What Are the Main Differences Between Yew and React, and How to Choose the Right Framework?

Comparative Analysis of Yew vs React

Yew and React are both modern front-end frameworks, but they have significant differences in language, runtime, and performance.

Core Differences Comparison

Feature	Yew	React
Programming Language	Rust	JavaScript/TypeScript
Runtime	WebAssembly (Wasm)	JavaScript
Type System	Static Strong Typing	Dynamic Typing (Optional TypeScript)
Compile Time	Compile to Wasm	JIT Compilation
Performance	Near-native	Depends on JS Engine Optimization
Bundle Size	Larger (includes Wasm runtime)	Smaller
Learning Curve	Steeper (need to learn Rust)	Gentler
Ecosystem	Newer, Smaller	Mature, Large
Development Tools	Limited	Rich (DevTools, ESLint, etc.)

Code Example Comparison

Component Definition

Yew:

rust
use yew::prelude::*;

#[function_component(HelloWorld)]
fn hello_world() -> Html {
    html! {
        <div class="greeting">
            <h1>{ "Hello, World!" }</h1>
        </div>
    }
}

React:

jsx
function HelloWorld() {
    return (
        <div className="greeting">
            <h1>Hello, World!</h1>
        </div>
    );
}

State Management

Yew:

rust
#[function_component(Counter)]
fn counter() -> Html {
    let counter = use_state(|| 0);
    
    let onclick = {
        let counter = counter.clone();
        Callback::from(move |_| counter.set(*counter + 1))
    };
    
    html! {
        <div>
            <button onclick={onclick}>{ "Increment" }</button>
            <p>{ *counter }</p>
        </div>
    }
}

React:

jsx
function Counter() {
    const [counter, setCounter] = useState(0);
    
    return (
        <div>
            <button onClick={() => setCounter(counter + 1)}>Increment</button>
            <p>{counter}</p>
        </div>
    );
}

Props Passing

Yew:

rust
#[derive(Properties, PartialEq)]
pub struct ButtonProps {
    pub label: String,
    #[prop_or_default]
    pub disabled: bool,
    pub onclick: Callback<MouseEvent>,
}

#[function_component(Button)]
fn button(props: &ButtonProps) -> Html {
    html! {
        <button 
            disabled={props.disabled}
            onclick={props.onclick.clone()}
        >
            { &props.label }
        </button>
    }
}

React:

jsx
function Button({ label, disabled = false, onClick }) {
    return (
        <button disabled={disabled} onClick={onClick}>
            {label}
        </button>
    );
}

Performance Comparison

Execution Performance

Yew Advantages:

• Compiled to WebAssembly, execution speed near-native code
• Rust's zero-cost abstractions and optimizations
• Better memory management and safety
• Suitable for compute-intensive tasks

React Advantages:

• Continuous JavaScript engine optimization
• Faster initial load time (no Wasm runtime needed)
• Faster hot reload and development experience

Benchmark Scenarios

Scenario	Yew	React
Simple List Rendering	Comparable	Comparable
Complex Computation	Faster	Slower
Large App Startup	Slower	Faster
DOM Operations	Comparable	Comparable

Development Experience Comparison

Yew Development Experience

Pros:

• Type safety, compile-time error detection
• Better code maintainability
• Rust's toolchain (cargo, clippy)
• Strong concurrency support

Cons:

• Longer compilation times
• Wasm debugging relatively difficult
• Smaller ecosystem
• Steeper learning curve

React Development Experience

Pros:

• Rapid development iteration
• Rich ecosystem and libraries
• Mature development tools
• Large community support

Cons:

• Runtime errors
• Type safety requires TypeScript
• Performance optimization requires more manual work

Use Cases

Scenarios for Choosing Yew

1. High Performance Requirements: Applications requiring heavy computation or data processing
2. Security Sensitive: Finance, healthcare, and other high-security domains
3. Rust Teams: Teams familiar with Rust language
4. Long-term Maintenance: Large projects requiring long-term maintenance and stability
5. WebAssembly Advantages: Need to fully utilize Wasm capabilities

Scenarios for Choosing React

1. Rapid Prototyping: Need fast development and iteration
2. JS Familiar Teams: Teams primarily using JavaScript/TypeScript
3. Ecosystem Needs: Need to use rich third-party libraries
4. Development Efficiency: Prioritize development speed over runtime performance
5. Traditional Web Apps: Typical CRUD applications

Migration Considerations

Migrating from React to Yew

Challenges:

• Need to learn Rust language
• Rewrite all components and logic
• Adapt to different APIs and patterns
• Ecosystem differences

Benefits:

• Better performance
• Type safety
• Fewer runtime errors

Migrating from Yew to React

Challenges:

• Lose type safety (unless using TypeScript)
• Performance may decrease
• Need to adapt to different development patterns

Benefits:

• Faster development speed
• Richer ecosystem
• Better development tools

Future Outlook

Yew:

• WebAssembly ecosystem continues to develop
• Rust front-end community growth
• Toolchain and debugging tools improvement

React:

• Server Components and RSC
• Better performance optimization
• Continue to dominate the front-end market

Conclusion

Choosing between Yew and React depends on project requirements, team skills, and long-term goals. Yew offers better performance and type safety but requires higher learning costs; React offers better development experience and ecosystem but may compromise on performance and type safety.