The Hidden Costs of JavaScript Frameworks:
Why Fundamentals Still Matter

Published December 2, 2024  |  by Roger Soucy

In the modern web landscape, JavaScript frameworks are nearly impossible to avoid. React, AngularJS, Vue, and jQuery have become staples of web development projects big and small. They offer a plethora of built-in features, active communities, and a faster way to prototype and ship interactive web applications.

But beneath the surface of convenience lies a quiet, growing issue: overreliance on frameworks without a true understanding of core JavaScript or basic programming principles. This trend is not only a technical liability—it can lead to bloated codebases, sluggish performance, and long-term maintenance headaches.

In this post, we’ll explore how overusing JavaScript frameworks can harm your site’s efficiency, readability, and scalability—and why going back to the fundamentals often leads to better outcomes for both clients and developers.

The Promise of Frameworks

JavaScript frameworks were designed to solve real problems. They simplify tasks like DOM manipulation, routing, and state management. Frameworks can speed up development, standardize code across teams, and eliminate cross-browser quirks.

For startups and agencies facing tight deadlines, using frameworks can seem like a no-brainer. Why reinvent the wheel when someone has already built the entire car?

The problem isn’t the frameworks themselves—it's the way they’re used.

When Frameworks Become a Crutch

Too often, developers turn to frameworks before learning how JavaScript truly works. We see jQuery used to toggle classes that could be handled with a single line of vanilla JS. React used for websites that don’t require dynamic routing or state management. Angular used for a basic form validation job.

Frameworks become the go-to tool for everything, even when they’re not the right tool for the job.

This creates several issues:

• Increased page weight: Every kilobyte matters, especially on mobile connections. Loading a full JavaScript framework to power a contact form is overkill. Somewhere around 2005, this was forgotten.
• Slower performance: Frameworks abstract away complexity—but those abstractions cost something. Sites can suffer from slower load times and poor Lighthouse scores.
• Harder onboarding: New team members must learn the specifics of the framework rather than JavaScript itself. This increases training time and makes code harder to maintain long-term. Alternatively, it leads to a development team that really only works with one framework.
• Dependency risk: Relying heavily on external libraries means inheriting their bugs, security issues, and update cycles. And if the framework ceases development, your site could be stuck with legacy code.
• Overengineered code: Frameworks encourage component-based architectures, which can be brilliant—or completely unnecessary for the project at hand. Many developers also struggle with where to define the limits of components, and how granular is too granular.

Core JavaScript Is More Than Enough—Most of the Time

Today’s browsers are powerful and increasingly standardized. What once required a library like jQuery is now natively supported by JavaScript and the DOM API.

Consider the following:

• Want to fetch data from an API? Use fetch().
• Need to animate elements? Try requestAnimationFrame() or CSS transitions.
• Building modal windows or tabs? A few lines of vanilla JavaScript can suffice.

Understanding native JavaScript gives you full control over your code and unlocks powerful capabilities without loading unnecessary libraries. It's also easy to miss new innovations in vanilla JavaScript, such as ES6 Modules, Classes, and modern Web APIs, when using frameworks that abstract or implement them in a non-standard way.

The Maintenance Burden

Websites and applications are living things. They evolve over time, and their code must be updated, patched, and optimized.

Framework-heavy projects often run into these challenges:

• Breaking changes with major framework updates
• Version lock-in, where upgrading causes regressions
• Inconsistent coding practices when multiple developers use the same framework differently
• Third-party plugin incompatibility requiring more workaround code

The result is a codebase that’s fragile, difficult to troubleshoot, and expensive to maintain.

When Frameworks Do Make Sense

To be clear: JavaScript frameworks have their place.

React is great for building SPAs (Single Page Applications) with complex state. Angular is a powerful enterprise-grade tool. Vue is excellent for modular front-end work.

The key is using them strategically, not reflexively. Before reaching for a framework, ask:

• Is this framework solving a problem I actually have?
• Will it improve performance, or add weight?
• Am I introducing unnecessary complexity?
• Do I or my team fully understand what this framework is doing under the hood?
• How will this be supported in a year? Two? Three?

If the answer to those questions is unclear, it’s probably worth re-evaluating your stack.

Teaching the Next Generation of Developers

At Elusive Concepts, we prioritize fundamental understanding. We build websites and applications that are lean, maintainable, and purpose-driven. We encourage our clients and junior developers alike to explore how things work—not just what libraries can do for them.

By investing in foundational skills, developers can work more creatively, debug more effectively, and avoid common pitfalls that come from blindly following tutorials or framework conventions.

Final Thoughts: A Call for Thoughtful Development

Frameworks aren’t inherently bad—they’re tools. But like any tool, they must be used correctly, with intent and skill. The overuse of JavaScript frameworks often stems from inexperience or habit, not technical necessity.

When you understand the fundamentals of JavaScript, you gain the freedom to choose when and how to use a framework—and when to leave it behind.

At Elusive Concepts, we design and develop websites with clarity, purpose, and longevity in mind. By putting core knowledge at the center of our development process, we’re able to deliver fast, flexible solutions tailored to each project’s real needs—not someone else’s abstraction.