The Top 10 Progressive Web App Frameworks

One app that runs on all platforms. Just reading this line seems interesting, right? Today, you can develop such applications using specific progressive web app frameworks.

These frameworks help you build PWAs (progressive web apps) that work for every user without the issue of browser compatibility. So, it is now possible to leverage the 4.2 billion user base by teaming up with vetted developers and choosing the best tech stack.

To help simplify your decision, we bring a curated list of the top progressive web frameworks, just for you. In a simple scroll, you can find the overview, utility, popular tools, and examples of each framework to plan your next IT project.

So, without any ado, let’s delve deep into the exciting topic of progressive web apps and their relevant frameworks.

A Quick Look at Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)

Let’s break down the term ‘progressive web apps’ into two parts – progressive and web apps.

Now, ‘progressive’ implies the use of modern methods or ideas.

‘Web apps’ means applications or software that run in a web browser over the internet.

So, progressive web apps are modern applications that run on any web browser and adapt to any form factor (desktop, smartphone, tablet, or more).

Some of the common examples of progressive web apps are as follows:

• Uber
• Pinterest
• Tinder
• Starbucks

PWAs are faster, more reliable, and cost-effective than traditional native apps. They have a wider audience since you can access them over the internet from any browser or device. Notably, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are the main technologies that developers use to build PWAs.

In the next section, we will explain the utility of progressive web app frameworks in the development of these apps.

What are Progressive Web App Frameworks?

The word ‘framework’ in software engineering implies a platform laying the foundation for developing apps. So, in simple terms, progressive web app frameworks are templates that simplify the process of creating PWAs.

Some of the main features of these frameworks are as follows:

• Component-based architecture
• Templating
• Routing
• Server-side rendering
• Progressive enhancement
• Push notifications

The above characteristics can vary from framework to framework. However, they remain common in most of the best ones you can find online.

The next section will explain different progressive web app frameworks in depth.

The Best Progressive Web App Frameworks: A Quick Summary

Want to know the pros and cons of each progressive web app framework? Refer to the table below for a quick glimpse of all the ten options.

Framework	Key Feature	Pros	Cons
React	Component-based, virtual DOM, JSX	Large community, flexible, performant	Steep learning curve, complex state management
Vue.js	Progressive framework, simple API, virtual DOM	Easy to learn, performant, versatile	Smaller community compared to React and Angular
Angular	Comprehensive framework, TypeScript support, dependency injection	Strong tooling, enterprise-ready, large community	Complex setup, steeper learning curve
Svelte	Compile-time compilation, reactive programming	High performance, simple syntax	Smaller community, less mature ecosystem
Ionic	Cross-platform development, pre-built components, mobile-first	Rapid development, native-like performance	Can be opinionated, potential performance overhead
Polymer	Web components, custom elements	Flexible, reusable components	Can be complex to learn and use
Stencil	Web components, AOT compilation, performance-focused	Fast, efficient, web standards-based	Smaller community, less mature ecosystem
Quasar	Vue-based, cross-platform, Material Design	Rapid development, beautiful UI, performance-focused	Can be opinionated, might be overkill for simple projects
Sencha Ext JS	Data-intensive apps, rich UI components, data grids	Powerful data handling, enterprise-ready	Complex, steeper learning curve, heavier framework
Aurelia	Modular architecture, dependency injection, custom elements	Flexible, testable, community-driven	Smaller community, less mature ecosystem

1. React

React is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces. It’s component-based, meaning you break down your UI into reusable components.

This modular approach makes development, testing, and maintenance easier, making it one of the best progressive web app frameworks.

Key concepts in React:

• Components: The building blocks of React apps.
• JSX: A syntax extension for JavaScript that lets you write HTML-like structures within JavaScript code.
• Virtual DOM: A lightweight representation of the actual DOM, which React uses to efficiently update the UI.
• Props: Data passed from parent components to child components.
• State: Data that can change within a component, triggering re-renders.

