Typescript vs JavaScript: What’s the Difference?

James HartmanByJames Hartman Hours Updated

What is JavaScript?

JavaScript is a scripting language which helps you create interactive web pages. It followed rules of client-side programming, so it runs in the user’s web browser without the need of any resources forms the web server. You can also use Javascript with other technologies like REST APIs, XML, and more.

The idea behind developing this script is to make it a complementary scripting language like Visual Basic was to C++ in Microsoft’s language families. However, JavaScript is not designed for large complex applications. It was developed for applications with a few hundred lines of code!

In this Typescript vs JavaScript differences tutorial, you will learn:

What is Typescript?

Typescript is a modern age Javascript development language. It is a statically compiled language to write clear and simple Javascript code. It can be run on Node js or any browser which supports ECMAScript 3 or newer versions.


Typescript provides optional static typing, classes, and interface. For a large JavaScript project adopting Typescript can bring you more robust software and easily deployable with a regular JavaScript application.

Next, we will learn about the key difference between TypeScript and JavaScript.

KEY DIFFERENCE

  • JavaScript is a scripting language which helps you create interactive web pages whereas Typescript is a superset of JavaScript.
  • Typescript code needs to be compiled while JavaScript code doesn’t need to compile.
  • Comparing TypeScript and JS, Typescript supports a feature of prototyping while JavaScript doesn’t support this feature.
  • Typescript uses concepts like types and interfaces to describe data being used whereas JavaScript has no such concept.
  • Typescript is a powerful type system, including generics & JS features for large size project whereas JavaScript is an ideal option for small size project.

Why JavaScript?

  • Open source project with Microsoft’s patronage
  • Specially designed tool for small scripts
  • Supports classes, interfaces & modules.
  • Compiled JavaScript runs in any browser
  • Allows cross-compilation
  • You can extend JavaScript for writing large apps
  • Adds support for classes, interfaces, and modules

Why Typescript?

  • TypeScript supports JS libraries & API Documentation
  • It is a superset of Javascript
  • It is optionally typed scripting language
  • TypeScript Code can be converted into plain JavaScript Code
  • Better code structuring and object-oriented programming techniques
  • Allows better development time tool support
  • It can extend the language beyond the standard decorators, async/await

Difference Between JavaScript and TypeScript

Following is the main TypeScript and JavaScript difference:

Typescript Vs JavaScript

Typescript Vs JavaScript

Parameter Typescript JavaScript
What is Powerful type system, including generics & JS features Lightweight, interpreted, object-oriented language with first-class functions
Data Binding TypeScript uses concepts like types and interfaces to describe data being used. No such concept is available with JavaScript.
Ecosystem The Ecosystem is quite powerful and intuitive. Thus, it allows you to statically type various type of idiomatic JavaScript features like union types, intersection, discriminated union. Javascript offers the option to explore and create code without a build step.
Npm package With Typescript, many npm packages either come with static type definitions or have an external one that is easy to install. Javascript offers the option to explore and create code without a build step.
Learning curve Stiff learning curve. Requires prior scripting knowledge. Flexible and easy to learn, scripting language.
Prototyping Typescript has a feature of prototyping. JavaScript doesn’t have this feature.
Community Typescript does not have a large community of developers. The JavaScript has a huge community of developers
Compilation TypeScript code needs to be compiled No need to compile JavaScript.
Annotation To get the most out of TypeScript features, developers should constantly annotate their code. No Annotations Required is need for Javascript.
Famous Company using the Technology Asana, Clever, Screen award Airbnb, Codecademy, Instagram
Salary The average salary for “Typescript developer” ranges from approximately $148,027 per year in United States The average salary for a Javascript Developer is $110,777 per year in the United States.

History of Javascript

Netscape Communications Corporation programmer Brendan Eich created Javascript. It was meant to working Netscape navigator. However, after becoming a popular scripting tool, it is had become LiveScript. Later on, it was renamed as JavaScript to reflect Netscape’s support of Java within its browser.

Let see an important landmark in the history of Javascript:

  • It was launched in September 1995, and It took just ten days to develop this e scripting language which was initially called Mocha
  • In November 1996, Netscape submitted JavaScript to ECMA (European Computer Manufacturers Association) International
  • ECMAScript 2 was released in 1998
  • ECMAScript 3 was released in 1999
  • In 2005, Eich and Mozilla join ECMA to develop E4X Java script
  • In January 2009, the CommonJS project was launched with the aim of defining a common standard library
  • In June 2011, ECMAScript 5.1 was released
  • In June 2015. ECMAScript 2016 was released
  • The current version is ECMAScript 2017 which was released in June 2017

History of Typescript

Let see important landmarks from the History of Typescript:

  • The typescript was first made public in the year 2012
  • After two years of internal development at Microsoft. TypeScript 0.9, released in 2013
  • Additional support for generics TypeScript 1.0 was released at Build 2014
  • In July 2014, a new TypeScript compiler came which is five times faster then it’s previous version
  • In July 2015, support for ES6 modules, namespace keyword, for, of support, decorators
  • In November 2016, an added feature like key and lookup types mapped types, and rest
  • On March 27, 2018, conditional types, the improved key with intersection types supports added in the Typescript.

Features of Javascript

  • It’s a cross-platform language
  • It’s used for client side and server side
  • It’s easy to learn and to start with
  • It’s a dynamic language: flexible and powerful
  • You have ‘the great freedom’ to do whatever you want with any object
  • Strong Testing Workflow
  • Added Dependencies
  • Framework Unsupported

Features of Typescript

  • Maintainability
  • Offered great productivity for developers
  • Code navigation and bug prevention
  • Code ‘discoverability’ & refactoring
  • Optional Static Type Annotation / Static Typing
  • Additional Features for Functions
  • Supports ES6
  • Supports interfaces, sub-interfaces, classes, and subclasses
  • Scalable HTML5 client-side development
  • Rich IDE available with autocomplete and code navigation features.
  • Class-based object-oriented with the inheritance of private members and interfaces.

JavaScript VS TypeScript: Which is better?

In the end of this JavaScript and TypeScript difference tutorial, we can say that if an experienced developer is working on relatively small coding projects, then JavaScript is ideal. However, if you have knowledge and expertise development team, then Typescript is a most preferred option.

Typescript vs JavaScript

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