React Fatigue: Why Some Devs Are Moving On

Don’t get me wrong—I love React. I started learning it in 2021 when hooks were all the rage, and React was on the rise. Compared to the Java boilerplate I had to learn in college, JavaScript and React felt refreshing. I dove into Scrimba’s frontend path for React, where building mini-projects was both fun and informative. Coming from a UI/UX background, I also loved the clean UIs I could build using React’s design libraries.

But recently, React’s appeal seems to be slipping. There are growing conversations around its issues, which may explain why some big names in tech are pulling away. So, what’s going on with React?

Why React’s Popularity is Fading

React has its strengths—especially in complex projects needing advanced state management—but those strengths often come with the trade-off of heavy client-side JavaScript. In simpler or performance-heavy applications, this can create sluggish user experiences, which is a big drawback for companies prioritizing speed.

Some recent criticism, summarized well in an article on Picallilli, highlights how deeply embedded React is, making it hard to replace despite the backlash. The author points out that even as alternative frameworks rise, React has a huge existing codebase that will keep it relevant for a long time. Plus, React’s commitment to evolve, like adding support for custom elements (web components) in version 19, might make migrations and flexibility easier.

Big Companies Are Moving On

It’s not just developers questioning React—companies are acting on it.

Netflix has announced a move to Vanilla JS for some projects, Microsoft is opting for web components in Edge, Shopify is moving away from React on some projects, Airbnb is leaning toward OS-specific frameworks for mobile apps instead of React Native, and Gusto’s Kelly Sutton is switching to StimulusJS.

The trend toward framework-agnostic solutions is growing, with companies focusing more on performance, flexibility, and avoiding the weight that React often brings.

The Price of Staying Current

React’s regular updates and feature releases can be both a blessing and a curse. A recent article argued that React’s rapid evolution means companies almost need to rewrite apps every 2.5 years, which is tough. Teams that don’t update frequently risk accumulating tech debt, and new developers end up managing transitions from versions like React 17 to 19, which can be frustrating.

On Building My Own Blog

This whole debate even had me reconsidering my own tech stack for a new blog site I want to build. My initial portfolio site was built with React and deployed on Vercel, but this time, I explored options like Next.js, Gatsby, Astro, and Hugo. Since SEO is a priority for the blog, I narrowed it down to Gatsby and Hugo. I read about Hugo and Go’s simplicity—some developers claim new users can write solid Go code within a week, while React often feels like it needs a PhD to keep up with new hooks and features. So, I’m going with Hugo, and I might pick up some Go along the way. But don’t worry, I’m not abandoning React!

When React Still Shines

At the end of the day, tech choice depends on the project and the team’s expertise. React remains strong in areas needing sophisticated state management and rich interactivity. For smaller or simpler projects, though, it’s hard to ignore the pull of lighter, more flexible alternatives.

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