I’ve been building web applications for over a decade now, starting when I was really young. For the past several years I’ve been working extensively with Laravel and absolutely love using Blade for templating.
I’ve attempted to learn both Vue.js and React on multiple occasions, but something about these frameworks just doesn’t click with me. The syntax and overall approach feels confusing compared to how straightforward and clear Blade templates are to read and understand.
As someone who works independently as a full-stack developer, am I making a mistake by sticking with traditional server-side rendering instead of adopting modern JavaScript frameworks?
I’m quite proficient with Livewire for adding dynamic functionality, and I actually find Volt quite useful despite mixed opinions in the community. When I need to create small interactive components that combine backend logic with frontend behavior without cluttering my controllers, it feels like a clean approach to keeping things organized.
if blade + livewire works for u, then dont worry too much. ive seen devs jump into every new js framework when their current setup does just fine. react/vue are cool, but server-side rendering is making a comeback. just stick with what helps u be productive.
Interesting you mentioned Volt! How’s it compare to regular Livewire components? Have you hit any scalability issues with server-side rendering, or do your projects stay pretty manageable? Sounds like you’ve got a solid workflow going tho!
Your approach is totally fine. I wasted three years forcing myself to learn React because I thought I had to. Turns out my Laravel and Blade apps shipped faster with fewer bugs than the JavaScript-heavy stuff I was building. The industry’s obsessed with JS frameworks, but tons of successful businesses run entirely on server-side rendered apps. Blade + Livewire is actually pretty powerful and handles most cases where you’d normally reach for a separate frontend framework. The real question is: does your current stack meet your clients’ needs and let you deliver quality work efficiently? Sounds like it does exactly that.