What to use best: Flash or jQuery?

Some developers are confuse or having difficulties on what to use best in putting animation for their websites and hope this post will probably help developers to decide on that.

Listed below are the Pros and Cons in using Flash and jQuery.

Pros in using Flash:

• Extensive features
• 3D capabilities
• Consistent appearance in supported browsers
• Supports vector artwork
• Built-in UI and other features
• Many free and commercial tools available
• More font options 

Cons in using Flash:

• Not compatible with all browsers including IPhone, IPad and Cellphones
• Moderate learning curve to use
• Very expensive flash software
• Flash player version problems
• Large file size
• Possible security issues with Flash Player
• Tracking stats for Flash elements is limited

Pros in using jQuery:

• Small file size
• Comply with HTML standards which reduces learning curve
• Hundreds of free professional quality programs
• Can add interactivity to web page elements and tags
• Skinnable Form Components UI
• Compatible with more browsers than Flash including iPhone, cell phones, PS3, PSP

Cons in using jQuery:

• Features not as extensive as Flash
• Complex features may not perform as quickly as flash
• 3D features are limited
• Users can disable Javascript support
• Source Code Not Protected

Listed below are the list of animations/functions/areas when to use Flash and jQuery.

When to use Flash?

• Video and Audio player
• Complex animation
• 3D
• Complex multimedia

When to use jQuery?

• Slide Show
• Form Validation
• Dropdown Menus
• Tabbed Panels
• Popups and Tooltips
• Expandable/Collapsible Elements

If you are still confuse of what to use best, the best advise that I can give is to try it first with jQuery, thou there's still a few areas to use flashes, if you think that it can be done in jQuery, then do it with jQuery coz jQuery is definitely easy to implement and a much lighter for your website.