For years, create-react-app (CRA) was the go-to tool for spinning up new React projects. With a single command, you could scaffold a full React application complete with Webpack, Babel, ESLint, and more—all without touching a configuration file.
But as the React ecosystem rapidly evolves in 2025, developers are asking: Is create-react-app deprecated?
🛑 The Short Answer: Not Officially, But Practically... Yes
While create-react-app has not been officially deprecated by its maintainers, it’s clear that active development has stalled. The React team has shifted focus to modern full-stack frameworks, and CRA is no longer the recommended way to start a new project.
In other words: CRA still works, but it’s outdated, and better options now exist.
❌ Why CRA Is Falling Out of Favor
1. Stagnant Development
The latest versions of CRA continue to rely on older tech like Webpack 4 and Babel, while modern tools like Vite and Next.js are pushing the envelope with blazing-fast dev servers and native support for modern JavaScript features.
2. No Server-Side Rendering (SSR)
In 2025, SSR and edge rendering are becoming best practices for performance and SEO. CRA doesn’t support SSR, making it a poor fit for production-grade applications.
3. No Built-In Routing or API Handling
Other frameworks like Next.js or Remix offer file-based routing and backend API routes out of the box. CRA does not—everything is manual.
4. Modern Alternatives Are Superior
Vite offers instant hot module reload (HMR) and native ES modules.
Next.js supports SSR, static generation, file-based routing, image optimization, and server components.
Remix emphasizes web fundamentals and data-driven routing.
Parcel provides zero-config builds with faster performance.
✅ What You Should Use Instead
Recommended Tool
Vite
Next.js
Astro or Gatsby
Parcel
🛠 Migrating from CRA to Modern Tools
Let’s walk through migration guides for both Vite and Next.js.
🔁 CRA ➡️ Vite Migration Guide
1. Create a Vite App
npm create vite@latest my-app --template react
cd my-app
npm install
2. Copy Your Source Code
From your CRA project, copy the following:
/src folder (components, App.js/tsx, etc.)
.env files (if any)
public folder assets
⚠️ Skip index.html from CRA—it’s different in Vite.
**
- Update
main.jsxormain.tsx**
Ensure it looks like this:
import React from 'react'
import ReactDOM from 'react-dom/client'
import App from './App.jsx'
import './index.css'
ReactDOM.createRoot(document.getElementById('root')).render(
<React.StrictMode>
<App />
</React.StrictMode>
)
4. Install Dependencies
If your CRA app used things like react-router-dom, axios, or Tailwind, install them:
npm install react-router-dom axios
5. Update vite.config.js (if needed)
Most projects won’t need major changes, but you can configure aliases, environment variables, or plugins here.
🔁 CRA ➡️ Next.js Migration Guide
1. Create a Next.js App
npx create-next-app@latest my-app
cd my-app
npm install
Make sure to choose:
TypeScript or JavaScript
App Router (recommended for 2025)
Tailwind (optional)
2. Copy Over Source Files
Move your React components and logic from CRA’s /src folder into:
app/ (for page-based routing and layouts)
components/ (create this folder for shared UI)
3. Recreate Routing
In CRA:
<Route path="/about" element={<About />} />
In Next.js (App Router):
// app/about/page.tsx
export default function About() {
return <h1>About Page</h1>
}
Next.js uses file-based routing, so you create folders and files for each route under app/.
4. Handle Static Assets
Move assets from public/ as-is. They are served from the root URL in Next.js too.
- Add APIs (Optional)
Use the
app/api/directory for API routes:
// app/api/hello/route.ts
export async function GET() {
return new Response(JSON.stringify({ message: "Hello from API" }));
}
🧠 Final Thoughts
create-react-app was a critical part of React’s growth and adoption, but it's no longer the best choice for modern web development. With tools like Vite and Next.js offering better performance, richer features, and first-class community support, it’s time to move on.
If you're starting a new React project in 2025:
Use Vitefor front-end SPAs.
Use Next.js for full-stack applications.
Avoid CRA unless you're maintaining an older codebase.
📚 Resources
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