jQuery vs Vanilla JS
5 min read
Modern vanilla JS covers most jQuery features: querySelectorAll, fetch, classList, addEventListener. Use jQuery when it is already in the project, when using jQuery-dependent plugins, or maintaining existing code.
When to Use jQuery vs Vanilla JS
| jQuery | Vanilla JS (modern) |
|---|
| $('#el') | document.getElementById() |
| $.ajax() | fetch() |
| $.each() | forEach() |
| $(el).addClass() | el.classList.add() |
Modern browsers support most jQuery features natively. Use jQuery when you need IE11 support or need rapid prototyping.