Hi Siddharth,

Pluggable widgets and custom widgets in Mendix both serve to extend the platform’s UI capabilities, but they differ significantly in terms of technology, development experience, and long-term support. Custom widgets are built using the older Dojo JavaScript framework and are now considered legacy. They typically involve more complex development and are limited to web (responsive) applications only. In contrast, pluggable widgets are built using modern technologies like React and TypeScript through Mendix’s Pluggable Widgets API. They are easier to develop and maintain, integrate well with external libraries, and support design-time configuration directly in Mendix Studio Pro.

Pluggable widgets also offer broader compatibility, working not just for web apps but also for native mobile and progressive web apps (PWAs). Mendix is actively investing in and supporting pluggable widgets, making them the recommended approach for any new widget development. They’re more scalable, future-proof, and provide a better developer experience overall. In summary, while custom widgets still exist for legacy purposes, pluggable widgets are the modern standard and best practice for building rich, reusable UI components in Mendix.

Hope it helps!!