jQuery vs React
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A JavaScript library that simplifies finding and changing web page elements and handling events and AJAX.
Open source · MIT
A JavaScript library for building interactive user interfaces out of reusable components.
Our verdict
jQuery is a small, long-established library for selecting page elements, changing them, handling events, and making AJAX calls, and it suits maintaining existing sites or plugins that already rely on it. React is a library for building interactive interfaces from reusable components that update as data changes, and it suits new or growing front-end projects. They solve overlapping problems in different ways, so for a new interactive app React is usually the more relevant choice, while jQuery fits legacy work.
Pick jQuery if you are maintaining an existing website or plugin that already depends on it and you want to keep changes small.
Pick React if you are building a new interactive web interface or want to reuse the same component model for mobile apps via React Native.
| Key difference | jQuery | React |
|---|---|---|
| Core approach | Shorter, consistent ways to select and change page elements | Describe the UI for each data state; React redraws only what changes |
| Setup | Beginner difficulty; build from source needs Node.js and git | Intermediate difficulty; install with a package manager, plus other tools for routing and data |
| Scope | Utility library for DOM, events, and AJAX; not positioned as a full app framework | UI library only; routing and data tooling must be chosen separately |
| Support status | 3.x gets only critical updates; 2.x and 1.x unsupported | Large, active project with documentation at react.dev |
| Community size | 59.8k GitHub stars; large existing plugin ecosystem | 252k GitHub stars; actively updated, last code update in the last day |
Written with AI from both products' catalogue entries · updated 2026-10-29
Who each one is for
Choose jQuery if you need…
- Developers maintaining existing websites or plugins that already depend on jQuery
- Developers who want a custom, smaller build containing only the modules they use
- Students learning how DOM manipulation and events work in older web code
Choose React if you need…
- Developers building interactive web interfaces with JavaScript
- Teams adding React gradually to an existing project, as the README describes
- Developers who want to reuse the same component model for mobile apps via React Native
- Students learning how modern front-end UIs are structured
Side-by-side
| jQuery | React | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 59.8k | 252k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Clone and build from source | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Last code update | 5 days ago | 6 days ago |
What each one is
jQuery
jQuery is a JavaScript library for working with web pages. It offers shorter, consistent ways to select page elements, change them, respond to user events, and make AJAX requests. The README describes it as a library you can use in browsers and also in Node and other non-browser environments. You can build a full copy or a custom one that includes only the modules you need.
React
React is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces. You describe what the screen should look like for each state of your data, and React updates and redraws only the parts that change. It is built around components, small self-contained pieces of UI that you combine into larger screens. The README also says React can render on the server with Node and power mobile apps through React Native.
Best for
jQuery
- Developers maintaining existing websites or plugins that already depend on jQuery
- Developers who want a custom, smaller build containing only the modules they use
- Students learning how DOM manipulation and events work in older web code
React
- Developers building interactive web interfaces with JavaScript
- Teams adding React gradually to an existing project, as the README describes
- Developers who want to reuse the same component model for mobile apps via React Native
- Students learning how modern front-end UIs are structured
Strengths
jQuery
- Widely documented and used, with a large existing ecosystem of plugins
- Modular build system lets you exclude features like animation or AJAX to reduce size
- MIT licensed and actively maintained, with version 4.0.0 released
React
- Declarative views make code easier to predict and debug, according to the README
- Adopts incrementally, so it can be added to an existing project without rewriting it
- Large, active project with an MIT license and a documented site at react.dev
Not ideal for
jQuery
- New projects that want modern framework features, since the README does not position jQuery as a full application framework
- Teams that need the 2.x or 1.x branches, which the README says are no longer supported
- Projects needing security patches on 3.x beyond critical updates, since 3.x receives only critical-only support
React
- People who want a complete, opinionated framework with routing and data fetching built in, since the README says React makes no assumptions about the rest of your stack and points to a separate toolchain for new projects
- Non-programmers looking for a no-code website builder
Trade-offs
jQuery
- The README notes that 3.x gets only critical updates and 2.x and 1.x are unsupported
- Modern browsers offer many built-in APIs that overlap with jQuery features
- Building from source requires Node.js and git, which adds setup for non-developers
React
- It is a UI library only, so you must choose and add other tools for routing, data, and build setup
- The README's examples use JSX, a syntax extension that adds a learning step, though the README notes JSX is not strictly required
Getting started
jQuery
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/jquery/jquery.gitInstall dependencies and build
cd jquery && npm install && npm run buildReact
Install React and React DOM from npm
npm install react react-domFrequently asked questions
Should I use jQuery or React?
jQuery is a small, long-established library for selecting page elements, changing them, handling events, and making AJAX calls, and it suits maintaining existing sites or plugins that already rely on it. React is a library for building interactive interfaces from reusable components that update as data changes, and it suits new or growing front-end projects. They solve overlapping problems in different ways, so for a new interactive app React is usually the more relevant choice, while jQuery fits legacy work. Pick jQuery if you are maintaining an existing website or plugin that already depends on it and you want to keep changes small. Pick React if you are building a new interactive web interface or want to reuse the same component model for mobile apps via React Native.
What is the difference between jQuery and React?
jQuery: A JavaScript library that simplifies finding and changing web page elements and handling events and AJAX. React: A JavaScript library for building interactive user interfaces out of reusable components. jQuery suits developers maintaining existing websites or plugins that already depend on jquery, while React suits developers building interactive web interfaces with javascript.
Are jQuery and React free?
jQuery: Free and open source. React: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, jQuery or React?
jQuery is easier to get started with (rated beginner); React is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is jQuery or React more popular?
React has more GitHub stars (252k) than jQuery (59.8k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to jQuery and React?
Other options people compare them with include Svelte, Angular, Preact, FoldingCell, RAMAnimatedTabBarController.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.