If you're just starting your coding journey or looking to level up your skills, you might be wondering whether to learn JavaScript or TypeScript. JavaScript is the most popular programming language for web development, but TypeScript is gaining traction for its strong typing and other helpful features. In this article, I'll share seven reasons why beginners should choose TypeScript over JavaScript. Let's dive in!
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- What Are JavaScript and TypeScript?
- Reasons why Beginners should to choose TypeScript Over JavaScript
- Conclusion
- Socials
Introduction
What Are JavaScript and TypeScript?
JavaScript is the Swiss Army knife of web development. It powers interactivity on websites, from dropdown menus to online games. However, with great power comes great responsibility, and JavaScript has a few quirks that can be tricky for beginners.
Enter TypeScript, JavaScript’s superhero cousin. TypeScript adds strong typing and other helpful features that make your code more predictable and easier to maintain. Think of TypeScript as JavaScript with training wheels. It helps you catch errors early and write more reliable code.
7 Reasons why Beginners should to choose TypeScript Over JavaScript in 2025
1. Learning Made Easier (Really!) ✨
Contrary to what some might think, TypeScript doesn't make learning harder, Believe I used to think that too but then I faced my fears and tried it out.
TypeScript makes learning JavaScript easier. How? Have you ever spent hours debugging a typo or a missing semicolon in your JavaScript code? TypeScript catches these errors before you even run your program.
Those red squiggly lines in your IDE? They're not enemies. They're like little learning assistants showing you exactly what needs attention. but now you think you have to master TS before you can start building projects, right? Wrong! Check out the next point.
const greet = (name: string): string => {
return `Hello, ${name}!`
}
// If you mistakenly pass a number, TypeScript will flag an error.
greet(42) // Error: Argument of type 'number' is not assignable to parameter of type 'string'.
2. Gradual Learning Curve 📈
I started using TypeScript exactly a year ago to be precise in 2023, I started building a project for programatic SEO named Maths Calculators. I didn't know TypeScript at all, but I was able to start building my project with just a basic understanding of the language. I used type, number, string and boolean types, and that was enough to get me started.
let username: string = "JohnDoe";
let age: number = 25;
let isAdmin: boolean = false;
As I built more features and projects, I learned more about TypeScript's advanced features, like interfaces and generics.
I loved using Chakra UI as a UI framework which have excellent TypeScript support, I was able to learn more about TypeScript like interfaces and generics. As I grew more comfortable with TypeScript, I started using more advanced features like type inference, Omit, and Partial.
Partial is my personal favourite, it allows you to make all the properties of an object optional. I like to think of it as a "friends with benefits" relationship. You get auto-completion in your IDE, but you're not committed to the properties.
interface User {
name: string;
age: number;
isAdmin?: boolean;
}
const user: Partial<User> = {
name: "John",
}; // All properties optional
3. Future-Proof Your Skills 🤹♀️
Major companies like Microsoft, Google, and Airbnb use TypeScript. By learning TypeScript, you’re investing in a skill that’s in high demand.
Popular frameworks with TypeScript support:
- React
- Vue
- Angular
- Node.js
- GraphQL
- Chakra UI
- Chakra Framer
- TypeScript
- TypeORM
- NestJS
- Prisma
- Next.js
- List goes on and on...
4. Easy Refactoring 🛠️
I think refactoring is what I do the most in my projects. I'm always looking for ways to make my code cleaner and more maintainable.
TypeScript makes refactoring a breeze. When you change a function's signature or rename a variable using Ctrl + Shift + R or F2 in VSCode, TypeScript will show you all the places in your code that need to be updated. This saves you time and helps you avoid introducing bugs.
5. Better for Large-Scale Applications 🏰
I have built dozens of projects by now and I can tell you that TypeScript is a game-changer for large-scale applications. Here's why:
- Predictable code
- Fewer bugs in production
- Easier collaboration in teams
- Better code maintainability
- Faster onboarding for new developers (like me and you)
- Improved developer experience aka DX
6. Growing Community and Ecosystem 🌱
TypeScript has a large, active community that shares tips, tricks, and best practices.
