Why You Shouldn't Use jQuery Anymore
When John Resig introduced jQuery in 2006 with the motto “write less, do more,” it marked the beginning of a new era in web development. At one point, jQuery was used by 65% of the most popular websites, becoming an essential library for tasks like complex DOM manipulation, event handling, animations, and Ajax requests—all with concise code.
However, as technology evolves, so does the web development environment. With the rise of modern JavaScript standards and powerful frameworks like React and Vue, jQuery’s relevance has significantly declined. In this article, we’ll explore the problems jQuery once solved, and why it’s no longer the best choice for new projects.
The Rise of Modern JavaScript
One of the biggest reasons jQuery became so popular was its ability to solve cross-browser compatibility issues. In 2007, Internet Explorer held over 60% market share, and JavaScript behavior varied widely between browsers. jQuery provided a consistent API that worked across all of them.
But everything started to change with the release of Chrome in 2008. Chrome rapidly gained market share thanks to its speed and commitment to web standards. Other browsers followed suit, and cross-browser compatibility issues gradually diminished.
With the evolution of the ECMAScript standard, plain JavaScript (Vanilla JS) is now capable of performing most of the tasks that jQuery once simplified. For example, selecting and manipulating DOM elements is now easy with native APIs like querySelector, querySelectorAll, and classList. Similarly, the fetch API has replaced jQuery’s $.ajax() for making network requests.
Technologies That Replace jQuery
Modern web development now favors alternatives that are more efficient and future-proof.
Modern JavaScript (Vanilla JS)
As mentioned, plain JavaScript can now handle many tasks previously done with jQuery. Most of jQuery’s methods have native equivalents:
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DOM selection:
$('.class')→document.querySelector('.class') -
Ajax requests:
$.ajax()→fetch() -
Class manipulation:
$(element).addClass('foo')→element.classList.add('foo')
With tools like Babel and Webpack, you can also transpile modern JavaScript code to work in older browsers, eliminating the need for jQuery.
Frameworks Like React and Vue.js
Today’s web apps are built using frameworks like React, Vue, and Angular. These go beyond DOM manipulation to offer modular, declarative programming models that improve efficiency and maintainability.
The key difference is the use of a virtual DOM. While jQuery manipulates the real DOM directly, frameworks like React first update a lightweight virtual DOM in memory. Only the differences are applied to the actual DOM, which minimizes unnecessary reflows and repaints—dramatically improving performance.
Performance Comparison: jQuery vs Modern JavaScript
In terms of performance, jQuery has several drawbacks:
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File Size: To use even simple features, the entire jQuery library must be loaded, which slows down initial load times compared to plain JavaScript.
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DOM Manipulation Speed: Since jQuery directly manipulates the DOM, frequent dynamic updates can lead to layout recalculations and screen redraws (reflow/repaint), degrading performance.
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Call Stack Depth: jQuery wraps native functions heavily, which can lead to deeper call stacks and longer execution times during DOM operations.
While jQuery has improved performance over time, virtual DOM-based frameworks still offer superior performance for complex, dynamic applications.
Where jQuery Stands in 2024
So, should jQuery be completely abandoned? Not necessarily. Surprisingly, as of 2024, jQuery is still used on about 76.9% of all websites, making it the most used JavaScript library.
This is largely due to the many legacy websites built with jQuery that are still operational. Additionally, for small websites or quick UI interactions, using jQuery might be more practical than setting up a full framework. For example, jQuery UI remains useful for simple features like date pickers or clocks.
A Recommendation for Moving Forward
jQuery was a revolutionary library that simplified the once-chaotic world of web development. It made writing JavaScript easier and more enjoyable for countless developers.
But the web development landscape has changed. Web standards are more robust, and modern frameworks offer better performance and scalability. If you’re building a new, large-scale application, jQuery—lacking modularity and component-based structure—is no longer ideal.
For new projects, prioritize modern JavaScript standards and frameworks like React or Vue. This will give you better performance, easier maintenance, and long-term scalability. Rather than clinging to past glory, embracing modern web trends is the smarter, forward-thinking choice.