The Best React Alternatives

In this blog article, we’ll look at some of the best React alternatives, discussing their core features and strengths. It will help you to make an ideal choice for your next project.

React has evolved as a dominating technology, transforming the way we design and develop apps.

However, the tech world has many other options, each with its unique performance benefits. There are numerous solutions available for developers looking to try something other than React or to find a framework or library that fits more closely with specific project demands and preferences.

What is React?

React, also known as ReactJS is an open source and free front-end JavaScript library that was developed in 2013 by Meta Platforms.

It is used for building User Interfaces based on multiple individual components which make UI development more efficient.

It focuses a lot on reusability of components so large web apps can be developed quickly by reusing pieces of code.

The reusability part also helps developers update and test apps more easily. In fact, it supports changing application display to latest data without needing to reload the page.

React is responsible only for the view layer in applications so it is commonly used for developing mobile apps, SPAs, and server-rendered applications.

React mainly focuses on making development easier, quicker, more flexible, and efficient.

It excels at selectively updating and rendering components in response to data changes, improving predictability and simplifying debugging.

Its primary focus is on state management and DOM rendering. As a result, to create full-featured applications, extra third-party libraries for client-side logic and navigation must be used.

Please read the tutorial Getting started with React to know more how to start a project using React.

Advantages of React

In addition to being free and open source, React comes with many other advantages helping developers which include:

Speed

React allows developers to write code in JSX which is a JavaScript extension system. Here developers can write HTML for rendering specific subcomponents of their apps.

It makes development quicker and easier. Additionally, code reusability at both the server-side and client-side improves development speed.

Flexibility

React apps are made with different components having different logic and controls so developers can maintain these apps with greater flexibility to reuse and update individual components.

Performance

Virtual DOM is a cross-platform programming API that is used in React apps. It deals with HTML, XML, and XHTML components which can improve app’s performance.

Please read the article Deploying a React Application for further information on this subject.

Disadvantages of React

Despite having such awesome advantages, some drawbacks come along with React. Before starting a project with React every developer must be aware of these disadvantages.

High pace of development

High-paced development can be overwhelming for new developers. New developers may find their app development environment to frequently change and at some point adapting to new things may become frustrating.

Documentation

React is constantly developing and the documentation part is not going at the same pace. Multiple new and constantly upgraded features of React do not have good documentation which make it difficult for developers to use them.

View Part

React is only responsible for the view part of the app architecture so developing full-stack application will necessarily need third-party tools or libraries which increases the complexity especially for new developers.

The Best Alternatives to React

Here are our top 12 picks for the best alternatives to React. If you are planning to start a new project, then you must know about these since their unique features and performance benefits over React may help you build your project even better.

Preact

Preact is a lightweight alternative to React that is known for its tiny size and similar API. It has a quick rendering engine and is geared for maximum performance, making it a great choice for high-performance applications.

Preact is interoperable with a wide range of React modules and components, allowing developers to have a React-like development experience while maintaining a lower footprint.

Its ease of use and efficiency make it useful for developing modern online applications, especially when performance and resource constraints are important.

Core Features:

• It is extremely lightweight on hardware taking only a size of around 3KB
• Offers fast load times with optimal performance due to small size
• Preact brings its ecosystem of extensions and plugins to benefit developers

Code Example:

Svelte

Svelte stands out in the modern JavaScript world as a compiler that, rather than reading your application code at runtime, turns your program into perfect JavaScript at build time.

Because of this unique approach, initial loads are faster, file sizes are less, and performance is better.

Svelte allows developers to write less boilerplate code, resulting in cleaner, more understandable codebases.

Its popularity is growing due to its ease of use and seamless integration into current projects, making it a better alternative for those wishing to efficiently construct dynamic web interfaces.

Core Features:

• Much work is done during build process resulting in faster runtimes
• Its syntax is much easier to learn and understand
• Comes with built-in animation features for modern UI designing requirements

Code Example:

Solid.JS

Solid.JS is a JavaScript library for developing declarative user interfaces. It’s well-known for its fine-tuned reactivity architecture, which enables exact control over updates and rendering, resulting in extremely efficient performance.

Solid.JS uses a JSX-based syntax and provides a simple approach to create reactive components without the use of a virtual DOM, resulting in quicker rendering.

It’s an excellent solution for developers searching for React-like syntax with better speed, especially in scenarios with dynamic and interactive UIs.

Core Features:

• Easier for current React developers due to JSX support
• It supports server-side rendering which benefits performance and SEO
• Improved performance as compared to React thanks to the Reactivity model

Code Example:

Vue.JS

Vue.js is another JavaScript framework for creating user interfaces and single-page apps. It is well-known for its approachability, adaptability, and outstanding performance.

Vue.js has a reactive and composable data architecture, a simple yet powerful templating vocabulary, and an extensive ecosystem that includes Vue Router and Vuex.

It’s well-liked for its detailed documentation, ease of integration into existing projects, and a thriving community, making it an attractive option for both newcomers and experienced developers seeking a balance between performance and productivity.

Core Features:

• It is flexible for developers offering them start in their preferred style of development
• Its official libraries make it a preferable choice for complex applications
• High reusability and maintainability because of component-based approach

Code Example:

InfernoJS

InfernoJS is a React-like JavaScript library for creating modern user interfaces. It has one of the quickest JavaScript virtual DOM implementations, making it an excellent choice for high-performance applications.

