The difference between Uniapp and WeChat applet 2023 (detailed)

There are some differences between UniApp and WeChat Mini Programs, although they are both frameworks for developing Mini Programs, they differ in some aspects. Here's how they differ:

1. Development language and technology stack:

   • UniApp: Use Vue.js as the development language, combined with the components and API provided by UniApp for development. It supports Vue's responsive data binding and component development, and supports development using HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
   • WeChat Mini Program: Use WXML (similar to HTML), WXSS (similar to CSS) and JavaScript as the development language and technology stack. WXML has unique tags for WeChat applets, WXSS supports CSS-like style definitions, and JavaScript is used to write logic and interaction.

2. Platform Compatibility:

   • UniApp: supports multi-platform development, a set of code can run on multiple platforms such as applets, H5, APP, etc. at the same time, which is called "one code for multiple terminals". Supported platforms include WeChat Mini Programs, Alipay Mini Programs, Baidu Mini Programs, ByteDance Mini Programs and APPs, etc.
   • WeChat applet: developed specifically for the WeChat platform, it can only run on the WeChat applet platform and cannot be run directly on other platforms.

3. Ecosystem and scalability :

   • UniApp: Although it is a cross-platform framework, its ecosystem is relatively limited compared to WeChat Mini Programs, and some functions may not be as rich as WeChat Mini Programs. At the same time, UniApp supports the use of plug-ins to extend functions, but the richness of plug-ins is not as rich as the WeChat Mini Program plug-in market.
   • WeChat Mini Programs: With a huge ecosystem, rich development tools, component libraries and plug-in markets, it provides developers with more choices and scalability.

4. performance:

   • UniApp: Due to the need to adapt to multiple platforms, the performance may be slightly inferior to the native WeChat applet in some scenarios.
   • WeChat Mini Programs: Focus on the WeChat platform, optimize the features of WeChat Mini Programs, and have relatively better performance.

5. API and feature support:

   • UniApp: APIs that support most WeChat Mini Programs, but may have limitations on some specific functions or require the use of platform-differentiated APIs.
   • WeChat applet: It has all the APIs and functions supported by the original WeChat applet, which is more suitable for the characteristics of the WeChat platform.

6. Community and Resources:

   • UniApp: Compared with the community and resources of WeChat applets, it is still developing, but it has many active developer communities.
   • WeChat Mini Programs: With a huge community and abundant resources, problems can often be solved more quickly.

To sum up, there are some differences between UniApp and WeChat Mini Programs in terms of development language, platform compatibility, ecosystem, performance, API and function support. When choosing a framework, developers should make choices based on factors such as project requirements, development technical background, and target platform. UniApp is suitable for scenarios where you want a set of code to run on multiple platforms, while WeChat Mini Programs are more focused on the development of the WeChat platform.