Modern Tools Are Worse

• Daily Tips
• October 2, 2025

In my consulting work, I’ve worked with a wide range of developer-focused tools.

WordPress, React, Vue, Next, HTMX, PHP, Python, Rails, Java, .NET, a variety of static site generators, and more.

I can pretty confidently state that modern tools (render-all-the-things-in-JavaScript libraries like Vue and React) are worse than legacy approaches.

Don’t get me wrong: npm install can be a much easier initial setup than trying to install a DB and connect a PHP install to it (but often, it isn’t).

And I’d probably still take React over WordPress these days.

But the best sites I’ve worked on render most of their HTML from the server, then use JavaScript to enhance it.

(Usually that means making form submissions and on-page interactions Ajaxy so they don’t trigger a page reload.)

By contrast to the JavaScript-all-the-things websites, HTML-focused sites load faster, run faster, crash less often, are easy to code, are easier to maintain, and are just generally superior in every way.

And yes, I’m talking about “apps,” not just “websites.”

It’s not really that modern tools are worse, though, is it? It’s that modern approaches, overly focused on JavaScript to the detriment of the rest of the frontend stack, that are worse.