Why React is used for PWA development?

React’s component-based architecture and efficient rendering make it an excellent choice for building PWAs. You can create a rich, interactive user experience while ensuring optimal performance.

The popular PWA libraries and tools for React are as follows:

• Next.js: A popular React framework that provides features like server-side rendering, static site generation, and image optimization, making it ideal for building PWAs.
• Gatsby: A static site generator built with React, perfect for creating fast, performance-optimized PWAs.
• Workbox: A library of tools for building service workers, making it easy to add offline functionality, caching strategies, and push notifications.

The real-world examples of React-Based progressive web app frameworks utilities are Twitter Lite, Uber, and Airbnb.

2. Vue.js

Vue.js is one of the best progressive web app frameworks for building engaging user interfaces. It’s known for its simplicity, flexibility, and performance.

Key concepts in Vue.js:

• Components: Reusable UI components with their own logic and templates.
• Templates: HTML-based templates to define the structure of components.
• Data Binding: Automatic synchronization between data and the DOM.
• Directives: Custom HTML attributes to extend HTML’s functionality.
• Vuex: A state management library for managing complex application state.

Why Vue.js is useful for PWA projects?

Vue.js is a great choice for building PWAs due to its ease of use, performance, and flexibility.

Some popular PWA libraries and tools for Vue.js are as follows:

• Nuxt.js: A popular Vue.js framework that provides features like server-side rendering, static site generation, and automatic code splitting.
• Quasar Framework: A full-featured framework for building cross-platform apps, including PWAs. It provides a rich set of UI components and tools for rapid development.

Vue.js is one of the top progressive web app frameworks. Brands like Frank Body, Laravel Forge, and Behance are some well-known projects that testify to this statement.

3. Angular

Next on our list of the best progressive web app frameworks is Angular. It is a comprehensive JavaScript framework for building complex web applications. It’s based on TypeScript, a superset of JavaScript that adds static typing, which can help catch errors early in development.

Key concepts in Angular:

• Components: Building blocks of Angular applications, each with its own template, styles, and logic.
• Modules: A way to organize code into functional units.
• Templates: HTML-based templates with Angular-specific syntax for data binding and directives.
• Data Binding: Automatic synchronization between the model and the view.
• Dependency Injection: A mechanism for providing dependencies to components.
• Services: Reusable services for sharing data and logic across components.

Why Angular is a preferred choice for PWA development?

Angular’s robust framework and powerful tools make it suitable for building high-performance PWAs.

Here are some prominent PWA libraries and tools for Angular:

• Angular Service Worker: A library for adding service worker functionality to Angular applications.
• Angular CLI: A command-line interface for creating, developing, and deploying Angular applications.
• NgRx: A state management library for managing complex application state in Angular.

Notably, Forbes, The Washington Post, and Upwork are some famous names using Angular as their go-to progressive web app framework.

4. Svelte

Svelte is a radical new approach to building user interfaces. Unlike traditional progressive web app frameworks like React and Vue, Svelte compiles your components into highly efficient JavaScript code at build time. This aspect means that your components are more performant and less reliant on the browser’s runtime.

Key concepts in Svelte:

• Components: The building blocks of Svelte applications.
• Reactivity: Svelte tracks changes to variables and automatically updates the DOM.
• Template Syntax: A simple, HTML-like syntax for defining components.
• Svelte Stores: A simple way to manage global state in Svelte applications.

Why Svelte is used for PWA development?

Svelte’s performance and simplicity make it an excellent choice for building PWAs. Its compile-time approach results in smaller bundle sizes and faster load times.

Here are some noteworthy PWA libraries and tools for Svelte:

• SvelteKit: A full-featured framework for building web applications, including PWAs. It provides features like server-side rendering, code splitting, and routing.
• Workbox: A library of tools for building service workers, making it easy to add offline functionality, caching strategies, and push notifications.

