I've been programming as a hobby since 2017, mostly building things with JavaScript. I originally experimented with C++ and Python, but JavaScript is the ecosystem I know best. My goal for 2026 is to become job-ready for a full-stack or backend developer role. I've been learning TypeScript since March, although I haven't really enjoyed it so far. Are there still companies or freelance clients that use plain JavaScript, or has TypeScript become effectively required for professional development?
4 Answers
Plain JavaScript definitely still exists, especially in small projects, scripts, legacy applications, and some backend systems. That said, TypeScript is increasingly the default for larger teams and codebases. You don't need to love it, but being comfortable reading and writing TypeScript will open far more job opportunities.
There are teams that prefer plain JavaScript, often using JSDoc, declaration files, tests, and editor-based type checking instead. Well-written JavaScript can work fine, but sloppy TypeScript can also provide a false sense of safety if everything is cast to `any` or forced through the type system. The team's practices matter as much as the language choice.
Once a JavaScript project gets large or has several developers, static typing makes a noticeable difference. It helps with refactoring, code review, autocomplete, and catching many mistakes before deployment. TypeScript is still compiled to JavaScript, but the development-time checking is the main benefit.
For getting hired, I would treat TypeScript as an important skill even if you continue using plain JavaScript for personal projects. TypeScript is not a completely separate language—you are still writing JavaScript with type information and tooling around it. Focus on understanding interfaces, generics, narrowing, modules, and how types fit into a real application rather than trying to memorize every advanced feature.
Exactly. TypeScript doesn't eliminate runtime errors, so tests, validation, and observability are still important. It should complement those practices rather than replace them.