React vs Bootstrap: Which framework to choose for front-end development

Selecting an accurate front-end framework for your upcoming project can be easy if you know the exact requirements of your project. Some developers choose the same front-end framework because of their comfort. While others wish to have new experiences and learn & implement new technology. Two such worth implementing front-end frameworks for your future projects are ReactJS and Bootstrap.

In recent years, Bootstrap gained strong popularity and is now a tough competitor of the ReactJS framework. ReactJS is a JS library used for developing interactive UI, whereas Bootstrap is a front-end, open-source toolkit.

Both ReactJS vs Bootstrap, are worth comparing, and choosing the best from them isn’t easy.

The most specific question that front-end developers ask is: ‘React vs Bootstrap- Which one to choose?’, ‘Which one amongst the frameworks is good for my next project?’, and many more.

This article is a comprehensive guide on React vs Bootstrap. We have gathered the primary factors based on which you can compare Bootstrap and React, and choose the suitable one for your web app development.
Let’s discuss more about both front-end development technologies in detail. Starting with ReactJS…

What is ReactJS? A brief overview

React or ReactJS is a JS library that is developed to build interactive web apps with feature-rich user interfaces. ReactJS offers developers the scalability to develop reusable and customized components that support a quick development process.

Furthermore, it is an open-source library which means developers can use it for free. The ability of web page quick rendering makes ReactJS search engine friendly.

Collectively with React development best practices, it is an all-in-one JavaScript library that promotes the development of complex and lightweight business apps.

Here’s the list of some popular app examples using ReactJS for their products:

Facebook

FB is one of the largest social media sites that use ReactJS globally for their Ad Manager. Moreover, the FB web app is itself built using more than 20 thousand React components.

**

PayPal**

PayPal is a renowned finance organization that uses ReactJS for improving its bookmarks, navigational workflows, and early rendering of PayPal’s payment gateway app.

**

Instagram**

FB being the parent company of Instagram, uses many ReactJS components for developing different functionalities of Instagram too.

**

Twitter**

Twitter is the largest microblogging web app in America. This website uses ReactJS to enhance the user experience, update the content, and make a browser-based UI. The whole Twitter site was renovated using React architecture and made a PWA (Progressive Web App).

**

The BBC**

BBC, aka, the British public service Broadcaster is a news channel that uses ReactJS to develop its web app; making it more navigational. This framework provides a super-fast UX and makes the website amazingly accessible across different devices.

**

Netflix**

Netflix is a popular video streaming platform that uses ReactJS for fixing performance glitches and lessening the processing time for speedy startup speed and seamless UX.

Use cases of React

• For developing web apps- ReactJS

• Used for developing video stream apps

• Media sites development

• SaaS

• Mobile apps development using React Native

• PWAs development using React + Ionic

• Desktop app development using React + Electron.js

• JAMstack site development using Gatsby.js

Now, let’s learn some basics of the Bootstrap platform.

What is Bootstrap? A brief overview

Bootstrap, also called Twitter Bootstrap, is a front-end, and open-source CSS framework used for creating responsive websites that are mobile-friendly. It has also become one of the most popular UI developments for its responsive designing templates, and most importantly it has multiple size compatibility.

Jacob Thornton and Mark Otto developed Bootstrap with the basic aim of standardizing the use of this framework by Twitter. Bootstrap was launched in GitHub in 2011, to make it accessible for everyone across the globe.

Here’s the list of some popular tech giants who use Bootstrap for their products:

**

Apple Maps Connect**

Apple products use MapKit JS for making their maps interactive for various platforms. This MapkitJS uses Bootstrap for building the UI designs.

**

Vogue**

Vogue is a fashion magazine that uses Bootstrap for making responsive website designs and templates and makes the website compatible with different devices. It uses a Bootstrap 12 grid layout to fit different content-based details on the same screen.

**

Whatsapp**

The UI of Whatsapp web has been made using Bootstrap for creative and better facilities and features over the desktop app.

**

Lyft**

It is a ride-sharing organization utilizing Bootstrap’s grid functions with creative drop-down plugins used in their websites. This framework helped in the development of websites in a short period.