Many developers use Svelte to build experimental PWAs and showcase the framework’s capabilities. In addition, several niche applications are built with such progressive web app frameworks, especially in productivity and personal finance.

5. Ionic

Ionic is one of the most popular progressive web app frameworks for building cross-platform mobile apps using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It is mainly famous for mobile app development. However, specific components of Ionic prove helpful in building PWAs.

Key concepts in Ionic:

• Components: Reusable UI components, such as buttons, cards, and navigation bars.
• Templates: HTML templates to define the structure of components.
• Framework Agnostic: Can be used with frameworks like Angular, React, or Vue.js.
• Cordova and Capacitor: Tools for packaging web apps into native mobile apps.

Why Ionic is a great choice for PWA development?

Ionic’s component-based architecture and cross-platform capabilities make it suitable for building PWAs.

Take a look at the popular PWA libraries and tools for Ionic:

• Ionic CLI: A command-line interface for creating, building, and deploying Ionic apps.
• Capacitor: A cross-platform app runtime that allows you to build web apps that can be packaged as native apps.
• Workbox: A library of tools for building service workers, making it easy to add offline functionality, caching strategies, and push notifications.

Some of the well-known examples of this progressive web app framework are Sworkit, AMDOCS, and Shipt.

6. Polymer

Polymer is a JavaScript library for building web components. Such progressive web app frameworks allow you to create custom HTML elements with their own behavior and styles, making them a powerful tool for building reusable UI components.

Key concepts in Polymer:

• Web Components: Custom HTML elements that encapsulate HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
• Data Binding: Automatic synchronization between data and the DOM.
• Polymer CLI: A command-line tool for creating and managing Polymer projects.
• Mixins: A way to share behavior between components.
• Data Binding: A mechanism for synchronizing data between components.

Why Polymer is used for PWA projects?

Polymer’s web component architecture makes it well-suited for building PWAs. By creating custom elements, you can build reusable components for your PWA.

Here are some notable PWA libraries and tools for Polymer:

• Polymer CLI: A command-line tool for creating, building, and testing Polymer projects.
• Polymer Service Worker: A library for adding service worker functionality to Polymer apps.
• PWA Starter Kit: A starter kit for building PWAs with Polymer.

While Polymer has been a significant player in the web component ecosystem, its adoption for large-scale PWA projects has been somewhat limited compared to frameworks like React, Vue, and Angular. However, it’s still used in various web applications and can be a powerful tool for building custom components and PWAs.

For instance, Polymer is used to build many of Google’s Material Design components. Also, many developers use this progressive web app framework to experiment with web component-based architectures and PWAs.

7. Stencil

Stencil is a component-based progressive web app framework for building custom web components. It compiles your components into highly efficient web components that can be used in any web application, regardless of the framework.

Key concepts in Stencil:

• Web Components: Custom HTML elements with their own behavior and styles.
• JSX-like Syntax: A simple syntax for defining components.
• TypeScript Support: Strong typing for improved code quality and maintainability.
• AOT Compilation: Ahead-of-time compilation for optimal performance.
• Custom Elements: Reusable components that can be used in any web application.

Why Stencil is good for PWA development?

Stencil’s web component architecture and performance optimizations make it a great choice for building PWAs.

The two popular PWA libraries and tools for Stencil are:

• Stencil CLI: A command-line tool for creating, building, and testing Stencil projects.
• Stencil Service Worker: A library for adding service worker functionality to Stencil apps.

Ionic is built with Stencil, leveraging its performance and web component capabilities to create cross-platform mobile apps and PWAs. Furthermore, many developers are using Stencil to build custom web components for specific use cases, such as data visualization, form components, and more.

8. Quasar

Quasar is one of the most high-performance Vue.js-based progressive web app frameworks for building PWAs. It provides a rich set of UI components, a flexible development workflow, and a focus on performance.

