Hello community. If you’ve been keeping an eye on Aurelia 2, you’ve probably noticed that it’s still labeled as “not stable” or in beta. It’s understandable—when people see beta, they immediately wonder if they should hold off on using it for production apps.
But here’s the thing: Aurelia 2 has been stable for a long time.
Let’s dig into what that really means, and why waiting might not be necessary. But before that, let’s answer the question of many: yes, the Aurelia stable release is finally around the corner.
Beta Doesn’t Mean “Unusable”
The beta label exists because Aurelia 2’s final stable release hasn’t been officially declared yet. However, for those of us who have been using it regularly, the framework is already in a highly stable state.
- Core features have been refined, tested, and improved over time.
- Breaking changes are infrequent, and when they occur, they’re well-documented.
- The test coverage of the framework is extensive, meaning that the framework is stable and reliable with a high level of confidence.
- The team and community are active, responsive, and committed to helping developers succeed.
Many of have been exclusively building applications with Aurelia 2 for a couple of years now—real, production-level applications—and it has been more than up to the task. But, it’s not all sunshines and rainbows.
What to Expect When Using Aurelia 2
Here’s what you should know before jumping in:
- You might encounter occasional warnings or rough edges. Beta software comes with a certain level of transparency—warnings or edge cases may surface. However, in most scenarios, these are minor and easily handled.
- Third-party plugin compatibility can vary. While Aurelia 2’s core is solid, some third-party plugins may not yet fully support it. That said, the community and ecosystem are rapidly catching up, and many tools are already functional. If you’re on the beta releases, you may find some plugins have yet to catch up and you see some Npm warnings due to dependency mismatches.
- Regular updates mean progress, not instability. One of the best things about Aurelia 2’s beta phase is the pace of improvement. Updates are focused, targeted, and don’t tend to break what’s already working. If you’re open to upgrading to new beta releases and reviewing changelogs, you’re unlikely to face major disruptions.
- Many facets of Aurelia 1 apply to Aurelia 2. The core concepts of Aurelia 1 apply to Aurelia 2, meaning you can use your existing knowledge and codebase to get started.
Why Build with Aurelia 2 Now?
Here’s why Aurelia 2 is already a great choice:
- Modern architecture: Aurelia 2 takes advantage of the latest web standards while staying true to its clean and unobtrusive design.
- Compatible with Aurelia 1 syntax: Aurelia 2 is mostly fully compatible with Aurelia 1 syntax, meaning you can use your existing knowledge and codebase to get started. We’ve added some new things to the syntax, but it’s still very similar to Aurelia 1. Binding syntax is the same, and the core concepts are the same.
- Extensibility: Its modular approach lets you bring in what you need without being weighed down by unnecessary features.
- Productive developer experience: Aurelia 2 focuses on convention over configuration, making it easy to get started and stay productive.
By adopting Aurelia 2 now, you can start building apps with the latest features, while positioning yourself to seamlessly upgrade when the final stable release drops.
Final Thoughts
If you’re the type of developer who likes rock-solid guarantees with no surprises, it’s understandable to wait for the stable release. But if you’re comfortable with occasional warnings and updating beta versions as you go, Aurelia 2 is more than ready to build with—and it has been for quite some time.
Many of us have been using Aurelia 2 exclusively for years, and it’s proven to be reliable, efficient, and a joy to work with. If you’re ready to embrace modern front-end development with a framework that’s quietly powerful, now is the perfect time to dive in.
