Commercial JavaScript UI components have become an indispensable part of a modern technology stack for delivering comprehensive web apps. As providers of commercial JavaScript components for business apps with many years of experience in the industry, we can say that some dev teams and business owners listen to controversial opinions on commercial JS tools, making them doubt the adoption of such products in real projects. Are these opinions complete misconceptions, or do they have some grounds?
Let’s delve into the topic and examine eight questionable claims about commercial JavaScript components, explaining why they should be viewed with skepticism.
1) It is better to use open-source alternatives than commercial JS components
The pace of open-source software development grows from year to year. For instance, developers worldwide made nearly one billion contributions to open-source and public repositories on GitHub last year. It is indeed right to say that open-source libraries enable the implementation of some great features without incurring any costs.
Source: Octoverse 2024
But will it be a reasonable solution for a complex enterprise application in the long run? Probably not, and here is why. With open-source solutions, you don’t have any guarantees on security, support, and further updates of the product, which are crucial for any project that aims to grow and scale over time. Open-source projects are developed and maintained by enthusiasts, therefore, it is tough to predict further development of such products. And finally, it can become a real headache to implement advanced functionalities like a Gantt chart, scheduling calendar, grid table, spreadsheet, etc. with the use of free tools, which often lack required features.
2) Commercial JS components are too heavy and slow
Optimized performance plays a crucial role in the success of web applications, especially in business-focused projects where speed and responsiveness directly impact user satisfaction and conversion rates. Web developers are commonly requested to pay special attention to this aspect when delivering apps. And it is not surprising that they want to be sure about the performance capabilities of the tools they use in their work.
Some commercial UI libraries may seem too heavy and overloaded with unnecessary features, making people think that they will be too slow in real-world scenarios. But such libraries usually offer modular architectures, meaning that only the needed components can be selected for the project. Like any other responsible vendor, we also complement our components with popular performance optimization techniques such as lazy loading and virtual scrolling for handling large datasets efficiently.
3) You become limited in customization capabilities
Specifications of modern web applications often include certain requirements that can hardly be implemented with the default features of any ready-made tool. That is why it is problematic to go without any customizations, and some developers fear that commercial libraries cannot be adjusted to fit their needs. But high-quality commercial libraries usually settle such doubts with a range of options for customization:
- Extensive and well-documented APIs
- Demonstrations of possible customizations with live samples and demo apps
- Multiple configuration options
- Customizable built-in themes
- Support for CSS classes and variables
For instance, the DHTMLX-based Gantt chart with default settings looks as follows:
Using the extensive API of our Gantt component, you can enhance the functionality and style of your Gantt chart:
With so many options at hand, it should be much easier to perform deep customizations for overriding default behaviors, injecting custom logic, and changing the appearance of a given component.
4) These tools are hard to integrate with modern frameworks
In today’s development landscape, front-end frameworks are essential for delivering fast and scalable web applications. No wonder that Statista named React the most popular technology skill in the JavaScript tech stack in 2024. The belief that commercial libraries don’t play well with modern front-end frameworks is largely outdated.
Reputable vendors provide wrappers for widely used frameworks such as React, Angular, Vue, and Svelte to ensure seamless integration with them. As for DHTMLX, we also prioritize compatibility to meet developer needs. For instance, we’ve recently rolled out DHTMLX React Gantt, ensuring a native React experience with our Gantt component. Here is an example of our React Gantt chart with the critical path:
Also, we offer integration demos that vividly demonstrate examples of using DHTMLX components with popular frameworks. If needed, our support teams will assist customers with any integration issues in a timely manner.
5) There are risks of being locked into a vendor’s ecosystem
Vendor ecosystem lock-in (or proprietary lock-in) occurs when users become strongly tied to products or services from a certain vendor, making it problematic or very expensive to migrate to alternative products. The danger of falling into ecosystem lock-in is particularly relevant to SaaS platforms, cloud services, or proprietary backend systems, while commercial JavaScript UI components are much less susceptible to such situations.
Commercial components are commonly shipped with thorough documentation, API references, and access to the source code. This transparency gives developers an understanding of how such components are used, customized, and replaced.
6) Only companies with solid budgets can afford such solutions
In challenging times for the world economy, it is reasonable to assume that small companies may be forced to cut spending on software tools to stay afloat. When exploring licensing and pricing options offered by reputable vendors of JavaScript UI components, some of them may seem unreasonably high, and in some cases, this is true. While large companies still can pay extra in crisis times, businesses with modest budgets need special offers, and many vendors of commercial JS components have such options. But, it is often necessary to conduct a thorough research to find a product with a suitable price/quality ratio.
Apart from that, it should be understood that commercial JavaScript components come with numerous benefits that save developers a lot of trouble. Here you get pre-built, high-quality components that significantly speed up the implementation of various functionalities. Moreover, take into account the money saved on maintenance, testing, and support. Commercial libraries are regularly updated with new features and bug fixes, providing new opportunities for developers to improve their apps.
Speaking of DHTMLX, we provide flexible licensing models, including options for teams of any size with various support plans, lucrative bundle offers, and a program for startups with a 70% discount.
7) All commercial libraries are the same
The field of commercial JavaScript tools is highly competitive, and vendors here do their best not to fall short in decisive aspects that attract potential customers. Thus, it may seem that major brands in the industry offer similar solutions, making it unnecessary to compare them in detail. However, this assumption overlooks important differences in performance, customization, advanced features, documentation quality, etc. Rushing into a decision based solely on brand recognition or popularity often turns out to be the wrong step. Instead, it’s wise to thoroughly evaluate the options that meet your project needs (most vendors offer free trial versions) before making a final choice.
8) AI will soon eliminate the need for commercial JS components
In recent years, we’ve been hearing dire predictions that AI will soon replace programmers, let alone any helping tools like JavaScript components. Anything can happen in the future, but for now, AI tools serve as powerful assistants in software development rather than a replacement for robust and time-tested JavaScript commercial components. Also, AI-generated responses (code) often include errors or inconsistencies and require expert review. However, it is reasonable to use AI to facilitate the experience with JavaScript components, except for complex customization scenarios.
Wrapping Up
With the sophistication of modern marketing, customers can be tricked into purchasing less suitable products and miss out on better but less promoted alternatives. Various marketing tricks and unfair competition practices make people doubt even well-established products, giving rise to debatable assertions like those discussed above. For reputable brands, such claims should be taken with a pinch of salt, and can be true for less reliable vendors. That’s why hands-on testing remains the most reliable way to evaluate the true value of commercial JavaScript components.