InfernoJS is completely compatible with the React ecosystem, allowing developers to use existing React tools and modules.

Its emphasis on performance without sacrificing functionality makes it appropriate for both simple and complex online applications, particularly when speed and efficiency are crucial.

Core Features:

• It is smaller than React hence provides amazing rendering performance
• Easy for React developers to switch to InfernoJS due to its React-like API
• Offers amazing compatibility with React libraries making migration easier

Code Example:

Mithril

Mithril is a modern JavaScript client-side framework for creating single-page applications. It’s compact (10kB gzipped), quick, and comes with routing and XHR tools.

Mithril is noted for its ease of use, with a minimalistic API that is simple to understand and use.

It avoids the intricacies of larger frameworks, providing a more streamlined approach to developing performant and maintainable applications.

Mithril’s simplicity and effectiveness make it suitable for web developers searching for a lightweight yet strong solution.

Core Features:

• It uses Virtual DOM for rendering and re-rendering components
• Makes building process simpler with Routing and XHR Utilities
• Its dependency-free structure simplifies project maintenance

Code Example:

Hyperapp

Hyperapp is a lightweight framework for creating web applications. It combines state management with a virtual DOM engine in a 1kB package.

The architecture of Hyperapp is based on simplicity and a functional programming approach, providing a no-frills solution for designing dynamic web interfaces.

It’s best suited for small to medium-sized projects that benefit from a tiny footprint and simple architecture.

The combination of simplicity, size, and capability of Hyperapp makes it a standout among JavaScript frameworks.

Core Features:

• It centralizes state management in a single state object, simplifying state management and data flow.
• Offers built-in subscriptions and effects which are much easier for handling asynchronous operations
• It is minimalist with size of only 1KB while being powerful enough

Code Example:

HTMX

HTMX is a modern library that extends HTML via attributes, allowing developers to use AJAX, CSS Transitions, WebSockets, and other features directly in HTML.

It is intended to improve the simplicity and power of HTML by allowing for rich interactions and dynamic content without the use of sophisticated JavaScript.

It is best suited for developers that like to design clean, maintainable HTML rather than JavaScript-heavy apps.

It’s gaining popularity among people looking for a quick and easy solution to add interactivity and current features to web pages.

Core Features:

• Simpler development and integration experience with HTML
• Only requires minimal JavaScript coding for adding dynamic behaviors in app
• Real-time updates are easier since it integrates with WebSockets and SSE

Code Example:

EmberJS

EmberJS is a perfect framework for creating large-scale online applications. It favors convention over configuration and has its own CLI, router, and data layer, Ember Data.

It is built for productivity and scalability, with a strong set of tools and conventions for dealing with complexity in large-scale applications.

It’s especially popular with teams who value a disciplined approach to application architecture and are looking for an all-in-one solution for developing and maintaining complex web applications.

Core Features:

• It comes with a powerful CLI beneficial for testing, building, and scaffolding apps
• Comes with an integrated templating engine
• Perfect for complex SPAs thanks to the robust routing system

Code Example:

BackboneJS

BackboneJS was one of the first JavaScript frameworks, giving the minimal structure required to develop web applications.

It provides key-value binding models, collections, and views with declarative event handling. Backbone’s small size (about 7.6KB) makes it ideal for projects that require a simple structure without the expense of larger frameworks.

It’s perfect for individuals who want to progress beyond jQuery, as it provides more structure and organization for managing complicated interfaces while keeping simplicity and flexibility.

Core Features:

• MVP pattern helps separating user input, business logic, and UI logic in apps
• It relies of events which automatically update views according to model changes
• It comes with a variety of plugins available

Code Example:

CycleJS

CycleJS stresses a stream-based approach in which everything is a stream, providing a distinct way of dealing with user interactions and data.

CycleJS’s primary notion is around drivers that handle side effects, which distinguishes it in its approach to controlling external interactions.

It is appropriate for developers interested in functional programming and reactive paradigms, and it provides a new perspective on developing web apps.

Core Features:

• Ideal for handling complex dynamic UI requirements with reactive programming concepts
• Supports driver-based architecture
• Unidirectional data flow makes tracking sources and effects of changes easier

Code Example:

JQuery

jQuery is a lightweight yet feature-rich JavaScript library. It was extremely popular in the early days of dynamic web development since it simplified tasks like HTML document traversal and manipulation, event handling, and animation.

jQuery’s cross-browser interoperability and huge plugin ecosystem have made it a web developer’s go-to. While newer frameworks and libraries have arisen, jQuery continues to be a good option due to its ease of use, widespread acceptance, and ability to quickly add interactivity to websites.

Core Features:

• Supports Dom Manipulation which simplifies changing webpage elements
• Event handling helps enhance user interaction capabilities
• Comes with an extensive plugin ecosystem to enhance app functionalities

Code Example:

These were some of the best alternatives to React that every developer must know about before starting their next project.

Conclusion

While React remains a popular choice, the diversity of frameworks and libraries available provide developers with a wide range of options tailored to their specific needs and tastes.

Whether you value performance, simplicity, or a specific development philosophy, there is almost certainly a React alternative that meets your needs. Each solution explored in this article offers something distinctive.

However, it’s important to note that project requirements, team experience, and long-term maintainability should drive the framework or library chosen.