Survey Results

If you visited this site during the period 19th September to 6th October, you'll have seen a banner at the top of each page asking you to take part in a survey about DataTables. I've written about running the survey using Editor already, but I want to take time here to look into the results, presenting them to you and discussing what they mean for the future of DataTables.

The aim of this survey was to try and give me a better understanding of how DataTables is used, any pain points that need to be addressed, and what more it can do. Basically, how to make it a better and more attractive product!

There were 343 responses in total over the 2 weeks (3 weekends) that the survey was active.

For each question I'll give an explanation of why the question was posed, show the results and then give my thoughts on what they mean for DataTables going forward. Please note that for some of the free-text respondents, I have used generative AI to summarise the responses.

0: Respondent's country

This wasn't a question that was part of the survey; however, since the site runs through CloudFlare and this information is available in the HTTP headers, I wanted to get an idea of how representative of the global usage of DataTables the survey responses were.

The survey had responses from 72 different countries, which is remarkable. It truly shows how widely DataTables is used.

1: On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied are you with DataTables?

A general overview question to get started, with a high-level single score to give DataTables, where 10 was "Love it" and 1 "Not satisfied at all".

Thankfully, there is a strong grouping at the higher numbers here. The opposite would have indicated something very wrong! There is, of course, still room for improvement though, and seeing any replies with low scores indicates that someone was having some frustrations with what they were trying to get DataTables to do.

2: How likely are you to recommend DataTables to a friend or colleague?

This is particularly important for me, as organic referrals are key to how a library such as DataTables can be discovered by new developers.

Another strong showing here, in line with what would be expected from the satisfaction results.

3: How easy do you find it to use DataTables?

Starting to use any new library can be difficult, particularly one as comprehensive as DataTables. I want to make DataTables approachable, but at the same time don't wish to teach the basics of JavaScript, or put off experienced devs who would quickly turn away from documentation that spells out the absolute basics. A balancing act!

It was good to see that the majority of respondents found DataTables either easy to use or as easy as other JavaScript libraries (the question didn't ask for clarity if that was a good thing or not!).

This question had an option to allow a free-form text response to allow for some feedback if one didn't find it reasonably easy to use (the "Other" category from above). The feedback here can be grouped as:

• Documentation issues: "difficult to navigate", "confusingly organised" and "obtuse".
• Lack of examples: Several feedback points ask for more examples for specific use cases, or that the existing examples are difficult for new developers to use.
• Complexity and Overwhelming Configuration: A number to respondents found DataTables to be "too complex" due to a "lot of possible features and settings".
• jQuery Dependency: A common request was to remove the dependency on jQuery. This is a recurring feature that you'll see in the responses to other questions.

Regarding documentation, I've been told in equal measure that the documentation for DataTables is the best that the respondent has used for open source, and also that it is really difficult to use. I'm very keen to get more feedback on this - if anyone has a suggestion on how the documentation can be improved, I would warmly welcome a discussion.

4: How often do you use DataTables?

With this question I was expecting that once someone has written a DataTable, they would use it on a regular basis as a user. In retrospect, this question is a little ambiguous as to whether it refers to using the software as a developer or a user.

It's good to see that use of DataTables is regular; however, as noted, the ambiguity of the question means this one doesn't add a huge amount to the overall picture.

5: What do you like about DataTables?

This was a free-form text input, letting the respondent reply with whatever they though was the most important part to them.

The most common replies to this question are:

1. Flexibility and customisation. This is the most frequently mentioned aspect. Respondents overwhelmingly like the flexibility, versatility, and wide range of options it provides. DataTables is seen as highly configurable and customizable.
   • "I just love... how configurable and how elegant it is!"
   • "Flexibility, wide range of extensions..."
2. Ease of Use and Simple Setup. Many appreciate how easy it is to implement and use, especially compared to other libraries. There was praise for its simplicity, ready-to-use nature, and the low "delivery:effort ratio", meaning it quickly provides a lot of value. For many, it "just works" right out of the box with minimal code.
   • "I just love the ease of use."
   • "Very simple to implement and optimize for user."
3. Rich Functionality and Extensive Features. Respondents consistently value the broad, deep breadth of features included in the library. This includes essential functionalities like search, sorting, filtering, pagination, and the availability of numerous extensions.
   • "It's got so much functionality."
   • "The deep breadth of features."
4. High-Quality Documentation and Support. The documentation and community support are frequently highlighted as excellent. Users describe the documentation as complete, thorough, helpful, pragmatic, and having great examples. Furthermore, the active involvement of the author(s) and support team on the forums is a major plus, demonstrating commitment to the product.
   • "I like the documentation, it seems quite complete and thorough."
   • "Good documentation as well as very good follow-up from Allan..."
5. Effective Data Handling. Many respondents specifically like DataTables' powerful capabilities for data manipulation. This includes its efficiency in handling large quantities of data via server-side processing, its built-in features for filtering and sorting data, and its overall ability to handle CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) development work, especially when integrated with the Editor extension.
   • "Simply the best CRUD interface anywhere."
   • "Its optimization and its power, it is practical for searching in large quantity of data."

