Nunjucks vs Twig: What are the differences?

Introduction

As website developers, it is important to choose the right templating language that suits our needs. Two popular choices are Nunjucks and Twig. In this article, we will explore the key differences between Nunjucks and Twig, highlighting specific aspects where they differ.

1. Syntax: The syntax in Nunjucks is more similar to JavaScript, whereas Twig has a syntax that resembles typical HTML. Nunjucks uses curly braces and percentage signs for control flow and variable interpolation, while Twig uses double curly braces for variables and control structures like for loops and if statements. This difference in syntax can affect the ease of reading and writing code, depending on the developer's familiarity with JavaScript or HTML.

2. Extensibility: Twig provides a richer set of built-in functions and filters compared to Nunjucks. Additionally, Twig allows developers to define custom functions and filters, enabling more extensibility and flexibility. On the other hand, Nunjucks has a more limited set of built-in functions and filters, which may require additional effort to achieve certain functionality.

3. Security: Twig has built-in security measures that help prevent common web vulnerabilities, such as cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks. It automatically escapes user input by default, ensuring that output is safe for rendering. Nunjucks, on the other hand, does not have this automatic escaping feature, and developers need to take extra precautions to properly escape user-provided data to prevent vulnerabilities.

4. Template Inheritance: Twig offers a powerful template inheritance feature that allows developers to create a base template with predefined blocks, which can be overridden in child templates. This inheritance mechanism promotes code reuse and modular development. Nunjucks also supports template inheritance to some extent but lacks the flexibility and control provided by Twig, as Nunjucks uses a different approach called "macro modules" for reusability.

5. Community and Ecosystem: Twig has a larger and more established community compared to Nunjucks. This means that developers using Twig can benefit from a wider range of resources, tutorials, and integrations available. Nunjucks, while still popular, may have a smaller community and ecosystem, which can limit the availability of support and additional functionality.

6. Performance: Twig is known for its performance optimizations, including a compiled template cache that speeds up rendering. Nunjucks, although generally fast, may not have the same level of optimization as Twig. Depending on the specific use case and performance requirements, this difference in performance can be a factor to consider.

In summary, Nunjucks and Twig have key differences in syntax, extensibility, security measures, template inheritance, community support, and performance optimizations. Choosing between the two ultimately depends on the specific requirements and preferences of the project at hand.