shouldiuse.io

Categories

VERDICT

Should I use jQuery?

jQuery 4.0 has been released! jQuery 3.x will now only receive critical updates. - jquery.com

Depends. Use jQuery only if you're maintaining a site already built on it — it's free, familiar, and safest on 4.0. For new front-end work, skip it and use native JavaScript or a modern framework.

Confidence

High. Based on 20+ public sources: official docs, Reddit threads, security advisories, and vendor pages.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

Open source

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes

Best for

  • Legacy sites already built on jQuery
  • Simple server-rendered pages needing DOM sugar
  • Teams maintaining old plugin ecosystems
  • Budget-constrained fixes with no rewrite budget

Not for

  • New greenfield apps — use native JS or a framework
  • SPAs built on React, Vue, or Svelte
  • Anyone expecting active feature development; it's maintenance mode
  • Security-critical apps pinned to old 3.x versions

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Stuck on 3.x? Critical fixes only; ongoing security patching means paying HeroDevs or TuxCare.

high

Older versions carry XSS CVEs; audit before trusting legacy code.

medium

The popular plugin had its own XSS (CVE-2022-23395); plugin rot is real.

low

Third-party sites list bogus '$1,575' pricing; the library itself is free.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free, open source, MIT-licensed
  • Runs on ~93.4% of surveyed websites; near-universal familiarity
  • 4.0 release modernizes the library; still shipping
  • Massive docs and tutorial coverage keeps learning cost low
  • Paid extended support exists for stuck legacy versions

Cons

  • 3.x now receives only critical fixes; effectively maintenance mode
  • Repeated XSS CVEs; CISA lists an old flaw as actively exploited
  • Modern browsers and frameworks cover most of what jQuery did
  • Developer mindshare has moved to frameworks; momentum fading

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/30/2026 - 10 sources - Mature library with a real CVE history; risk concentrates in old 3.x versions and unmaintained plugins.

official x4review x3security x2news x1
  • CVE-2020-11023 — XSS in jQuery, XSS vulnerability affecting older jQuery versions; related old flaw was added to CISA's actively exploited list.
  • CISA adds five-year-old jQuery XSS flaw to exploited vulnerabilities, CISA flagged an old jQuery XSS as actively exploited, raising urgency for unpatched 3.x sites.
  • CVE-2022-23395 — jquery.cookie XSS, The widely used plugin was vulnerable to cross-site scripting.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 10

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Free and open source, MIT licensed
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Simple API, huge tutorial ecosystem
  • Feature depth: 3/5. Small DOM utility, not a full framework
  • Support quality: 3/5. Community-driven; paid LTS via HeroDevs/TuxCare
  • Security posture: 2/5. Known XSS CVEs; old versions actively exploited
  • $0 Price Free, MIT-licensed open source
  • ~93.4% Web reach of surveyed websites run it
  • 4.0 Latest version 3.x now gets critical fixes only
  • 102,238 Companies using tracked by TheirStack

Pricing

Open source

$0

  • Full library, MIT license
  • Community support via GitHub/forums
  • Paid extended LTS only via third parties

Security

Mature library with a real CVE history; risk concentrates in old 3.x versions and unmaintained plugins.

  • CVE-2020-11023 — XSS in jQueryXSS vulnerability affecting older jQuery versions; related old flaw was added to CISA's actively exploited list.
  • CISA adds five-year-old jQuery XSS flaw to exploited vulnerabilitiesCISA flagged an old jQuery XSS as actively exploited, raising urgency for unpatched 3.x sites.⁸
  • CVE-2022-23395 — jquery.cookie XSSThe widely used plugin was vulnerable to cross-site scripting.
Full analysis

Based on 20+ public sources: official docs, Reddit threads, security advisories, and vendor pages.

Free and battle-tested, but maintenance-mode: right for legacy sites, wrong for new builds. Old versions carry XSS risk.

Methodology

Based on 20+ public sources: official docs, Reddit threads, security advisories, and vendor pages.

Sources

  1. jQuery official sitejquery.com
    official
  2. jQuery GitHub — 4.0 releasegithub.com
    official
  3. Is jQuery still a thing? — r/webdevreddit.com
    review
  4. jQuery 4.0 released — r/programmingreddit.com
    review
  5. You Might Not Need jQueryyoumightnotneedjquery.com
    review
  6. Why I Still Use jQuery in 2025 — Docker blogdocker.com
    news
  7. Snyk — jQuery vulnerability databasesecurity.snyk.io
    security
  8. CISA adds jQuery XSS flaw to exploited listthehackernews.com
    security
  9. HeroDevs jQuery Never-Ending Supportherodevs.com
    official
  10. jQuery Introduction — W3Schoolsw3schools.com
    official

Rate this review

Anonymous. You can change your vote.

Loading votes…

Comments

One queue. No nested comments. Give a display name first. Limit: 200 words per comment and 7 comments per day. You can edit or delete yours.

Save a name to write a comment.

0 / 200 words

No comments yet.