Once a staple library in every front-end developer’s toolkit, jQuery played a major role in shaping how we write JavaScript for the web—especially in the era of messy cross-browser DOM quirks. But in 2025, with modern JavaScript and front-end frameworks dominating the scene, it’s legitimate to ask: is it still necessary to learn jQuery? The answer, as in many tech debates, is “it depends.” Below, we’ll explore the case for and against learning jQuery today, when it still makes sense, and how you can decide whether to include it in your skill set.
The Case For Learning jQuery (Still)
1. Legacy Code and Maintenance Demand
A huge number of websites built over the past decade still use jQuery. If you land a job maintaining or extending older projects, some legacy plugin, theme, or widget might rely on jQuery. Knowing how it works gives you flexibility and confidence when stepping into such codebases.
2. Ease of DOM Manipulation for Simple Tasks
For many small tasks—querying elements, attaching event handlers, toggling CSS classes—jQuery’s concise, chainable API can feel convenient. For simple scripts or prototyping, it offers a low barrier to entry, especially if your audience or team is already comfortable with it.
3. Ubiquity in CMS Ecosystems
Certain platforms—especially WordPress—still include or assume jQuery as part of their ecosystem. Plugins/themes might depend on jQuery. So even in many modern stacks, jQuery remains an implicit dependency.
4. Rapid Prototyping
If you want to spin up a quick prototype or proof-of-concept, and don’t need full architectural structure, jQuery can still get you moving fast without complex tooling, bundling, or framework overhead.
The Case Against Learning jQuery Now
1. Native JavaScript Has Caught Up
Modern browsers support powerful native APIs—querySelectorAll, classList, addEventListener, fetch, Promise, async/await, and more—that solve most of the problems jQuery once addressed. For many cases, native code is just as readable and more performant (and avoids adding a dependency).
2. Bundle Size & Performance Concerns
Adding jQuery introduces additional kilobytes to your payload. In performance-sensitive environments—mobile, slow networks—every bit counts. In projects where efficiency and minimal payload are priorities, eliminating unnecessary libraries is a best practice.
3. Architectural Mismatch with Modern Frameworks
If you're building a React, Vue, Svelte, or similar single-page application, the paradigm shifts from imperative DOM manipulation to declarative, component-driven structures. jQuery’s style doesn’t fit well with reactive state management, virtual DOM diffing, or component re-render cycles.
4. Opportunity Cost
Time spent learning jQuery is time not spent mastering more relevant, high-demand tools—modern JavaScript patterns, TypeScript, framework-specific skills, state management, etc. For many new developers, prioritizing those skills will yield better returns.
When Learning jQuery Makes Sense (and When It Doesn’t)
Good Situations to Learn / Use jQuery
- When your work involves supporting legacy projects that already use jQuery.
- If your toolkit already includes jQuery (in CMS plugins/themes), and you just need to tweak something.
- For quick hacky scripts, prototyping, or internal tools where performance and scaling are not a priority.
- When you want to understand the history and evolution of front-end development—jQuery’s patterns and API design influence many later frameworks.
Situations Where It’s Less Worthwhile
- When starting a brand new project, particularly one using modern frameworks or needing maintainability at scale.
- When bundle size, performance, or minimal dependencies are high priorities.
- When your target ecosystem (team, client, tech stack) has no reliance on jQuery.
- If your time is limited and there are more modern paradigms you should focus on first.
Strategy: How to Approach jQuery Today
Here’s a pragmatic approach:
Prioritize mastering vanilla JS and modern patterns.
A firm grasp of native DOM APIs, ES6+ syntax, and asynchronous code is more valuable. Once that foundation is solid, jQuery (if needed) becomes easier to pick up.
Learn just enough jQuery to be effective in legacy contexts.
Focus on core selectors, DOM traversal, event binding, plugin integration, and conflict resolution.
Use it judiciously—only when it adds real convenience.
Don’t default to jQuery. Weigh whether native or framework-based alternatives suffice or are better in your project.
Understand migration strategies.
If you inherit jQuery code, knowing how to gradually replace parts with vanilla or newer APIs is a useful skill.
Conclusion
In 2025, learning jQuery is far from essential for most new projects—modern JavaScript and framework ecosystems have subsumed most of its original benefits. However, because jQuery is still deeply embedded in many legacy sites and CMS platforms, knowing how to work with it can be a valuable life jacket when you need to maintain older code. For most learners, the smartest strategy is: first build strong foundational JS skills, then learn jQuery selectively as needed.