My top resources for learning TypeScript:
7. Career Opportunities 🚀
This is a big one. Back to start of 2023 I was looking our for opportunities to work with remote companies, and guess what? Most of them were looking for developers with TypeScript skills and GraphQL. I had already started learning GraphQL and now I was learning TypeScript. I was able to land a job with a remote company that was using TypeScript and was planing to use GraphQL. I was able to hit the ground running because I had already been using TypeScript in my personal projects.
But as a beginner, you might be thinking, "I'm just starting out. Why should I worry about future job opportunities?" Well, TypeScript is a skill that's in high demand, and learning it now can give you a head start in your career. Plus, TypeScripts is used on every other Frontend Framework like React, Vue, Svelte, Angular and even on the backend with Node.js.
Bonus: Compiler Magic 🧙♂️
The TypeScript compiler provides unique advantages:
- Type Checking: TypeScript catches errors before you run your code.
- Code Completion: TypeScript provides intelligent code completion based on the types in your code.
- Refactoring: TypeScript helps you rename variables and functions across your codebase.
- Code Navigation: TypeScript allows you to jump to the definition of a variable or function.
- Code Formatting: TypeScript can format your code according to your preferences.
- Code Linting: TypeScript can enforce coding standards and best practices.
- Code Documentation: TypeScript can generate documentation for your code.
- Code Transformation: TypeScript can transform your code to different versions of JavaScript.
- Code Bundling: TypeScript can bundle your code for deployment.
- Code Splitting: TypeScript can split your code into smaller chunks for better performance.
Conclusion
TypeScript is a powerful tool that helps you write better code, catch bugs early, and future-proof your skills. If you’re just starting out, TypeScript might be the perfect choice for you. If you have any questions or need help getting started with TypeScript, feel free to reach out to via below social media handles. I'm always happy to help fellow developers on their coding journey. Happy coding!🎉
Top comments (45)
Typescript is not bad at the end but JSDoc is fare more versatile, compatible with TS, even use TS types from TS module, but can work without compiling. JSDoc vs TS
JSDoc can't enforce type checks like TS, without enforcing half of the team won't care.
Bigger the team - more benefits from Typescript.
I used to be a TS hater and advocated for JSDoc once.
JSDoc can also configure to force type check, without extra
// @ts-checkWith
tsc? No, thanks, JSDoc is for documentation, can put examples and links there.Can't put more or less complex types in JSDoc btw, generics for example, maybe on closure compiler only, debug types also harder.
JsDoc can’t replace TS and using it with TS is just great for big teams
JSDoc can use all complex type solution, even generic: (take look this npm module, written in JSDoc)[npmjs.com/package/jsdoc-duck]
Less than 100 LOC, and seems like nobody uses it. Not a good example.
Types will never be fully properly supported in JSDoc.
github.com/microsoft/TypeScript/is...
github.com/microsoft/TypeScript/is...
I tried to use JSDoc for types myself, it's a pain, and no benefits, way worse than Typescript.
But good to put usage examples and link to docs there
Thx for your comments.
I brought to table that npm module, because a first I created a good reason - make a useReducer typesafe and easier handle. I don't beleive a too many code lines if problem can be solved a much lighter way.
Main reasion this npm module is proof the JSDoc Generic working perfect and make a life easier.
I even know hard to argue the typesafe useReducer is a valuable stuff, or even hard to argue react is neccecary framework for so many project, currently I try explore the pure html development instead using any freamwork - that why don't spend time to improve that library.
On pure html the JSDoc also hyper helpfull.
Reinventing the wheel every time is a bad idea. Way easier when you have framework/tool and documentation with stack overflow answers.
You will get it if you work on a bigger project with many people.
Good advice. Maybe easier way still exist, maybe sometimes worth to try another way. I am work on a bigger project with many people ( bit legacy react stuff - 3-7yeard old code ). This is push me to JSDoc direction, because in this project we don't have option to rewrite a full code to TS.
Pure HTML way comming: our deployment process is painfull slow on AWS, so I trying what is the difference between no build, no compile, no framework coding vs. standard framework using. And my first impression is surprising fine, like the lost your chain. ( dependency chain )
Can enable
allowJsand start rewriting file by file, obstacle if it is management decision.I remember how Frontend development started, it was pure JS + JQuery, no frameworks. People started to invent things, it was so messy that can't possibly figure out somebody else code if everything written from scratch. That how frameworks got popular. Frameworks gives solution to very common tasks and make code somehow readable.