Use cases of Bootstrap

• Bootstrap is used for developing microblogging apps

• Social media apps development gets easy with this platform

• E-commerce websites are developed easily

• Video streaming apps

• Geo-location app development

• Developing content-based website

• On-demand apps

• Messaging web apps

• Easy payment apps

• Development of Responsive web apps

React vs Bootstrap: Primary Differences

Bootstrap vs React: Comprehensive factors

Here are some factors on which you can decide whether you want to work with ReactJS or Bootstrap.

Learning Curve

Companies understand the time required for developing a project along with the learning curve of the technologies that have to be used in that project.

It assists developers to be proficient in that particular framework. Let’s see what is the difference between the learning curves of React and Bootstrap.

Developers who are experienced in using JS can easily learn and grasp React concepts. It requires very less time for seasoned developers to understand the architecture and workflow of React.

Bootstrap at the same time gives a developer-friendly framework. A small learning curve is necessary to overcome for developers with CSS and HTML basic experience. Developers can easily learn the Bootstrap components and CSS classes.

**

App Architecture**

It is necessary to not compromise the flexibility feature while picking any development framework. It will help you avoid strict enforcement of guidelines and other things.

The architecture of Bootstrap relies on utilizing two components for developing the view layer and logic layer. The view layer focuses on explicit visual displays, and view controllers focus on the behavior of visual components in the framework.

React library doesn’t have a predetermined in-built architecture, unlike other libraries. Its internal architecture is based on components that perform functions and render the UI as soon as the information changes while non-stop interaction of user action and state of app components.

**

Performance Comparison**

While developing extensive and complex projects, considering performance factors is essential. Hence, let’s have a close look at the comparison factor between React vs Bootstrap based on their performance factor.

The user-centric ease of developing websites and apps makes the Bootstrap framework unique. But, you have to monitor it closely while considering its performance factor. Occasionally, developers try to avoid Bootstrap because of its vast unutilized resources and React component libraries that lead to slow performances.

On the other hand, the performance factor of React apps is better and faster than Bootstrap. It is because React is a lightweight library and provides UX with each component in a very functional way.

React framework’s component-based structure helps with developing robust SPAs (Single Page Apps) and the code reusability feature avoids clutters and minimizes DOM manipulation. It ultimately improves the speed of page loading.

**

Easy testing**

Before deploying your app or software, it requires you to pass a series of tests to confirm compliance with UI compatibility, standards, and uses to overcome errors under different situations like sudden heavy traffic. Let’s compare both Bootstrap vs React on the basis of testing factors.

As Bootstrap doesn’t have any internal components for performing tests, it essentially requires third-party tools and compatible plugins for testing Bootstrap developed websites or apps. The advantages of using the Bootstrap framework are that it solves cross-browser errors with the use of its reusable coding components that need no repetition.

React has key test runners, because of which the development process becomes easier and more manageable. Here are some well-known test runners- Jest. Mocha, etc., which allows the QA team to search for the bug in a real browser environment.

**

Security**

The compliance and implementation using security controls in an organization are done by different frameworks and technologies. Hence, it’s essential to provide best practices for developing secure software. Here’s how Bootstrap and React are different in terms of the security features that each of them provides.

Security risks are widespread in the field of front-end frameworks. Bootstrap also falls in the loss of threats. Uniquely, Bootstrap is at high risk of XSS susceptibility because of its data-target feature. This issue was reported by developers even in updated versions.

React-based apps are also prone to warnings of SQL injections, XSS vulnerabilities, server-side renders, and much more. Ultimately, it depends on the developers to use the best practice that protects the software or app from security vulnerabilities.

**

Scalability**

React and Bootstrap frameworks have a scalability influence on web app development. So, it is important to pick a proper framework. Here’s the comparison of React vs Bootstrap on the basis of scalability.

React apps are made using JS, and developers can rely on different ways of organizing the code for completing the project scalable. This JS library is an outstanding alternative for developing scalable UIs as per component reusability and virtual DOM.

Meanwhile, Bootstrap framework is a mobile-first framework so one can depend on such a framework for building scalable apps and websites. Using this framework, one can build responsive content for websites that can be upgraded based on the user’s app, browser, and screen.

**

Application Size**

The framework that you will choose will affect the app. If the software is big, then the app size will dominate the scope of the framework. Let’s see which framework between React and Bootstrap is suitable as per the app sizes.

The sizes of supplication in Bootstrap can vary as per the content of the presentation and design. A straightforward and comprehensive app has a minimum footprint on the file size of CSS files and JS.

