Fluent React

Chapter 10. React Alternatives

In the previous chapter, we covered the emerging topic of React Server Components (RSCs) in depth. We explored how they work, when to use them, and why they require powerful tools such as next-generation bundlers, routers, and more. We further differentiated between server components and server rendering, and even implemented a bare-bones RSCs renderer from scratch in order to understand the underlying mechanism for ourselves.

As we transition into exploring alternatives to React, this understanding of the role and function of frameworks and server components will provide valuable context. Each library we’ll discuss in this chapter also ships with its associated frameworks, and many of the principles and trade-offs we’ve covered in React will apply to these ecosystems as well.

As we pivot our attention from React and its ecosystem, let’s delve into some popular alternatives in the frontend development ecosystem: Vue.js, Angular, Svelte, Solid, and Qwik. Each library and framework introduces its own reactivity model and ways of thinking about UI development. Understanding these different models can broaden our perspective and give us more tools to solve problems in our projects.

Vue.js

Vue.js is a popular JavaScript framework for building user interfaces. Developed by Evan You, an ex-Google engineer who worked on AngularJS projects, Vue.js seeks to extract the good parts of Angular, but in a lighter, more maintainable, and less opinionated package. ...