Aurelia vs Svelte: What are the differences?

Introduction

When it comes to front-end development, Aurelia and Svelte are both popular choices among developers. However, there are key differences between the two that can influence a developer's choice when deciding on a framework to use.

1. Language Choice: One key difference between Aurelia and Svelte is the programming languages they use. Aurelia is written in ECMAScript 6 (ES6) and TypeScript, while Svelte is written in a language called Svelte, which is then compiled to highly efficient JavaScript code during build time.

2. Approach to DOM Updates: Aurelia follows a reactive approach to updating the DOM, where changes trigger updates to the UI. In contrast, Svelte takes a compile-time approach, where the framework compiles the code to optimized JavaScript that updates the DOM directly rather than through a virtual DOM.

3. Bundle Size: Svelte shines in terms of bundle size compared to Aurelia. Svelte's compiler optimizes and removes unnecessary code during the build process, resulting in smaller bundle sizes and improved performance.

4. Learning Curve: Aurelia has a steeper learning curve compared to Svelte. Svelte's simplicity and intuitive syntax make it easier for developers to pick up and start building applications quickly.

5. Community and Ecosystem: Aurelia has a mature community and ecosystem, while Svelte's community is relatively new but rapidly growing. Developers might find more resources and plugins available for Aurelia, while Svelte's ecosystem is expanding with time.

6. Reactivity: While both Aurelia and Svelte support reactivity, Svelte offers a more efficient way of handling reactivity through its reactive declarations and functions, resulting in better performance in complex applications.

In Summary, Aurelia and Svelte differ in their language choice, approach to DOM updates, bundle size, learning curve, community and ecosystem, and reactivity handling.