is jquery dead in 2020

Is jQuery dead in 2024?

jQuery, once the king of frontend JavaScript libraries, isn’t nearly as popular as it once was.

But is its decline in popularity due to superficial “cosmetic issues” or have developers moved on to truly bigger and better technologies?

In other words: is jQuery dead?

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Search around the web, and there is no shortage of blogs with titles proclaiming that jQuery is dead – to the point of extinction.

But do those claims have merit in the real-world web development industry?

We’re checking in with a few of the 155 developers who responded to our poll: Do you still use jQuery for new projects?

There were some interesting patterns in the responses.

Firstly, many developers noted that they bypassed jQuery once they started using React. This may be because of the virtual DOM (as opposed to jQuery’s direct interaction with it), but the data is too incomplete to be conclusive.

Secondly, while the majority of developers polled said they don’t use jQuery for new projects, those who do use it were much more vocal in the comments section.

Here’s what people are saying:

codeChris says he tries not to use jQuery, but there are some big exceptions:

On NEW stuff… I intentionally try not to, but like if an API or plugin uses it  in their documentation i just follow suit, at least for that portion of the code. But I still use jQuery on the daily since alot of the sites I work on were built with it.

codeChris
codeChris comment screenshot

Chris doesn’t go out of his way to use jQuery, but follows suit if the standard is already in place.

In a similar vein, Xero0077 says that it’s ease of integration with current workplace standards that keeps him pushing on with jQuery:

At my job we are rebuilding an app for new clients. Since the original one uses a lot of jQuery for client side validations the new ones will also be made with jQuery. Easier for us that way.

Xero0077

Tyler noted that it was React that motivated him to move on:

[…] Haven\’t touched that since I learned React which been like a year. I really don\’t see a reason for it. […]

Tyler
Tyler Benton comment screenshot

Craig also echoes the React sentiment:

I learned jQuery back in the day.  Once I started learning React, then I stopped using it.  I think that modern javascript can do everything that jQuery can.

Craig

And Candace chimes in as well, making it a React trifecta:

I remember using jQuery years ago and had to transition the company’s website to React framework.

Candace
Candace comment screenshot

Traversy Media has an interesting insight with the animation angle:

Animation is the one area where I think jQuery really comes in handy, especially if you lack CSS skills. As far as DOM, ajax, etc…no need at all for it…but then again you have smaller animation libraries…my opinion of course 🙂

Brad (Traversy Media)
Is jquery dead? Brad Traversy comment screenshot

Traversy makes a good point about jQuery coming to the rescue for CSS animations.

Dan makes the jQuery & Bootstrap connection with a bit of software news, confirming that jQuery is dead in an upcoming version of Bootstrap:

A lot of people only use jQuery because it\’s a dependency of Bootstrap. Bootstrap is dropping jQuery in v5…

Dan

Finally, Robin schools the new kids on the fresh perspective jQuery brought to the web game:

jQuery is what bought the LOVE for javascript! Before jQ showed up, JS was the bane to backend programmers existence due to browsers having their own APIs.  jQ abstracted alot of those differences so that ANY one who knew HTML and CSS could grok JS and build powerful interactive websites quickly.

Robin
Robin comment screenshot

As many of these developers noted, there are still many relevant use cases for jQuery.

However, recent advances in frontend JavaScript libraries and frameworks, along with Web APIs such as fetch() allow developers to achieve the same results (or better) as jQuery without the bloat or speed issues. Often there are better solutions.

So, is jQuery dead?

As MrGilSteiner sagely observes:

He ain’t dead. He just smells funny.

MrGilSteiner

Finally, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel where it’s all about software development. We talk about everything from jobs, to trends, and yes even jQuery smelling funny.

Developers who wonder if jQuery is dead are also reading:

  1. Is jQuery dead?

    jQuery has seen a significant decline in popularity over the past few years. With the rise of frontend JavaScript frameworks like Angular, Vue and React, jQuery’s quirky syntax and often-overwrought implementation has taken a backseat to this new wave of web technology. That said, jQuery still has its uses. For one, it’s been used in countless projects ranging from enterprise ecommerce apps to simple landing pages. Secondly, jQuery is still good for certain things, such as rapid prototyping and even animation if you aren’t good with CSS. jQuery may be outdated but jQuery is not dead.

  2. What is jQuery?

    jQuery is a free, open-source JavaScript library. It’s designed to simplify HTML DOM tree traversal and manipulation. jQuery also simplifies CSS animation, event handling, Ajax and more.

  3. How many websites use jQuery?

    According to Wikipedia, as of 2019 more than 70% of the 10 million most popular websites in the world use jQuery.

  4. Who uses jQuery?

    According to Stackshare, Uber, Udemy, and Twitter are some of the more well-known companies that use jQuery.