Meanwhile, React is a library and not a featured framework such as Angular. According to this POV, it makes an app smaller as compared to featured frameworks. But the React developed app sizes are even bigger compared to other apps.

**

User Experience (UX)**

Another important element of selecting the specific framework for your project is the factor of UX. Here’s the comparison of ReactJS vs Bootstrap in the form of the user experience they provide.

React apps provide high-quality UIs along with fast-rendering web pages. This feature makes it a framework that is more likely to be used by developers. Hence, React apps provide smoother third-party integrations and UX.

Meanwhile, Bootstrap aims at making the project more web-responsive and provide a standard and amazing user experience to the users. Additionally, the responsive design offers viewers, users, and developers a spontaneous consistency across various platforms on which that app will be used.

**

Code Maintainability**

The framework which you select must be easy to adapt and maintain. For any app development, code maintainability refers to the ease provided by the framework to developers for analyzing the code and fixing bugs, and offers real functionality.

ReactJS framework’s architecture is component-based. It will focus on developing the UI components, and custom functions in a UI, and uses optimal logic to develop meaningful functions. Once React is used for development, you will build functional and individual snippets easily. These reusable snippets can be used in other apps too.

**

Suitability for developing Complex apps**

Guidelines, third-party libraries, official documents, plugins, & open-source systems are provided by both React and Bootstrap for supporting developers while they are working on project development. Here’s the comparison of React vs Bootstrap on the basis of developing enterprise apps.

Bootstrap can quickly pass the challenge of developing a complex app as it is one of the most popular CSS/HTML/JS front-end frameworks. This framework also offers various in-built components, templates, themes, etc., that are functional during the project development and as per the project’s requirements.

‍React supports the development of interactive SPAs, and it also supports server-side rendering and external architectures like Redux, SSR, Flux, etc.

When to choose what?

When to use React?

According to BuiltWith Trends, there are 12,376,396 live websites using React as of September 2023.

Here are certain situations where using ReactJS can be beneficial for developers as well as clients:

1. Easy debugging of codes – When a component is updated, development & QA teams can guarantee the remaining app features will carry on with their functions. This is possible because every component on a web page is not dependent and can be updated quickly without affecting other components.

2. Developing a Complex User Interface – When developers can add unique user interfaces components from any web page into one unit, a sophisticated UI is made. In such cases, ReactJS is very useful.

3. Smoother reloads are necessary – ReactJS is efficient in upgrading the data on web pages. It makes it easy for developing dynamic websites in which the data that needs to be displayed requires frequent changes.

When to use Bootstrap?

According to SimilarTech, as of September 2023, there are 3,869,506 websites that use Bootstrap. This represents 21.2% of all websites.

Here are some situations when using Bootstrap will be useful:

1. Easy-to-use web app development – Bootstrap is primarily used by beginners, and hence it is an easy-to-use development platform that helps in easy web app development.

2. Helps in rapid development – Bootstrap helps developers who have introductory expertise in HTML and CSS can easily develop an app.

3. A vast range of UI components – This framework provides a huge range of interactive UI components that are suitable for creating valuable front-end features.

4. Bootstrap’s grid system – As a result of its Flexbox, Bootstrap’s responsive grid system is the most valuable and adopted for developers. The rowing, column alignment, numbers, etc., are made responsive with different screen sizes.

5. Responsiveness – This framework is a good choice for developing responsive websites that quickly adapt to different platforms and browsers.

Use Bootstrap when you want to style your website and make it responsive quickly. It’s particularly helpful for prototyping or when the default Bootstrap aesthetics align with your design goals.

Use React when you’re building dynamic, interactive UIs and need a component-based architecture. React is often used for single-page applications or any web app where the state needs to be managed across components.

Final Verdict

React and Bootstrap are the building blocks of efficient web-based apps. Here, in this article, we have listed a potential overview of both frameworks along with their comparison factors of both frameworks.

On the other hand, React and Bootstrap both are widely popular on the Internet. Both frameworks have amazing communities and there are infinite firms and users of these frameworks.

However, the question is- React vs. Bootstrap- which one to use? The solution to this question depends on your project requirements. As per your organizational and project requirements, you can pick any one front-end framework easily. For more technical updates, you can stay tuned with us. Happy learning!

This post is originally published: [HERE]