.

5. Nintendo Nintendo uses Vue.js on their website to enhance user experience.

6. Grammarly With over 30 million daily users, Grammarly built their online text editor with Vue.js.

7. Zoom Zoom uses Vue.js on their website and web-based client to provide a fast, responsive UI.

Other companies using Vue.js: BMW, Upwork, Apple (SwiftUI tutorial site), 9GAG, Behance, and more.

 

 

6. Getting Started with Vue.js – Practical Guide

Setting Up Your Development Environment

To start with Vue.js, you need Node.js installed first.

Installing Node.js

  1. Download the LTS version from Node.js official website
  2. Verify installation in terminal:
node --version
npm --version

Creating a Project with create-vue

The Vue team recommends using create-vue.

npm create vue@latest

Running this command presents several options:

✔ Project name: … my-vue-app
✔ Add TypeScript? … No / Yes
✔ Add JSX Support? … No / Yes
✔ Add Vue Router for Single Page Application development? … No / Yes
✔ Add Pinia for state management? … No / Yes
✔ Add Vitest for Unit Testing? … No / Yes
✔ Add an End-to-End Testing Solution? … No / Cypress / Playwright
✔ Add ESLint for code quality? … No / Yes

For beginners, I recommend starting with “No” for everything except ESLint, and skipping TypeScript initially.

Running Your Project

cd my-vue-app
npm install
npm run dev

Open http://localhost:5173/ in your browser to see your Vue app running.

Creating a Simple Example

Try modifying the src/App.vue file:

<template>
  <div class="app">
    <h1>{{ greeting }}</h1>
    <input v-model="name" placeholder="Enter your name">
    <p>{{ message }}</p>
    <button @click="count++">Click count: {{ count }}</button>
  </div>
</template>

<script setup>
import { ref, computed } from 'vue'

const greeting = ref('Welcome to Vue.js!')
const name = ref('')
const count = ref(0)

const message = computed(() => {
  return name.value ? `Hello, ${name.value}!` : 'Please enter your name'
})
</script>

<style scoped>
.app {
  max-width: 600px;
  margin: 50px auto;
  padding: 20px;
  text-align: center;
}

input {
  padding: 10px;
  font-size: 16px;
  margin: 20px 0;
  width: 300px;
}

button {
  padding: 10px 20px;
  font-size: 16px;
  background-color: #42b883;
  color: white;
  border: none;
  border-radius: 4px;
  cursor: pointer;
}

button:hover {
  background-color: #35a372;
}
</style>

This example demonstrates:

  • v-model: Two-way data binding
  • @click: Event handling
  • computed: Computed properties
  • ref: Reactive data

 

 

7. Vue.js Ecosystem and Essential Tools

Vue Router – Routing

Vue Router is the official routing library for Vue.js. It manages page navigation in single-page applications (SPAs).

import { createRouter, createWebHistory } from 'vue-router'
import Home from './views/Home.vue'
import About from './views/About.vue'

const router = createRouter({
  history: createWebHistory(),
  routes: [
    { path: '/', component: Home },
    { path: '/about', component: About }
  ]
})

Official documentation: https://router.vuejs.org/

Pinia – State Management

Since 2022, Pinia has been the officially recommended state management library. A 2025 survey shows that over 80% of developers use Pinia.

import { defineStore } from 'pinia'

export const useCounterStore = defineStore('counter', {
  state: () => ({
    count: 0
  }),
  actions: {
    increment() {
      this.count++
    }
  }
})

Official documentation: https://pinia.vuejs.org/

Vite – Build Tool

Vite is an ultra-fast build tool created by Vue’s creator, Evan You. Vite v6 is expected to launch in January 2025.

Official documentation: https://vitejs.dev/

Nuxt – Full-Stack Framework

Nuxt is a full-stack framework based on Vue.js that makes server-side rendering (SSR) and static site generation easy.

