5 JavaScript Libraries You Should Say Goodbye to in 2025
As JavaScript evolves, some libraries inevitably fall behind, unable to keep pace with the latest features, paradigms, and performance expectations of the developer community.
It’s time to make some tough calls and say goodbye to certain libraries that no longer serve our needs as they once did. Below, we highlight five JavaScript libraries that are likely to become obsolete in 2025 and why it’s time to move on.
Why Do We Have to Replace JS Libraries?
We all hear about revolutionary breakthroughs in JS, such as 18-year-old Aiden Bai creating Million.js to improve JS performance, or someone finding a new way to view documents in React, but what about the rejects and black sheep?
1. jQuery
jQuery is the grandparent of modern JavaScript libraries, loved for its cross-browser support, simple DOM manipulation, and concise syntax. However, in 2025, it’s time to officially let go. Native JavaScript APIs and modern frameworks like React, Vue, and Angular have rendered jQuery’s core utilities obsolete.
Not to mention, vanilla JavaScript now includes native methods such as querySelector, addEventListener, and fetch that more conveniently provide the functionality we once relied on jQuery to deliver. Also, modern browsers have standardized, making the need for a cross-browser solution like jQuery redundant. Not to mention, bundling jQuery into an application today can add unnecessary bloat, slowing down load times in an age when speed is king.
If you still rely on jQuery, consider transitioning to a modular, framework-specific solution or refactoring the code to use native JS methods. It’s a big leap, but it will make your code leaner, faster, and more maintainable.
2. Moment.js
Moment.js was the default date-handling library for a long time, and it was celebrated for its ability to parse, validate, manipulate, and display dates. However, it’s now heavy and inflexible compared to newer alternatives, not to mention it’s been deprecated. Moment.js clocks in at around 66 KB (minified), which can be a significant payload in an era where smaller bundle sizes lead to faster performance and better UX.
The recommended replacements are date-fns or luxon. Both offer modular imports, meaning you can just use what you need, drastically reducing the size of your bundle.
Even better, JavaScript’s Temporal API has been evolving to handle date and time tasks directly, providing a more efficient solution without the dependency on a third-party library. If you’re still using Moment.js, consider this your notice to begin migrating.
3. Lodash
Lodash is an all-purpose utility library that was once a staple in almost every JavaScript project. It provided useful utilities to simplify everything from deep object cloning to array manipulations. However, many of the features Lodash provides are now either native to JavaScript or can be easily implemented with concise code.
In ES6 and beyond, features like Object.assign(), spread operators and Array methods have largely eliminated the need for Lodash. The library is also quite large, and importing just a single function often drags a lot of additional overhead into your project.
Consider trimming Lodash out by replacing its functions with ES6+ equivalents. For those few edge cases where Lodash does provide a unique convenience, modular imports (import { cloneDeep } from 'lodash/cloneDeep') can minimize the library’s impact on your bundle size.
4. Underscore.js
Underscore.js, a predecessor of Lodash, has been hanging on for years despite being largely overshadowed by its younger, more feature-rich sibling. The time has come to say goodbye to Underscore completely.
Like Lodash, Underscore’s utility methods are either natively supported in JavaScript now or can be more efficiently implemented with smaller libraries or individual functions. If you’re using Underscore, you’re probably not gaining anything substantial that ES6+ syntax can’t already handle, and it adds unnecessary bulk to your projects.
Migrating away from Underscore is a straightforward win for performance and maintainability, and there’s no reason to hold onto it anymore in 2025.
5. RequireJS
RequireJS played a pivotal role in helping JavaScript developers manage dependencies before ES6 modules came into the picture. Its asynchronous module definition (AMD) allowed for more efficient loading, helping developers organize their scripts in a modular fashion before such features were natively available.
However, with the advent of ES6 modules and widespread support across modern browsers, RequireJS is now redundant. ES6 offers a cleaner, standardized way to import and export modules, rendering the additional complexity of RequireJS unnecessary.
Popular bundlers like Webpack, Vite, and Rollup also provide streamlined ways to handle dependency management, making the use of RequireJS redundant. Additionally, cloud automation tools often complement these modern bundlers, providing seamless deployment and scaling capabilities.
If you still have RequireJS in your project, it’s time to modernize. Convert your modules to ES6 syntax, and rely on tools like Webpack or even native module loading to make your codebase future-proof.
5 JavaScript Alternatives for the Old Libraries
With the libraries mentioned above on their way out, let’s take a look at some modern replacements that can streamline your development process and keep your applications performant and up to date.
1. Native JavaScript (for jQuery)
Native JavaScript APIs have improved tremendously, and for most of what jQuery used to handle, vanilla JavaScript can do it just as well. Methods like querySelector, addEventListener, and fetch cover almost all the DOM manipulation and AJAX requests developers commonly used jQuery for, without adding unnecessary bulk to your bundle.
2. Date-fns or Luxon (for Moment.js)
Date-fns and Luxon are lighter, modular alternatives to Moment.js. They allow you to import only the functionality you need, significantly reducing your bundle size. Additionally, JavaScript’s evolving Temporal API offers even more powerful date and time handling capabilities directly in the language.
3. ES6+ Native Features (for Lodash)
Many of Lodash’s utilities have native alternatives in ES6+. For instance, you can use the spread operator (…), Object.assign(), and the multitude of new Array methods (map, reduce, filter) to handle the same tasks that Lodash once simplified. For more niche use cases, consider importing only the specific Lodash functions you need.
4. ES6+ Syntax (for Underscore.js)
Underscore’s utility methods have also been largely replaced by ES6+ syntax. Methods for functional programming, object manipulation, and array iteration can all be achieved with native JavaScript in a more performant and concise way. Migrating your code to ES6+ will make it cleaner and easier to maintain.
5. Webpack, Vite, or ES6 Modules (for RequireJS)
RequireJS is no longer needed now that ES6 provides a standardized module system. Tools like Webpack and Vite can help you bundle your application and handle dependencies in a more streamlined manner. Additionally, the native module support across modern browsers allows you to load modules without any extra dependencies.
Conclusion
The JavaScript ecosystem evolves quickly, and what was once indispensable can soon become outdated. Continuing to use libraries that are no longer relevant can burden your application with performance issues, increase maintenance costs, and make your code less readable. Embracing native JavaScript features, modern libraries, or built-in browser APIs keeps your stack lightweight, your application performant, and your development practices up to date.
It’s time to trim the fat: drop jQuery, Moment.js, Lodash, Underscore, and RequireJS. Modern alternatives are not only faster and more modular, but they align better with the current best practices in JavaScript development — ensuring you stay ahead of the curve as 2025 approaches.