AWS is a problem, builders are fine, things like Vite at least fast enough, only Next.js still slow af.
Actually JSDoc is great option if you want suggestions without committing to ts and its sometimes complicated type errors. I do use JSDoc in Ts or Js project for documentations of helpers and utilities
It's easy to forget that just because you are writing typescript it's just same old dodgy JavaScript at runetime with many many weird edgecases!
Not learning Javascript is like saying you are chef if you can make yourself breakfast.
Cant agree more
Vanilla Javascript is much simpler yet efficient and if one has good programming skills and does coding properly, it's very fast. No need to typecast all variable.s in fact that's strength of JavaScript. Why to add layers on the language which is interpreted and then make it compiled language.
So you get less runtime errors... And yes, that happens a lot. People change function implementations all the time. If some function return type changes and your code that uses that function expects an object with a certain property to be returned and its suddenly not available anymore, you're dead.
Thats a very good point. TS is must have for such refactoring
Today only i was building a temporary server. Started with js and then realised i have keep types of functions parameters in check and altered the files to index.js to index.ts 😂😂😂
IMO, JavaScript's implicit nature is much easier to learn than TypeScripts explicit nature.
JavaScript's makes it easier for beginners to jump into coding without needing to understand types or deal with strict errors. Especially for smaller projects they are typically working on, TypeScript can feel like over engineering.
I personally stay away from TypeScript because I can write my own JavaScript, thank you. And because I'm cognizant that dynamic typing is not a crutch, but a super power.
This one's obvious. JavaScript's ability to inherently operates without requiring additional type annotations and configurations upfront, which can slow down prototyping.
Also, JavaScript can "Just get it working" quickly, running directly in browsers or environments like Node.js without a compile step like TypeScript requires.
Also, JavaScript's polymorphisms is seamless, built-in without needing to configuring overloads or generics. While TypeScript can do this with any or unions, it's a conscious choice rather than an automatic and natural behavior.
In a nutshell, JavaScript defaults to flexibility and makes it more natural to fit where dynamic behavior is a first-class requirement. Its superpower is the ability to keep things simple and dynamic and never enforce structures unless it is really necessary.
Thanks for the article.
I agree with your point about the "compile step" and the initial configuration challenges of TypeScript—I’ve spent a fair amount of time getting it right myself.
That said, I don’t see myself going back to JavaScript. TypeScript has saved me from countless bugs, especially those caused by simple typos. And when it comes to refactoring, TypeScript is a game-changer.
I do a lot of refactoring since I’m often the one maintaining the codebase in most of the projects I work on. With TypeScript, I can make sweeping changes confidently, knowing the type system will catch any mistakes.
For me, the upfront investment in setup and learning TypeScript pays off exponentially in the long run, especially for larger or long-lived projects.
I completely understand what you're thinking. Long term though, it's a Microsoft language. They will force you to upgrade some historically speaking.
lol so true
Great insights! I'm curious, is it worth starting with TypeScript for a small project, or should I stick to JavaScript until I build something bigger?
Best way to learn is by applying it.
I use to hate TS, now I can't imagine going back to JS again. I recommend to start with TS right away.
Feeling is mutual
definetly, start small for better trackability
I thought JS doesn't require semicolons?
Semicolon is needed, just most of the times JS can correctly assume it's location, but not always.
Oh this is new to me. I will keep this in mind
Thats an optional thing. it works with and without it. I prefer facing without semis
TypeScript definitely feels like a superpower after reading this! The gradual learning curve you mentioned is such a relief for beginners like me
Happy that article helped with yo TS journey
Typescript with deno is also good start where you can just start using typescript without worrying about anything.
Actually that’s a thought. I haven’t tried deno but i should now
Typescript FTW in JS world since people are writing such a sh*tty code its ridiculous.
We all start from JS. But yeah I cant imagine myself writing code without TS. Code auto complete and lint as big help avoiding ridiculous typos can make you waste 2 whole days.
You’ve explained why TypeScript is such a game-changer
hey thanks
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