WordPress vs. React Framework: What should you choose?

It might be the fact that you are planning to create a new website or update an existing one. Technology is advancing at all times, and this is also true in terms of website development applications. Unfortunately, the conventional process of developing websites happens to be clunky and difficult to learn. On the other hand, the innovative development frameworks for websites and mobile apps are faster, lighter, more scalable, flexible, and secure.

In the subsequent paragraphs, we will take a look at the differences between React and WordPress frameworks. So, let us not waste time and delve deep into this article.

What exactly is WordPress?

WordPress can be a user-friendly application package used for creating websites, apps, or blogs. It provides us access to powerful features, attractive designs, plus the freedom to create virtually anything.

Being an open-source CMS (content management system) written in PHP, its features consist of a template system referred to as Themes and a plug-in architecture. Originally, WordPress was created as a blog-publishing program but has been modified to support other web content consisting of more conventional forums and mailing lists, membership sites, media galleries, online stores, and LMS (learning management systems).

Why choose WordPress for Developing Applications?

1. Comprehensive support

WordPress comes with a massive community that provides support whenever required. In addition, individuals are known to contribute innovative ideas for improving it constantly. Consequently, this community has become an open-source and vibrant community that helps lots of developers minimize their support expenses.

2. SEO friendly CMS

WordPress comes with perhaps the most SEO-friendly CMS out there. Top-quality content is important for the performance of any website, and WordPress can combine tools and code for enabling frequent updates of the content. In addition, powerful and free SEO plug-ins are provided by WordPress, thus enhancing its benefits.

3. Security

One of the main concerns for web developers happens to be security which is provided by WordPress effectively. In addition, regular updates are offered by custom WordPress development services which help to safeguard you from security susceptibilities. All these, along with a helpful and dedicated community, have helped WordPress to become amongst the most effective application packages available for designing content.

Must Read: How to Hire Dedicated WordPress Developers? 

Drawbacks of WordPress

It is almost impossible to create an application that is 100% flawless. The same is applicable when it comes to WordPress. Below, we have mentioned some downsides of using WordPress.

1. Updates

Although it is essential to install updates regularly for maintaining the health of a WordPress site, it can be quite troublesome if not performed vigorously. Premium themes of WordPress are updated quite often, which are vital for maintaining security on WordPress sites. However, updates can present some minor issues to a website, in which case functionality might be compromised by reverting to an outdated website version.

2. Speed

You will come across several themes in WordPress, which may consist of plenty of inappropriate generic code. This can result in a decrease in the site’s speed and might lead to slow load times. In addition, it can be tough to understand which portion of the code will be required without prior experience in WordPress.

3. Vulnerability

WordPress is profitable to prospective hackers since it happens to be an open-source platform. WordPress has security updates frequently improved by an experienced and knowledgeable community working tirelessly to solve any potential problems to minimize this risk. Nevertheless, some programmers might be discouraged from using WordPress because of this concept of security breaches.

What exactly is React?

React happens to be an open-source JavaScript library used for creating UI components or user interfaces. Facebook, along with a community of developers, is responsible for maintaining it.

One can use ReactJS Development services for creating mobile or single-page applications. However, react involves the rendering of information to the Document Object Model, and therefore, creating React apps entails the usage of additional libraries for routing and state management.

Why choose ReactJS for Developing Apps?

1. Simple to create dynamic web apps

It was somewhat difficult to develop a dynamic web app with HTML strings since complicated coding was needed for doing that; however, the problem was fixed by React JS. Much less coding is required by it, and it offers more functionality. For example, ReactJS uses the JavaScript Extension, which happens to be a specific syntax allowing HTML tag syntax and HTML quotes to render some particular subcomponents. It likewise provides support for creating machine-readable codes.

2. Improvement of performance

React JS helps in improving performance because of virtual DOM, which happens to be a multi-platform programming API dealing with XML, XHTML, or HTML. However, an issue is encountered by most programmers when the DOM becomes updated since it slows down the application’s performance. React JS has solved this issue with the help of virtual DOM.

3. Reusable components

A React JS web app consists of several components, and every component comes with its unique controls and logic. These components help output a small and reusable part of HTML code, and one can reuse them whenever required. This code aids in making your applications simpler to create and maintain. It will be possible to nest the components with other elements for enabling complicated apps to be created from simple building blocks.

4. Benefits of JavaScript library

At present, lots of programmers prefer using React JS. React JS provides an extremely useful JavaScript library offering enhanced flexibility to the programmers for choosing the way to develop their projects.

Must Read: How to start with test cases in React using Jest?

Drawbacks of ReactJS

 Similar to WordPress, React JS comes with its drawbacks as well, which are as follows:

1. Rapid development pace

The rapid development pace can be considered to be an advantage as well as a disadvantage. When it comes to drawbacks, since there is a constant change in the environment, certain programmers do not feel comfortable learning the new methods of performing things once again regularly. They might find it tough to adopt all these modifications along with the updates. The developers must update their expertise frequently and learn innovative ways of performing things.

2. Poor documentation

This is one particular downside experienced by almost every technology that is constantly updating. It is quite tough to create proper documentation since react technologies are developing so rapidly. To overcome this problem, programmers need to write instructions themselves to create new tools in their existing projects.

3. JSX is imperative

React JS makes use of JSX, which happens to be a syntax extension enabling JavaScript and HTML to be blended. Although this method comes with some advantages, according to some development community members, JSX happens to be an obstacle, particularly for new programmers. Developers often complain that it is quite tough to learn JSX.

Must Read: Why Use React Redux?

Comparison Between WordPress and ReactJS

Here, we have mentioned some differences between React JS and WordPress that you should be aware of:

• WordPress has been written in PHP, which is considered to be outdated by many programmers. On the other hand, ReactJS has been written in JavaScript, which happens to be quite popular among many developers.

• While WordPress has been based on WP Engine, ReactJS has been based on JavaScriptCore engine.

• Installation, when it comes to WordPress, is quite simple. On the contrary, installation is somewhat complicated when it comes to React JS.

• In WordPress, SEO is quite efficient. Unfortunately, for ReactJS, SEO happens to be subpar.

• It is cheaper to host on WordPress as compared to ReactJS.

• WordPress requires a smaller and simpler learning curve. ReactJS requires a tougher learning curve.

• WordPress is quite vulnerable when it comes to security threats. On the other hand, ReactJS is more secure.

• WordPress is quite user-friendly, unlike ReactJS.

• In WordPress, the absence of diverse design options and themes results in repetitive performance. ReactJS comes with an extensive collection of design options.

• Slow processing speeds happen in the case of WordPress because of insignificant, blanket code. Applications created on ReactJS have quicker performance.

• No additional libraries or modules are needed by WordPress to be fully operational. On the contrary, additional libraries or modules are required by ReactJS to be fully operational.

• Frequent updates are required by WordPress to be functional. However, updates are not needed by ReactJS whatsoever.

• WordPress is not modular, and therefore, re-usability is not possible. On the contrary, the modularity of ReactJS results in greater usability.

• WordPress happens to be a comprehensively fleshed-out software package. However, ReactJS is still being developed now.

Wrapping up

It is quite difficult to provide a well-defined opinion on which particular tool happens to be superior for content development. Both ReactJS and WordPress come with different frameworks and functionalities, and therefore, provide different capabilities to the table. Consequently, it is up to the developers to decide which particular tool they should be used according to their requirements.