Backbone.js vs. React: Choosing the Best Framework

According to the Stack Overflow developer survey, JavaScript was the most popular programming language used by developers in 2021.

This should not be a surprise – the comprehensive JavaScript frameworks available today enhance its functionality by helping you lay the foundation of your web app and build up easily.

But choosing the right framework for your front-end development from a plethora of options can be a tedious task. Moreover, your choice of technologies significantly impacts your app’s performance. The key is to choose a framework that meets your project needs.

This blog compares two popular JavaScript frameworks, React and Backbone.js, based on various factors to help you make the right choice.

What is React?

Created by Facebook in 2013, React is an open-source JavaScript framework used to develop web apps with rich, dynamic and interactive user interfaces or UI components. Some of React’s features include:

• It uses component-based architecture, JSX and unidirectional data flow (implemented by Flux or similar JS libraries)
• Its declarative views make the code more predictable, readable, and easier to debug
• It mainly supports the View aspect of the MVC (Model-View-Controller) architecture
• For every original DOM object, it creates a virtual copy for easier comparison of new data and updating the View automatically
• It is fast, scalable and search engine friendly as it allows quick rendering of a web page

What is Backbone.js?

Another of the most popular JavaScript frameworks, Backbone.js is based on MVC architecture and can quickly develop single-page applications. Some of Backbone.js’s features include:

• Its library consists of building blocks to efficiently structure web applications, such as models, events, views and collections
• It involves the idea that all server-side functions must flow through APIs to help achieve complex functionalities with less code
• It is an open-source, simple library that separates business and user interface logic, allowing the organization of the code
• It has a minimalist approach to application structure, is lightweight and has a smaller file size than most JavaScript frameworks

React vs. Backbone.js

Below we have compared React and Backbone.js based on a few crucial factors to help you choose the best framework for a robust front-end development.

1. Speed and ease of coding

React is fast and easy to code as it has an extensive library. In addition, it has self-contained modules of code that are written once and packaged for reuse across the application. Thus, developers save time with reusable components, and they need to modify the code only in one location for updates.

Backbone.js is also lightweight and has a clear, readable source code, but it uses JavaScript functions and does not provide a specific structure. As many functions are not available by default, developers might need to write more base code or find a plugin.

2. Performance

React has transformed how front-end developers build web applications, including advanced user interfaces. It makes UI updates as efficient as possible and web apps faster with virtual DOM. Additionally, you can optimize how and when components are rendered to improve performance.

Backbone.js reduces complexities to avoid performance bottlenecks. Moreover, it reduces the load on servers as with any MVC framework, so the website depends on the servers only for receiving JSON data and not display logic. Thus, it gives efficient performance even as the website grows.

3. Talent pool

Backbone.js was born in 2010 and grew popular as a lightweight alternative to full-featured, heavy MVC frameworks. After over a decade, the demand for Backbone.js developers is still high worldwide today, including in the USA, UK, Canada and Western European countries.

But as of 2021, 40.14% of developers used React.js, making it the most popular web framework. The high volume of adoption and growth indicates it is easier to find a competent talent pool of React developers.

4. Cost of development

The cost of development with React or Backbone.js depends on numerous factors such as experience, location and more. For example, the cost of hiring remote React developers on a senior level can range from $125,000 to $149,000 and $72,000 to $95,000 for junior-level developers. Whereas based on location, the average salary of a Backbone.js developer in the USA is $95,000 per year and of a React developer is $93,000. But in the UK, a Backbone.js developer makes $47,000 per year on average, and React developer makes around $74,000 in a year.

5. Community

Community also plays an important role when choosing frameworks. A large community of developers means more extensive support, more questions answered and more ready-to-use libraries or plugins.

As React is increasingly growing in popularity, it has 182k stars or Github. On the other hand, Backbone.js has a 27.8k stars ecosystem on Github. However, the maturity of Backbone might indicate many issues already solved and solid support.

6. Learning curve

React is beginner-friendly and easy to learn for those who know JavaScript. It has detailed documentation, so developers can learn the basics quickly and explore advanced aspects or resolve difficulties during the learning process.

As for Backbone.js, it also has tons of tutorials and documentation available online for free. It is easy to learn and understand, but developers will likely need to learn using tools such as Marionette, Chaplin, Thorax, etc.

7. Use cases

All in all, React is a great framework to develop lightweight, complex business applications, and it supports enterprise applications with ease. Some popular apps built with React are Netflix, PayPal, Facebook and Twitter, among others.

Backbone.js is ideal for single-page applications and projects that need less perspective library or framework to build upon. Some popular web apps made with Backbone.js are Trello, Airbnb and Soundcloud.

The bottom line

The above list of both frameworks' features, pros and cons is not exhaustive. But to better frame your requirements, the first step is to know and understand the scope of your project. It will help you identify the best web framework to supercharge your users’ experience with an excellent front end.

However, we have discussed only two JavaScript frameworks in the article. You can be as open-minded as needed for your project and choose according to your goals and budget. If you are still unsure which technology to choose, consult a technology partner today.