Mustache vs Pug: What are the differences?

Introduction: In web development, choosing the right templating engine is crucial. Mustache and Pug are two popular templating engines with distinctive features.

1. Syntax: Mustache uses simple and intuitive syntax with HTML-like tags, making it easy to read and understand. In contrast, Pug uses indentation-based syntax, reducing the need for closing tags and making the code more concise and readable.

2. Features: Mustache provides a logic-less template engine, meaning it focuses on the structure of the template rather than programming logic. On the other hand, Pug offers a powerful set of features like includes, mixins, and filters that enhance code reusability and maintainability.

3. Whitespace Handling: Mustache does not handle whitespace automatically, requiring developers to manually control whitespace. In comparison, Pug automatically handles indentation and whitespace, reducing the chances of errors due to incorrect formatting.

4. Extensibility: Mustache is limited in terms of extensibility, as it does not support custom filters or plugins out of the box. Pug, on the other hand, allows developers to create custom filters and plugins, extending its functionality according to specific project requirements.

5. Requirements: Mustache is compatible with multiple programming languages and platforms, making it a versatile choice for different tech stacks. Pug, however, is specifically designed for Node.js and integrates seamlessly with Express.js, making it ideal for server-side rendering in Node.js applications.

In Summary, Mustache and Pug differ in syntax, features, whitespace handling, extensibility, and requirements, offering developers a choice between a simple and logic-less approach (Mustache) or a powerful and feature-rich one (Pug).