In a world flooded with complex JavaScript frameworks, Still.js offers a refreshing, lightweight alternative — especially for developers maintaining or modernizing legacy systems.

Created by developer Nakassony Bernardo, Still.js tackles a common enterprise challenge: how to add modern features to outdated web apps without rewriting everything from scratch.

🧩 Why Another Framework?

Bernardo faced this exact issue with an application from 2003 — still functional, but missing features like state management and componentisation. Rewriting the whole system with React or Angular wasn’t practical. Instead, he turned to vanilla JavaScript and built a framework around it: Still.js.

“You can’t just throw away what works. Still.js lets you enhance it without a full rewrite.”

💡 What is Still.js?

Still.js is a component-based, modular framework built entirely with vanilla JavaScript — no build tools, no transpilers, and no virtual DOM. It enables modern development features while preserving and integrating with existing legacy codebases.

No bundlers like Webpack or Vite
No transpiling TypeScript
Runtime rendering (no compilation step)
Seamless integration with Java, classic ASP, PHP, or old-school frontend apps

🔧 Core Architecture: SCV Model

Still.js uses a simplified architectural pattern: Service–Controller–View.

Layer	Role
Service	Handles data operations (e.g., API calls)
Controller	Connects logic to the view and DOM
View	Manages the UI components and templates

This separation of concerns makes it easier to manage large, scalable apps — even without modern build systems.

🚀 Key Features of Still.js

✅ Component-Based UI (similar to React/Vue)
✅ State Management (local + global)
✅ Routing with data transfer (without Redux)
✅ Form validation
✅ Vendor Components (pluggable add-ons)
✅ Permission-based logic for enterprise apps
✅ Microfrontend support (embed Still.js in other frameworks like React)

“80% of a Still.js template is just vanilla JavaScript.”

🧪 No Virtual DOM, No Problem

Unlike React or Vue, Still.js avoids virtual DOM diffing. It works directly with the browser’s native DOM API, offering better performance for many cases.

“Why add layers if you don’t need them?” Bernardo asks.

🔄 Still.js vs Modern Frameworks

Feature	Still.js	React / Angular / Vue
Build step	❌ No	✅ Yes
Virtual DOM	❌ No	✅ Yes
Vanilla JS compatible	✅ Yes	❌ No
State management	✅ Built-in	❌ External (Redux, etc.)
Integration with legacy code	✅ Easy	❌ Difficult

🛠 Use Cases

Enhancing legacy apps (2000s-era JavaScript, PHP, ASP)
Adding modern features without breaking old code
Embedding microfrontends inside React or Angular
Building scalable, modular enterprise systems

📦 Still.js Today

Still.js is open source and still young, but it’s production-ready for large-scale applications. It has already solved real-world problems in enterprise-grade environments.

“It’s mature in architecture but open to improvement,” says Bernardo.

Still.js isn’t trying to compete with React or Angular it’s offering a different path. If you're dealing with legacy systems or want a modern framework with zero tooling overhead, Still.js might be exactly what you need.

It’s JavaScript still, but smarter.

Meet Still.js. Tired of JavaScript Framework?