When there’s a need to create a single-page application then most developers get confused between Blazor VS React. Because both are well-known front-end technologies in web application development and have their own unique features and functionalities.
React is a javascript library that was launched by Facebook in 2013, where Blazor is a UI framework that was launched by Microsoft in 2108. However, choosing the right technology for web app development between both of them can be a challenging task.
But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
In this article, we will explore everything about Blazor and React, its features, pros & cons and Blazor vs React key differences between them that help you to choose the right one for your web app development as per your requirements. Let’s dive in!
Blazor: Overview
Blazor is a free and open-source web app development framework which was developed by Microsoft in 2018. It help developers to create web apps and user interactive web interface by using C#, CSS and HTML. Its name Blazor comes from two names i.e, Browser and Razor (these are .NET HTML view generating engines). Blazor is a direct rival of Javascript for single-page apps and it uses HTML rather than JavaScript for web app development. And Microsoft’s Blazor offers two hosting models i.e, Blazor WebAssembly and Blazor Server.
It’s a fast, reliable and powerful framework and make the client-side web app development process easier for developers by letting them create interactive UIs with C#, share server-side and client-side app logic in .NET and call javascript from C#. By using Blazor, developers can build client web apps with the development platform they’re comfortable with.
Key Features of Blazor
Here are some top-notch features of Blazor which make this framework stand out:
1. No limitations with HTML and CSS
Blazor uses Razor templates to create UI components. However, the result is shown in the browser as HTML and CSS. It means there’s no limitations with HTML and CSS, you can easily create responsive designs by using every feature and CSS libraries. Also, it enables pre-processes like SASS for additional functionalities including built-in form, input components for high-level of abstraction implementation.
2. Offer Two Hostings
In Blazor vs React, Blazor offers two types of hosting i.e, Blazor server and Blazor WebAssembly. So that developers can easily host their projects and with the help of Razor components, it easily executes code and supports dynamic behavior. It means the former allows you to run .NET apps straight in the browser because WebAssembly did not require a server connection and mainly static websites preferred this.
3. Hot Reload
Hot reload is one of the essential parts of the web app development process where it helps to show output of changes to the application immediately with the .NET 6 to identify mistakes for instant improvement. It helps to save time and improve the web app development process.
4. Virtualization
It’s a technique which helps to limit the UI Rendering and display only the bits which are currently visible to the end-user rather than rendering everything at once. For example – if a customer wants to explore your store’s products with a list of 10,000+ items then a customer will see the list of 100 at each page. So it loads only the first 100 products rather than rendering all 10,000 products at once.
5. Lazy Loading
It’s quite similar to virtualization where Lazy loading is used to increase the performance of your web application by showing on screen which is on-demand. It reduces load time and does not show any other content until it is demanded by the user.
6. Effective Communication with gRPC-Web
gRPC-Web is a popular framework which connects services in and across data centers for effective communication between endpoints. It’s essential to use gRPC for most effective interaction between browser applications and a gRPC server.
7. CSS Isolation
It’s a unique feature that allows developers to clearly define CSS styles for individual components. It means one component style will not affect another component style and has its own unique style component. It helps to increase maintainability and organization of CSS code in large apps to reduce the conflicts and challenges.
React: Overview
React is an open-source javascript library which is especially used by developers for front-end web development. It was created by Meta (Formerly Facebook) in 2013 and it suddenly got huge popularity in short-time. One of the most common reasons for the huge adaptability of React is because it allows developers to reuse their components for both OS without rewriting code. It saves developers time & efforts and faster the web development process. It’s a fast, secure and scalable javascript framework which provides a smooth development experience.
It is commonly used for handling the view layer during both mobile app and web development. Also, it employs webpack that automatically compiles React, JSX and ES6 code while handling CSS file prefixes.
Key Features of React
Here are some most essential features that only React offers when comparing Blazor vs React:
1. JSX (JavaScript Syntax Extension)
It’s a combination of HTML and Javascript. It means you can embed javascript objects inside the HTML elements. It makes the code easy and understandable for developers who have a basic understanding of HTML and JavaScript. It’s not necessary to use JSX but it’s highly recommended to use it in ReactJS.
2. Virtual DOM
One of the essential parts of ReactJs is Virtual DOM. Previously web applications needed to run the whole DOM to process operations and it slowed the performance because of all the load handling at one place. This is where Virtual DOM comes as a savior in Blazor vs React where it takes off the load and keeps the actual DOM free to run the process smoothly.
3. One-way data binding
Another top feature of React is one-way data binding. It provides better control through the application because it has only one-way data binding means no additional features for another data-flow. It makes the application more flexible and efficient.
4. Simplicity
Using React, developers can build applications simply with easy-to-understand code. And that’s all happening because React offers reusable components which help to make the process easier and learnable. By hiring a react js development company, you can build web applications in less time.
5. Reusable Components
Major feature of React is the components. It’s a crucial factor that attracts developers to prefer React for their app development. React has multiple components and each component is reusable that saves lots of time and focuses on scalability.
6. Component Based Architecture
ReactJs offer components based architecture that help in visualization and interactions with content which is on-demand and reduces load time.
7. Extensions
React comes with many extensions that help to create full-fledged UI during mobile app development. It is extended with Flux, and Redux. React Native etc to create an attractive UI.
Blazor vs React: Detailed Comparison
| Blazor |
React |
|
|
Type |
It’s a full framework: client-side (WASM) and server-side (ASP.NET) | It’s a front-end library which focuses on the client UI and interactions with websites. |
|
Developed |
It was developed by Microsoft in 2018. |
It was developed by Meta (Formerly Facebook) in 2013. |
|
Language Support |
It supports C# language. |
It supports JavaScript/JSX/Typescript languages. |
|
Blazor vs React Learning Curve |
Easy to Learn |
Easy to Learn |
|
Bundle Size |
It’s minimal for Blazor server where as low as 393 kb, up to 780 kb for .NET for .NET framework in a client-side WASM app.
|
It’s 12 kb gzipped but only a client render framework not the fullstack. |
|
Performance |
Client-side apps have heavy first time load but server-side are highly performant.
|
It’s lightweight with high performance |
|
Tooling |
It has CLI, Visual Studio and 3rd party options.
|
It has CLU and many 3rd party options. |
|
Blazor vs React Community |
Blazor’s community is still maturing and the environment is still expanding more to adapt the language.
|
ReactJs community is large and active that includes useful libraries, tools and resources available for high-quality app development. |
|
Main Paradigm |
Component-based |
Component-based |
|
UI Rendering |
It’s server-side and client-side |
It’s client-side |
|
Mobile App Development |
It’s possible with MAUI and Blazor hybrid |
It’s possible with React Native |
|
License |
It has Apache License 2.0 |
It has MIT License |
|
Ecosystem |
.NET ecosystem |
JavaScript ecosystem |
Blazor vs React: Which One Is Best For You?
When it comes to web development frameworks then Blazor vs React both are having huge popularity and they come with their own uniqueness and functionalities. So if you want to find out which one is better then you should choose which one is best as per your web development requirements. However, React is always top-choice because it’s a widely accepted and used framework with access to large libraries and tools.
Wrapping Up!
That’s a key difference between Blazor and React and their unique functionalities they offered. We hope this guide helps you understand both frameworks and make the final decision easier because both come with their own uniqueness and uses. So you need to pick the right framework as per your web app development needs. Now, it’s your turn to hire dedicated reactjs developers and build your fully-featured web develop with the help of professionals.
