Comparing Routing in React, Vue, and Svelte

Routing is a fundamental part of modern web applications, allowing users to navigate between different pages and components seamlessly. In this blog, we’ll compare how routing works in React, Vue, and Svelte to help you understand the differences and choose the best approach for your project.

---

1️⃣ React Router

How Routing Works in React

React doesn’t come with built-in routing, so developers typically use React Router, a third-party library, to manage navigation.

Installation:

npm install react-router-dom

Defining Routes:

import { BrowserRouter as Router, Routes, Route, Link } from 'react-router-dom';
import Home from './Home';
import About from './About';

function App() {
  return (
    <Router>
      <nav>
        <Link to="/">Home</Link>
        <Link to="/about">About</Link>
      </nav>
      <Routes>
        <Route path="/" element={<Home />} />
        <Route path="/about" element={<About />} />
      </Routes>
    </Router>
  );
}

export default App;

Pros:

✅ Flexible and powerful
✅ Large ecosystem and community support
✅ Supports dynamic routing via useParams

Cons:

❌ Requires additional setup
❌ More boilerplate code compared to Vue and Svelte

---

2️⃣ Vue Router

How Routing Works in Vue

Vue provides Vue Router, which integrates smoothly with Vue’s reactivity system and supports both history and hash-based routing.

Installation:

npm install vue-router

Defining Routes:

import { createRouter, createWebHistory } from 'vue-router';
import Home from './Home.vue';
import About from './About.vue';

const routes = [
  { path: '/', component: Home },
  { path: '/about', component: About }
];

const router = createRouter({
  history: createWebHistory(),
  routes,
});

export default router;

Using Routes in Vue Components:

<template>
  <nav>
    <router-link to="/">Home</router-link>
    <router-link to="/about">About</router-link>
  </nav>
  <router-view></router-view>
</template>

Pros:

✅ Simple and intuitive
✅ Built-in support in the Vue ecosystem
✅ Less boilerplate than React

Cons:

❌ Slightly less customizable than React Router

---

3️⃣ Svelte Routing

How Routing Works in Svelte

Svelte does not have built-in routing, but you can use svelte-routing or @sveltejs/kit for routing functionality.

Installation:

npm install @sveltejs/kit

Defining Routes (SvelteKit):

SvelteKit uses file-based routing, which means the folder structure defines routes.

/routes/
  index.svelte   --> "Home Page"
  about.svelte   --> "About Page"

Using Routes in SvelteKit:

<!-- src/routes/+layout.svelte -->
<nav>
  <a href="/">Home</a>
  <a href="/about">About</a>
</nav>
<slot />

Pros:

✅ No need to manually define routes (file-based routing)
✅ Less boilerplate and simpler than React and Vue
✅ Optimized for performance with SSR support

Cons:

❌ Smaller ecosystem compared to React and Vue
❌ Less flexibility compared to React Router

---

🔥 Key Differences

Feature	React Router	Vue Router	Svelte Routing
Type	Third-party library	Official package	File-based (SvelteKit)
Boilerplate	More setup needed	Less than React	Least setup (SvelteKit)
Ecosystem	Largest	Well-supported	Smaller
Flexibility	Highly flexible	Balanced	Simple and opinionated

---

🎯 Which One Should You Choose?

• If you want flexibility & control: Go with React Router.
• If you want a balance between ease of use and power: Choose Vue Router.
• If you prefer simplicity & file-based routing: Svelte (SvelteKit) is the best option.

Each framework has its strengths, so your choice depends on the project requirements. 🚀 Happy coding!