Backbone.js vs Durandal vs Ember.js: What are the differences?

1. View Layer: Backbone.js focuses more on providing structure to web applications by providing models, views, and collections while Durandal emphasizes on composing views and view models to create dynamic user interfaces. Ember.js, on the other hand, comes with a more opinionated approach to the view layer by using Handlebars templates and components.

2. Data Binding: Backbone.js requires manual synchronization between data and the view, while Durandal implements a two-way data binding using Knockout.js. Ember.js uses automatic data binding with its computed properties and observers.

3. Routing: Backbone.js relies on its Backbone.Router for routing purposes, while Durandal has a built-in router that supports hash-based and push-state routing. Ember.js provides a sophisticated routing system that allows nested routes and dynamic segments.

4. Development Philosophy: Backbone.js is minimalistic and flexible, requiring developers to make decisions on structure and architecture. Durandal embraces convention over configuration, providing a more guided approach. Ember.js follows the principle of "convention over configuration" coupled with strong opinions about the best way to build web applications.

5. Community Support and Ecosystem: Backbone.js has a large community and a variety of plugins available, but it lacks a standardized way of building applications. Durandal has a smaller community compared to Backbone.js but offers a more coherent ecosystem. Ember.js has a robust community and a wide range of add-ons, providing a rich ecosystem for developers.

6. Learning Curve: Backbone.js has a lower learning curve compared to Durandal and Ember.js, which have steeper learning curves due to their opinionated nature and advanced features.

In Summary, the key differences among Backbone.js, Durandal, and Ember.js lie in their approach to the view layer, data binding, routing, development philosophy, community support, ecosystem, and learning curve.