Delighted with the feedback - very positive and happy to know that many of you are happy with DataTables!

6: What do you dislike about DataTables?

The previous question helps with my self-esteem, but to move DataTables forward I need to know what the pain points of using DataTables are so I can address them and hopefully attract more developers to the software. The most common responses are summarised below:

1. jQuery Dependency. The single most frequent complaint is the library's reliance on jQuery, with many explicitly stating a desire for a vanilla JavaScript version.
   • "Honestly, a version without jquery would be the cherry on top of this library."
   • "jQuery... We are trying to get rid of all jQuery and this is the most important thing that still uses it."
2. Styling and Modern Framework Integration Difficulty. A significant number of users find it difficult to customise the look and style of the tables, describing the default UI as "dated." This difficulty is amplified when trying to integrate with modern CSS frameworks like Tailwind CSS or Bootstrap 5, or JavaScript frameworks like React and Vue.
   • "It's very hard to customize the look with css."
   • "Styling is always difficult... For those that want to integrate DT into their own system (styles), that's the most time-consuming part."
3. Documentation and Information Gaps. Despite the documentation being praised by others, some find it confusing, disorganised, or hard to navigate. Specific issues include difficulty determining relevance for the current version being used, lack of detail for advanced features/plugins, and insufficient or unclear examples.
   • "The documentation is hard to get into."
   • "Sometimes the documentation is structured strangely and it's hard to find what I'm looking for."
4. Complexity and Configuration Overload. Respondents feel that the extensive number of configuration options and features can be overwhelming or too complex, leading to a steep learning curve. The difficulty in debugging errors or understanding how different parts of the API work together adds to this frustration.
   • "Sometimes less would be more; the richness in features can be overwhelming."
   • "setup complexity"
5. Plugin/Feature Incompatibilities and Quirks. A recurring theme is that certain combinations of features or extensions do not work together (e.g., Scroller and Child Rows, or RowGroup and FixedColumns).
   • "Some settings that I can’t find... but have to look for in the users’ and admins’ questions and answers."
   • "Not all features can be combined..."

The jQuery issue I expected (moe on that later), but the issues with styling integration I didn't! A lot of work has been put into making it styling independent with support for Bootstrap 3/4/5, Bulma, FomanticUI and more. It sounds like there is more work to be done here!

Going back to my point before about the documentation being praised and not in equal measure, it is clear that there is room for improvement here and in the examples. Tying them together more and would help I think and will work on that. The fact that some extensions don't work with certain features is a pain I fully acknowledge. There is the compatibility chart, but I will try to work more to address this.

7: If you could change one thing about DataTables, what would it be?

This leads on directly from the previous question, but with more of a focus on actually doing something about any problems that you might encounter.

1. Eliminate the jQuery Dependency. This is, by far, the most frequently cited change. Respondents want DataTables to remove all jQuery connections and be written entirely in vanilla JavaScript. This is driven by a desire to modernise the library, decrease bundle size, and improve compatibility with modern front-end frameworks.
   • "remove all jQuery connection"
   • "Kill the jquery dependency"
2. Improve Styling and Modern UI Framework Integration. Many respondents want better control over the table's appearance, finding the default styling to be dated. The strong demand is for easier styling, more native theme support, and seamless integration with modern CSS frameworks like Tailwind CSS.
   • "Improve Styling"
   • "better integration with CSS frameworks"
3. Enhance and Simplify Documentation (More Examples). Again, while some praise the documentation, a large number of users find it to be a key point of friction. The main requests are for more practical, complex examples and a simplification of the existing documentation structure.
   • "complete code reference with examples"
   • "Better documentation with more than just simple examples"

8: What is one feature you think we should prioritise for development?

The goal with this question was to help prioritise development. We'll all have something specific that we want to be worked on in DataTables, and I was hoping that with a good number of replies, themes would become clear. They did!

1. Remove jQuery Dependency
2. Improve Modern Styling and Framework Integration
3. Enhance Server-Side Functionality and Performance
4. Simplify Per-Column Searching and Filtering
5. Improve Documentation and Provide Better/Simpler Examples

It was clear from the replies to the previous questions that the answers to this question would follow suit. The above is ordered by the number of requests for each general item.

9: Why did you choose DataTables over alternatives?

The hope with this question was that it would highlight the competitive advantages that DataTables have. I provided a few easy to select options that I thought might be common replies, but there was also the option of providing a custom reply.

The "Other" replies include:

1. All of the above (was the most common reply here)
2. Quality documentation and community
3. Established and proven reliability
4. Editor

It isn't surprising to see that "Free" is the top response here. We all love free stuff, right?! It was good to see that the feature set and support are included here, and somewhat ironic to see documentation highlighted as a reason to choose the library (see above!).

10: How has DataTables helped you achieve your business goals?

This is a free-form response question. It was asked with the goal of letting me get some insight into the problems that DataTables is being used to solve (I know what I think it is used for, but I want direct feedback on that!).

