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Glimmer VS Ionic Framework

Compare Glimmer VS Ionic Framework and see what are their differences

Glimmer logo Glimmer

Fast and light-weight UI components for the web

Ionic Framework logo Ionic Framework

A front-end SDK to develop applications with HTML5 , CSS3 and JavaScript.
  • Glimmer Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-03-12
  • Ionic Framework Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-22

Glimmer features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Glimmer is known for being lightweight, meaning it requires fewer resources and loads quickly, which enhances performance, particularly for applications that require high speed and efficiency.
  • Fast Re-rendering
    The library is optimized for fast re-rendering, allowing it to efficiently update the UI in response to changes in application state, which is crucial for maintaining a smooth user experience.
  • Component Model
    Glimmer employs a component-based architecture, promoting reusability and modularity of code, making it easier to manage and scale applications.
  • Integration with Ember.js
    As a core rendering engine for Ember.js, Glimmer can be effortlessly integrated into existing Ember applications, benefiting from the ecosystem and tools available for Ember.

Possible disadvantages of Glimmer

  • Learning Curve
    Developers new to Glimmer may experience a steep learning curve, particularly if they are not familiar with its conventions and component-based architecture.
  • Smaller Community
    Compared to larger frameworks like React or Angular, Glimmer has a smaller community and less online support, which can be a challenge when trying to find solutions to issues or seeking guidance.
  • Limited Standalone Usage
    While Glimmer can be used independently, it is primarily designed to work within the Ember.js ecosystem, limiting its standalone usage and flexibility compared to other libraries.
  • Mature Alternatives
    The presence of more mature alternatives like React, Angular, and Vue.js means that Glimmer may not always be the first choice, especially for developers seeking libraries with extensive features and community support.

Ionic Framework features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Development
    Ionic allows developers to create applications that work smoothly on both iOS and Android from a single codebase, reducing development time and costs.
  • Rich Pre-Built Components
    Ionic comes with a vast library of pre-built UI components that are customizable, enabling quicker development and a consistent user experience across different devices.
  • Integration with Popular Frameworks
    Ionic can be easily integrated with popular front-end frameworks such as Angular, React, and Vue, providing flexibility for developers to use the tools they are familiar with.
  • Active Community and Ecosystem
    Ionic has a strong and active community, along with extensive documentation and a variety of plugins and third-party extensions that can be utilized to extend app functionalities.
  • Performance Optimization
    Ionic has made significant improvements in performance, particularly with the use of tools like Capacitor, which helps achieve near-native performance for hybrid applications.

Possible disadvantages of Ionic Framework

  • Dependency on Web Technologies
    Since Ionic relies heavily on web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, performance might not be as optimal as fully native apps, especially in graphics-intensive applications.
  • Learning Curve
    While Ionic is easier to pick up for web developers, those unfamiliar with Angular, React, or Vue might face a steep learning curve initially.
  • Limited Access to Native APIs
    Even though Ionic provides plugins through Capacitor and Cordova for accessing native APIs, there might be scenarios where certain native functionalities are not fully supported or require custom development.
  • Larger App Sizes
    Hybrid applications built with Ionic often have larger file sizes compared to native apps due to the overhead of web runtime and additional libraries.
  • Browser Compatibility Issues
    As Ionic apps run inside a WebView, inconsistencies across different browsers and versions can sometimes lead to unexpected behavior, requiring additional testing and debugging efforts.

Analysis of Ionic Framework

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Ionic Framework is a good choice for many developers looking to build cross-platform mobile applications efficiently. It balances performance with ease of use and offers great flexibility through its integration with popular web technologies.

Why this product is good

  • Ionic Framework is considered good because it allows developers to build high-quality cross-platform mobile applications using web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It provides a rich library of components, easy integration with Angular, React, or Vue, and access to native device features through Capacitor or Cordova. Additionally, Ionic's tooling and services support efficient development and deployment.

Recommended for

  • Developers familiar with web technologies who want to create mobile applications.
  • Teams looking for a cost-effective solution to develop apps for both iOS and Android.
  • Projects that require fast prototyping and iteration.
  • Businesses aiming to maintain a single codebase across multiple platforms.

