In 2025, developers are looking for tools to simplify their codebases and boost productivity. While popular frameworks like React and Vue dominate headlines, lesser-known libraries offer innovative solutions to specific problems.
Here are five underappreciated JavaScript libraries worth considering in 2025:
1. Valtio: Simplified React State Management
Valtio is a state management solution that simplifies the complex process of managing state in React applications. It uses ES6 proxies to track changes, allowing components to re-render only when necessary.
2. Htmx: Reimagining Frontend Without JavaScript Bloat
Htmx lets developers create dynamic interfaces without writing excessive JavaScript code. By using HTML attributes, it can handle Ajax requests, render partials, and even WebSockets.
3. Tippy.js: The Tooltip Library You Wish You Wrote
Tippy.js abstracts the complexities of tooltips, positioning, accessibility, and transitions into a robust package that works effortlessly with minimal configuration.
4. Day.js: A Modern Alternative to Moment.js
Day.js is an immutable date/time library that mimics Moment.js but with improved performance. It supports plugins for time zone handling, formatting, and duration parsing, making it ideal for microservices and serverless applications.
5. Comlink: Make Web Workers Usable Again
Comlink abstracts the postMessage boilerplate of web workers, turning them into async function calls that feel synchronous. This makes multithreading accessible without callbacks or state gymnastics.
These libraries represent a quieter revolution in JavaScript development. By perfecting existing solutions rather than reinventing the wheel, they can shave hours off your development cycle and reduce mental overhead.
Source: https://thenewstack.io/5-underappreciated-javascript-libraries-to-try-in-2025