You Might Not Need jQuery
Worth it
Confidence: Medium
This is a free reference site, not software you buy . any developer weighing jQuery for a new project should read it first.
New check
Comparison
You Might Not Need jQuery vs MDN Web Docs
You Might Not Need jQuery and MDN Web Docs both land on Worth it.
MDN Web Docs
Worth it
Confidence: High
MDN is the free, industry-standard reference for HTML, CSS, and web APIs . every web developer should have it open.
| Compare | You Might Not Need jQuery | MDN Web Docs |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Worth it | Worth it |
| Best for | Developers dropping jQuery from new sites | Web developers needing canonical reference docs |
| Who it's not for | Teams supporting IE-era browsers . jQuery still earns its keep | Non-technical buyers . this is raw documentation, not a tool |
| Privacy | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.² | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed; only a minor scanner flag on cache headers. |
| Support quality | Community resource, no support | Community documentation, no support channel evidence |
| Public sentiment | Developers treat it as the canonical nudge toward vanilla JS, while most agree 'might' is the operative word.⁸ | Users overwhelmingly treat MDN as the essential web reference, though a vocal minority finds it dense for beginners. |
| Biggest gotcha | Browser-support caveats . 'That's not always safe'; test snippets before shipping⁴ | MDN Plus is a paid add-on; core docs stay free . don't pay unless you need extras15 |
Pick You Might Not Need jQuery when
- Developers dropping jQuery from new sites
- WordPress theme devs trimming page weight
- Learners migrating to vanilla JS
- Legacy code audits
When You Might Not Need jQuery is not a fit
- Teams supporting IE-era browsers . jQuery still earns its keep
- Buyers shopping for software . it's an article, not a tool
- Anyone wanting guaranteed updates or support
- Complex SPAs . use a framework, not a snippet sheet
Pick MDN Web Docs when
- Web developers needing canonical reference docs
- Beginners learning HTML, CSS, JavaScript
- Progressive web app builders
- Teams needing browser compatibility data
When MDN Web Docs is not a fit
- Non-technical buyers . this is raw documentation, not a tool
- Learners wanting interactive, hand-held courses
- Framework-specific docs (React, Vue) . not covered
- Anyone expecting vendor support or an SLA
Sources
- You Might Not Need jQueryyoumightnotneedjquery.comofficial
- HubSpot/youmightnotneedjquery (GitHub)github.comofficial
- You might not need jQuery (HN, 2014)news.ycombinator.comnews
- You might not need jQuery (HN, 2021)news.ycombinator.comnews
news
- The performance impact of using jQuery in WordPress themesmake.wordpress.orgnews
review
- You might not need jQuery . r/javascriptreddit.comreview
- My Personal Journey Graduating from jQuery to Modern JavaScriptjavascript.plainenglish.ioreview
- Why I'm still using jQuery in 2019arp242.netreview
- You Don't Need jQuery (GitHub)github.comofficial
- You Might Not Need *youmightnotneed.comofficial
- MDN Web Docs - Mozilladeveloper.mozilla.orgofficial
- MDN Plus FAQdeveloper.mozilla.orgofficial
- MDN Web Docs on GitHubgithub.comofficial