Key concepts in Quasar:

• Component-based architecture: Build reusable UI components.
• Vue.js integration: Leverage Vue.js’s reactivity system and virtual DOM.
• Material Design: Adhere to Google’s Material Design guidelines for a consistent UI.
• Cross-platform development: Build apps for web, mobile, and desktop.
• Hot Reloading: Faster development cycles with instant updates.

Why Quasar is used for PWA development?

Quasar’s PWA mode simplifies the process of creating PWAs. It automatically generates the necessary files and configurations, including a service worker and manifest file.

Note the following PWA libraries and tools for Quasar:

• Quasar CLI: A command-line interface for creating, building, and deploying Quasar projects.
• Vue.js: The underlying JavaScript framework used by Quasar.
• Workbox: A library for building service workers, which Quasar can integrate with.

While specific examples of large-scale Quasar-based PWAs might not be widely publicized, many developers and companies are using Quasar to build high-quality PWAs. Numerous open-source projects and community-driven examples on platforms like GitHub and CodePen showcase Quasar’s capabilities in building PWAs.

9. Sencha Ext JS

Sencha Ext JS is another comprehensive JavaScript framework for building data-intensive web applications. It offers a rich set of UI components, data grids, and charting tools. While primarily used for enterprise-level web applications, it can also be adapted to build PWAs.

Key concepts in Sencha Ext JS:

• Component-based architecture: Build reusable UI components.
• Data grids: Powerful data grids for displaying and manipulating large datasets.
• Charts: A variety of chart types for data visualization.
• Theming: Customize the look and feel of your application.
• MVC architecture: A well-defined architectural pattern for separating concerns.

Why is Sencha Ext JS a good choice for PWA development?

Sencha Ext JS can be used to build PWAs by leveraging its powerful features and integrating them with PWA technologies.

The popular PWA libraries and tools for Sencha Ext JS are as follows:

• Sencha Cmd: A command-line tool for building and deploying Sencha Ext JS applications.
•  Workbox: A library for building service workers, which can be integrated with Sencha Ext JS to enable offline functionality, push notifications, and caching.

As of today, there may not be many widely known, public examples of large-scale Sencha Ext JS-based PWAs. Nevertheless, Sencha Ext JS’s strong foundation and rich feature set make it a viable option amongst the top progressive web app frameworks.

10. Aurelia

Aurelia is the last name on our list of the best progressive web app frameworks. It is a modern JavaScript framework that promotes a modular and testable architecture. It’s based on a plugin system, allowing developers to choose the features they need.

Key concepts in Aurelia:

• Modular architecture: Build applications using loosely coupled modules.
• Dependency injection: Manage dependencies efficiently.
• Templating: Use HTML-like templates to define the UI.
• Value converters: Transform data before displaying it.
• Custom attributes: Extend HTML with custom attributes.

Why Aurelia is used for PWA development?

Aurelia’s modular architecture and flexibility make it suitable for building PWAs.

The two well-known PWA libraries and tools for Aurelia are:

• Aurelia CLI: A command-line tool for creating, building, and testing Aurelia projects.
• Workbox: A library for building service workers that can be integrated with Aurelia.

Many developers use this progressive web app framework to build personal projects and open-source applications. Some companies adopt Aurelia for internal tools and web applications.

To Wrap Up

So, that’s it! We’ve explored the top 10 progressive web app frameworks, each offering unique advantages and considerations. The PWA landscape is diverse, From established giants like React and Angular to innovative newcomers like Svelte and Stencil.

Consider your team’s expertise, project complexity, and performance requirements when selecting a framework. For rapid development and a rich user experience, frameworks like Ionic and Quasar are excellent choices. If you prioritize performance and customizability, Svelte and Stencil are worth exploring. Finally, Sencha Ext JS offers robust features and data handling capabilities for enterprise-level applications, making them splendid progressive web app frameworks.

Remember. The best framework is the one that aligns with your project needs and enables you to build high-quality, performant, and engaging PWAs.