835: How to Pick a JavaScript Framework

Listen to this episode from Syntax - Tasty Web Development Treats on Spotify. Do you really need a framework? Scott and Wes bring on CJ to break down when frameworks like Vue, Svelte, and Astro are worth it—and when they might just add complexity. They dive into everything from rendering strategies to auth solutions, deployment options, and how to choose the right tool for the job. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:32 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 03:17 What is a framework? Syntax Meetup San Francisco. 08:21 Examples of frameworks for Vue, Svelte and Angular. 12:39 What questions do you need to answer? 12:44 What or where do you need to ship? 14:12 How do you render it? 18:22 Where are you deploying it? 24:03 How do you store data? 24:09 Existing API. 26:03 Integrated server. 26:22 Database. Supabase. 26:59 Does it have RPC or server actions? 34:27 Do you need authentication? 38:45 Auth packages. LuciaJS. Lucia announcement. Lucia preview. NPM Arctic Oauth. Auth utilities. Better-Auth. Scott’s Drop-In Auth. 42:10 Does it include email? 42:52 What does the TypeScript story look like? 43:32 How does it handle images? 44:35 How do we work with CSS? 46:02 How long has it been around? 47:37 How mature is the ecosystem? 48:35 Is there community support? 50:21 Portability. 51:18 Hiring. 52:17 Sick Pick + Shameless Plugs. Sick Picks CJ: Infinite Health. Scott: USB A to C adapters. Wes: Citric Acid. Shameless Plugs Scott: Syntax on YouTube Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads