EJS vs Twig: What are the differences?

Key Differences between EJS and Twig

EJS and Twig are both template engines used for server-side rendering in web development. They have a few key differences that set them apart in terms of syntax, features, and performance.

1. Syntax: One of the major differences between EJS and Twig is their syntax. EJS uses plain JavaScript embedded within <% %> tags, which allows developers to write dynamic code using JavaScript logic. On the other hand, Twig uses a more structured and readable syntax that resembles Django or Jinja2 templates. Twig uses curly braces {{ }} and control structures like {% %} to define template logic.

2. Security: Another significant difference between EJS and Twig is the focus on security. Twig places a strong emphasis on security and automatically escapes all output to prevent XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) attacks by default. EJS, however, does not have this auto-escaping feature built-in, and developers need to manually escape data to ensure security. This makes Twig a safer choice for handling user-generated content.

3. Performance: In terms of performance, EJS is generally faster than Twig. EJS compiles the templates to JavaScript functions, which are then executed to generate the HTML output. This compilation process improves performance by reducing the parsing and rendering time. Twig, on the other hand, compiles templates to PHP code, which may have a higher overhead compared to JavaScript. However, the difference in performance may vary depending on the specific use case and the optimizations employed.

4. Filters and Functions: Twig provides a rich set of built-in filters and functions that can be used to manipulate data within templates. These filters and functions offer various string manipulation, formatting, and other utility operations. EJS, on the other hand, does not have a similar concept of built-in filters and functions. Instead, developers need to rely on JavaScript methods and libraries to achieve the desired data transformations.

5. Built-in features: EJS and Twig also differ in terms of the built-in features they offer. EJS provides features like partials, includes, and layout support, which make it easy to reuse templates and modularize code. Twig, on the other hand, includes advanced features like template inheritance, blocks, macros, and internationalization support, which allow for more advanced template structuring and customization.

6. Community and Ecosystem: EJS and Twig both have active developer communities and ecosystems, but they differ in terms of popularity and usage. EJS is more widely used in the JavaScript ecosystem, especially with Node.js applications, while Twig is a popular choice in the PHP community. The size and maturity of the community can affect the availability of resources, third-party libraries, and community support for these template engines.

In Summary, EJS and Twig differ in syntax, security features, performance, built-in features, and community support. Understanding these differences can help developers choose the appropriate template engine based on their specific requirements and the technology stack they are working with.