WebAssembly remains a second-class citizen on the web because it lacks direct integration with the web platform, requiring JavaScript glue code to access Web APIs and a cumbersome loading process. This creates a steep learning curve, language-specific toolchain complexity, performance overhead (measured at ~45% slower DOM operations), and forces developers to understand JavaScript even when using other languages. The WebAssembly Component Model is proposed as the solution: a standardized, self-contained executable format that multiple languages can target, supports direct Web API access without JS glue, and enables cross-language interoperability. Mozilla is actively implementing ESM integration for Wasm and working with the WebAssembly CG on the Component Model, with Google also evaluating it.
