Pros and Cons of jqWidgets v.s. Bootstrap 4 v.s. Both

The primary initial app I will be building with AppStudio will be a single code base deployed to PC Web Browser, Mobile Web Browser, and iOS and Android native. The initial thought was to stick to the Bootstrap 4 controls. However, there are certainly some pretty slick controls among jqWidgets. I need my app to be properly responsive across all those platforms.

What would be your recommendation for the controls to use? I read here that the jqWidgets behave alongside Bootstrap 4. How well do they render across the platforms I cited? What about just using all jqWidgets?

If you have some experience thinking through this, please consider sharing. Thank you.

Our practice for contract projects these days is to use Bootstrap 4 for the mundane controls, and add the appropriate jqWidgets or DataTable controls when we need something fancy. They play well together: there is no problem mixing them up in the same project.

For example, the jqxScheduler has a great calendar view for appointments that would be ridiculous to attempt in pure Bootstrap.

Thanks. Yeah - I absolutely expect to reach for that jqxScheduler for the app I am building. Need to present a calendar view with 10 minute segments across a week of appointment slots.

Thank you.

If we could just discuss this just a little further.

George, I know at this time your recommendation is BS 4, with jqWidgets as needed. But, what would be the downside to doing it this way:

  • jqWidgets for all controls
  • Bootstrap 4 or Common for layout

I’m actually preferring the jqWidgets at this time, but, I admittedly have not looked at any of it inside a mobile browser or inside a native app. Only my dev PC browser. We are definitely not concerned with having a strictly native look for the mobile builds. As long as it renders clean and can be interacted with effectively via touch, that’s enough at this time.

So, what would be the downside on jqWidgets? Thank you all.

No downside at all that I know of, other that that jqWidgets is not free. However, the team here has not built complete projects using jqWidgets, so we cannot comment from direct experience.

https://www.jqwidgets.com/license/