Glimmer videos

Jacaszek- Glimmer ALBUM REVIEW

More videos:

  • Review - Fmg Glimmer Satin Lipstick Review + Swatches ✨
  • Review - Glimmer & Chameleon Plastic Review

Ionic Framework videos

Why You SHOULD Use the Ionic Framework

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Glimmer and Ionic Framework)
Javascript UI Libraries
26 26%
74% 74
Development Tools
0 0%
100% 100
JavaScript Framework
17 17%
83% 83
Development
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Glimmer and Ionic Framework

Glimmer Reviews

Best Javascript libraries to use in 2021
Glimmer.js features lighter components and a smaller size, and it uses the robust Ember CLI. It can be used with Ember.js as a component, it can run standalone, or it can be added as a web component to an existing application. It is not the time to talk whether it has been successful or not since it’s been only 4 years, but the trends point towards a bright future for Glimmer.
Source: codersera.com

Ionic Framework Reviews

THE BEST 34 APP DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE IN 2022 LIST
One codebase. Any platform. Now in React and Angular. Ionic Framework is an open-source mobile UI toolkit for building high-quality, cross-platform native and web app experiences. Move faster with a single codebase, running everywhere. Free and open-source, Ionic offers a library of mobile-optimized UI components, gestures, and tools for building fast highly interactive apps.
10 React Native Alternatives
Ionic Framework is a free, open-source mobile UI toolkit used for building high-quality cross-platform applications for Android, iOS, and from the web all from a single codebase.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Ionic Framework seems to be a lot more popular than Glimmer. While we know about 90 links to Ionic Framework, we've tracked only 2 mentions of Glimmer. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Glimmer mentions (2)

  • Glimmer: DSL Framework for Ruby GUI and More
    Note there is already UI component framework called Glimmer that is used by Ember.js: https://glimmerjs.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • 12 Useful JavaScript Libraries You’ve Probably Never Used
    Glimmer.js is a great library that helps with user interface components and DOM rendering. It is built on the Ember CLI and uses Git, Node. js, npm, and Yarn. If you are looking for a tool for creating components and want to optimize the process of working with them, pay attention to Glimmer. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago

Ionic Framework mentions (90)

  • Top 10 Essential Tools for Android Development
    Ionic is an open-source framework for building cross-platform mobile applications using web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It allows developers to build apps for Android, iOS, and the web from a single codebase. Ionic is known for its flexibility and wide range of UI components, making it easy to build modern, responsive apps. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Building a GenAI Fitness App with Gemini
    For the frontend, I chose Ionic and Angular, which enabled me to create a mobile-first app that could be deployed on the web right away while it could also be shipped as native for both iOS and Android. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • Design Systems with Web Components
    I was recently able to sit down with some of the core members of Ionic, who also created Stencil a toolchain for building Design Systems and Progressive Web Apps. We talked at great length how typically companies are approaching Ionic from a Design Team and need help building components. As a developer I wanted to talk about the Web Components that are used within the Design System first. There was a decent amount... - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Turning HTML, CSS, JS project into an app
    Look into Ionic Framework https://ionicframework.com/ or Cordova. They might be overkill for what you’re trying to do, but they allow you to create cross-platform apps via html/css/js. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Getting Started with PayloadCMS & Vue JS
    Ionic Framework UI Components are used to build a website and then a mobile application is built using Ionic Capacitor. Ionic UI components are not required but are used for UX. The vue js code presented here will work fine in a separate application. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Glimmer and Ionic Framework, you can also consider the following products

Preact.js - Preact is a fast 3kB alternative to React with the same modern API. Components & Virtual DOM.

React Native - A framework for building native apps with React

Zepto - World's Simplest AI Powered Cloud-based Data Analytics Tool.

Flutter - Build beautiful native apps in record time 🚀

Deku - Functional view library for building UI components as an alternative to React

Apache Cordova - Platform for building native mobile applications using HTML, CSS and JavaScript