Which JavaScript Libraries Should You Drop by 2025? A Front‑End Guide

JavaScript ecosystem evolves rapidly; tools once indispensable can become outdated quickly.

Continuing to use libraries that are no longer relevant can cause performance problems, increase maintenance costs, and reduce code readability. Leveraging native JavaScript features, modern libraries, or built‑in browser APIs keeps your stack lightweight, your applications high‑performance, and your development practices current.

jQuery jQuery was the pioneer of modern JavaScript libraries, loved for its cross‑browser support and simple DOM manipulation. By 2025 it should be retired, as native APIs (e.g., querySelector , addEventListener , fetch ) and frameworks like React, Vue, and Angular already provide its core functionality. Bundling jQuery adds unnecessary bloat and slows loading times. Transition to modular, framework‑specific solutions or refactor to native JS.

Moment.js Moment.js has long been the default date‑handling library, but it is now heavy (~66 KB) and inflexible, and it has been deprecated. Recommended replacements are date‑fns or luxon , both offering modular imports that reduce bundle size. Even better, the native JavaScript Temporal API can handle most date‑time tasks without third‑party code.

Lodash Lodash was once a universal utility library, yet many of its functions are now native in ES6+ (e.g., Object.assign , spread operators, array methods). Importing the whole library adds considerable overhead; prefer native equivalents or import only the specific Lodash functions you need.

Underscore.js Underscore.js, the predecessor of Lodash, suffers the same fate: its utility methods are now either native or can be achieved with smaller libraries or single functions. Continuing to use Underscore adds unnecessary load and offers no advantage in 2025.

RequireJS With the advent of ES6 modules and broad browser support, RequireJS has become redundant. Modern bundlers such as Webpack, Vite, and Rollup provide streamlined dependency management, making RequireJS’s extra complexity unnecessary.

Conclusion

The JavaScript ecosystem moves fast; clinging to outdated libraries can hurt performance, increase maintenance, and lower readability. Adopt native JavaScript features, modern libraries, or built‑in browser APIs to keep your stack lightweight and high‑performance. It’s time to say goodbye to jQuery, Moment.js, Lodash, Underscore.js, and RequireJS and embrace modern, modular alternatives before 2025.