The responses are summarised below:

1. Accelerated Development Speed and Time Savings. The most critical benefit cited is the significant increase in development speed.
   • "Fast development"
   • "Very fast setup of powerful CRUD in no time"
2. Enabling Complex Data Presentation and Interactivity. DataTables serves as the foundation for displaying large, interactive datasets. It helps businesses present complex, high-volume data effectively, ensuring users have the necessary tools (search, filtering, pagination) for immediate analysis and access to information. It allows developers to quickly deliver interactive reports to customers.
   • "Enabled fast development of interactive tables"
   • "provide a very effective way to display data to a user"
3. Providing Powerful CRUD Functionality. The combination of DataTables with the Editor extension is noted as a key business enabler. This partnership allows users to build full CRUD interfaces quickly without needing to hire specialised front-end developers.
   • "Very fast setup of powerful CRUD in no time"
   • "It has served us well - especially when coupled with Editor."
4. Professionalism and Ease of Use for Non-Developers. DataTables helps developers deliver a professional-looking and elegant UI with minimal effort, even for those with limited front-end or JavaScript skills.
   • "Easy to make great-looking and well-working tables"
   • "Makes my clients happy"
5. Serving as a Consistent, Core Component. Many respondents noted that treat DataTables as a standard, core component of their application stack.
   • "go-to when I need anything more complex than a plain table"
   • "standard library when it comes to tabular data display"

What has surprised me most about the replies to this question is that they could easily be marketing copy! I was expecting a little more nuance, but the fact that DataTables is the go-to table library for many is fantastic.

11: Are there any tasks you wish DataTables could automate?

In retrospect, this is the weakest question in the survey. I'd been looking for replies which might indicate new market areas that DataTables could serve or expand into, but I think the word "automate", particularly in this age of gen-AI, confused matters. Nonetheless, there was still some useful feedback, summarised as:

1. Configuration and Code Generation (Wizards/Templates)
2. Simplifying Server-Side Interaction (SQL Generation)
3. Column Aggregation and Totals
4. Export Configuration and Data Type Handling
5. Multi-Item Filtering and Standardization

Definitely some interesting ideas here, some of which I've explored a little with Generator for Editor and have thoughts on how to expand further.

12: How important is "On Prem" data to you?

This follows on from the previous question, where I had expected there to be some feedback regarding the automatic building of configurations based on a UI, and how data for something along those lines would be stored.

I'm not surprised that the largest segment of developers who use DataTables see on-prem data as critical. It is interesting that ease of use ranks so highly though, and this emphasises to me how important ease of use throughout the whole stack is, not just the database, but the installation, setup and of course the documentation!

13: What functionality do you value the most in DataTables?

The goal with this question is really self-evident - I'd like to know what feature or aspect of DataTables provides the most value in your use of DataTables. The answers are summarised as:

1. Core data manipulation (e.g. search, sort, filter). This is the single most valuable set of features, forming the foundation of the library.
2. Server-side processing and AJAX handling. The ability to efficiently handle large data sets by offloading processing to the server is crucial for many businesses.
3. The Editor extension and CRUD capabilities. The Editor extension is consistently valued for enabling CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) actions.
4. Flexibility and custom rendering. Respondents value the underlying flexibility and the power of the API to customise the look and behaviour of the table.
5. Extensions and plugins. Beyond the core features, specific extensions are highly valued for enhancing usability. ColumnControl, RowGroup are frequently mentioned.

14: Is there anything that might cause you to stop using DataTables in the future?

The survey is full of important questions (for the future of DataTables), but this one in particular could give me sleepless nights. Understanding what would pull developers away from DataTables is key, and anything that will requires action. The replies are summarised as:

1. Change to a Paid or Subscription Model. This is the single most common and critical reason cited that would cause a developer to leave.
2. Failure to Remove jQuery Dependency. Many respondents see the continued reliance on jQuery as a heavy and outdated dependency.
3. Lack of Maintenance and Stagnation. If the library stops being actively developed, updating its compatibility with new web standards, or if existing functionality begins to break.
4. Poor Integration with Modern Frameworks. React, Vue and friends are critical parts of the web now, and libraries such as DataTables must integrate with them.
5. Poor Styling and UI Concerns. Respondents expressed concern that the library's visual appeal might fall behind and thus require them to seek alternatives.

There are a number of important points for me here. First, no Enshittification. Putting features that you already have free access to behind a paywall would make me stop using a library as well. That wouldn't be acceptable to me and won't happen.

Secondly, jQuery. I hear you. This is something that has been a common theme throughout the survey responses, and I will take action on this!

The remainder can be grouped under continuing maintenance. DataTables needs to keep up with the rest of the web!

Conclusions and the future

Running the survey has been a fascinating exercise, gaining insight into how DataTables is used, and the difficulties that you, the developers using it, face. A huge thank you to everyone who took the time to reply; it is very much appreciated. I hope the summaries above have been of some interest to you as well.

With this feedback, the path that I need to walk with DataTables going forward is quite clear. I've already started work on what will become DataTables 3, which will remove the jQuery dependency. This is a significant amount of work, so it will take a while, well into 2026 when considering all of the extensions. I will also be looking into a full styling integration for Tailwind, and I will continue to invest time in improving the documentation.

While this work is going on, please support the future of DataTables by purchasing an Editor license, a support package, or a supporter package.