<!-- Nuxt's automatic routing -->
pages/
  index.vue      → /
  about.vue      → /about
  blog/
    [id].vue     → /blog/:id

Official documentation: https://nuxt.com/

 

 

8. Vue.js Learning Resources

Official Resources

Official Documentation

Vue Mastery Vue Mastery offers official Vue.js certification programs.

Vue School Vue School provides official certification programs for Vue.js.

Developer Tools

Vue DevTools Vue DevTools v6 supports both Vue 2 and Vue 3. Available as Chrome and Firefox extensions.

GitHub Repository

Community

State of Vue.js Report 2025 Created with the Vue and Nuxt core teams, this report provides the latest trends in the Vue ecosystem.

MDN Web Docs Mozilla’s official documentation provides a Vue.js getting started guide.

 

 

9. Vue.js Latest Features (2025)

Key Improvements in Vue 3.5

Vue 3.5 “Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann,” released in 2024, includes these improvements:

1. Performance Enhancements

  • Reactivity system refactoring reduces memory usage by 56%
  • Large array processing up to 10x faster

2. Reactive Props Destructure Destructured variables from defineProps are now reactive:

const { count = 0, msg = 'hello' } = defineProps<{
  count?: number
  msg?: string
}>()

// count is automatically reactive!

3. SSR Improvements Control when async components hydrate:

import { defineAsyncComponent, hydrateOnVisible } from 'vue'

const AsyncComp = defineAsyncComponent({
  loader: () => import('./Comp.vue'),
  hydrate: hydrateOnVisible() // Hydrate only when visible
})

4. useId() API Generate stable unique IDs for server and client:

import { useId } from 'vue'

const id = useId() // Use for form elements or accessibility attributes

Vapor Mode – The Future of Vue

Vapor Mode is Vue’s new compilation strategy that will further improve app performance. It’s expected to be available as an experimental feature in Vue 3.6.

 

 

10. When Should You Choose Vue.js?

Good Fits for Vue.js

1. Prototype or MVP Development Easy to learn and quick to start, making it ideal for rapidly validating ideas.

2. Small to Medium Web Applications Vue’s quick setup and small bundle size are attractive for simple marketing sites or small internal tools.

3. Progressive Integration into Existing Projects Vue offers progressive enhancement, so you can use it as a replacement for libraries like jQuery. You can convert just parts of your project to Vue without rebuilding everything.

4. SEO-Critical Websites Using Nuxt enables server-side rendering to improve SEO performance.

5. Small Teams or Teams with Frontend Beginners Vue offers the easiest learning curve, allowing team members to adapt quickly.

When Vue.js Might Not Be the Best Choice

1. Very Large Enterprise Applications Angular’s strict structure and built-in tools may be better suited for massive projects.

2. Mobile App Development Focus React Native has a more mature ecosystem. (Vue has Ionic Vue and NativeScript-Vue, but the ecosystem is smaller)

3. Need for Highly Specialized Libraries React has the largest ecosystem with libraries for nearly every use case.

 

 

11. Migrating from Vue 2 to Vue 3

Vue 2 End of Life

Vue 2 officially reached end-of-life (EOL) in December 2023. It no longer receives bug fixes or security updates, so migration to Vue 3 is recommended.

Migration Build

A Migration Build is provided to help with the transition from Vue 2 to Vue 3. This allows you to migrate step-by-step without rewriting everything at once.

Official migration guide: https://v3-migration.vuejs.org/

Major Changes

  1. Global API → Application Instance
  2. Filters Removed – Use computed or methods instead
  3. Multiple v-models Support
  4. Fragments Support – Multiple root elements possible
  5. Composition API Introduction

 

 

As of 2025, Vue.js is the easiest to learn, high-performing, and progressively adoptable frontend framework. Global companies like Alibaba, Netflix, and GitLab use it, and over 3.5 million websites are built with Vue.js. While the job market isn’t as large as React’s, over 17% of developers use it regularly, and it continues to grow steadily. It has a particularly strong position in the Chinese market.

For beginners, you can easily get started with just basic HTML, CSS, and JavaScript knowledge. For experienced developers, the Composition API and TypeScript support enable efficient development of complex applications. 🙂

 

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