So, you want to know if React is easier than JavaScript? Well, the answer to that question really depends on your specific circumstances. Are you specifically referring to which is easier to learn or are you referring to which is easier to build applications with? Both have drastically different answers!
No matter what you’re referring to, I have you covered. Below we are going to discuss which is really easier, React or JavaScript, in both contexts.
So without wasting any time, let’s get into it.
Is React Easier To Learn Than JavaScript?
The answer to this question depends greatly on which of the two you decide to learn first.
React is much harder to learn than JavaScript if you attempt to learn it first. This is because you will be essentially learning both languages at the same time. Mainly because a lot of React is actually pure vanilla JavaScript.
However, if you try to learn JavaScript first, learning React will be incredibly easy. It will still take some time to get used to, but the amount of time it takes to learn Reactjs will be much less.
This is assuming you get a really deep understanding of how JavaScript works. To make learning React easy, you will want to know so much about JavaScript that you have a decent understanding of what is happening underneath the hood. This will, in turn, allow you to get a general understanding of how React is working under the hood too.
There are tons of resources out there that can teach you in-depth JavaScript.
If you want a good online course to teach you everything you need to know about JavaScript, check this out.
If you want some free resources, check out my web development resource guide.
I highly recommend learning JavaScript before trying to learn React. It will make learning React much easier. Saving yourself a lot of headaches and allowing you to learn a lot faster.
So, the moral of the story is to make sure you have the fundamentals for JavaScript down first. It’s one of the easiest ways to learn how to code faster. After that, you can move on to React.
Is React Easier Than JavaScript To Build Applications?
The whole purpose of a framework like React is to make your life easier while developing applications. However, React also comes with its fair share of boilerplate code you need to work with. It’s not too bad to get used to, but it can make a simple application overly complicated.
For that reason, if you are developing a simple app or website. React may be overkill and harder to build applications with.
You will need to be comfortable with the command line, building React components, and importing/exporting code just to name a few complexities with React.
If your web application is simple. Writing a few or a few dozen lines of JavaScript is likely much easier.
However, as your web applications scale, so does the complexity of your web application. This is when it becomes increasingly easier to use a framework like React over vanilla JavaScript.
React has many more rules and standards that must be followed to use the library. The trade-off in these complexities also makes sure that your application is well written and scaleable.
So, if you are writing a basic web app, ditch React and stick with plain old JavaScript. If you are building an application with any complexity, React will be easier to use.
Summary
So there you have it. If you are trying to learn both, you will find it much easier to learn React after JavaScript. However, if you try learning it first, you will find React harder.
In terms of building applications, you will find it more challenging to build a simple web app with React than plain JavaScript. This is because React adds its own complexities to a project that can usually be avoided for simple applications.
However, as your application scales, you will find it much easier to build applications with React than with vanilla javascript. That is the main purpose of the library after all!
Here is a great place to check out React courses and JavaScript courses.
If you want to learn web development for free, check out my guide here.
As always, happy coding!
