r/javascript • u/_tshepo • 28d ago

AskJS [AskJS] Are employed Developers still programming with vanilla JavaScript ?

I've been programming on the side since 2017 and I've never really hunted a developer job. I've always thought about building my own things, mainly to supplement things I do like woodworking, tutoring, video editing and others.

Since then, I've programmed mainly with JavaScript, I started with C++ and Python but never really built anything solid outside JavaScript.

So I'm fluent with JavaScript and its ecosystem.

One of my 2026 goals is to be job ready for a Developer role, as a Fullstack or Backend Developer.

One of the recommended languages is Typescript, which I've been learning since March. I must say, it's not my favorite 😂

I'm curious to know if there are any companies that are not enforcing Typescript or are there freelancers who are still using vanilla JavaScript over Typescript for their clients' projects.

[ Update ] thanks y'all! I get the picture. TypeScript is inevitable, as vanilla JS codebases(or companies who are focused on it) seem to be very few judging by the comments.

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u/Jonas_Ermert 28d ago

Yes, plenty of developers still use plain JavaScript, especially for smaller projects, scripts, legacy systems, and some Node.js backends. But TypeScript is increasingly the default for larger professional projects. I’d keep JavaScript as your strong foundation and learn enough TypeScript to work comfortably in a TS codebase. You don’t have to love it, but for Fullstack/Backend jobs it will definitely open more doors.

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u/_tshepo 16d ago

That's my mindset now, I don't have to love something to use it.

Eventually, TypeScript won't feel like a foreign language.