Why I Switched from Create React App to Vite

Zulfikar Azmi Alghifari — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 13:23:02 +0000

When I first started learning React, I used Create React App (CRA) — because that’s what everyone recommended.

But after trying Vite, I knew there was no going back. Here’s why I made the switch.

Blazing Fast Dev Server

CRA: Takes ~20–30 seconds to start.
Vite: Starts in less than 1 second.

That difference is massive. When you restart your server multiple times a day, those seconds add up and slow you down.

Vite feels instant — you save time and stay in the flow.

Seamless Hot Reload

With CRA, I’ve experienced times where hot reload just… stops working, and I had to refresh manually.

Vite’s hot module replacement (HMR) is consistently fast and reliable — every save gives instant feedback.

It sounds small, but it completely changes how fast you can iterate.

Easier Customization

CRA hides a lot of config behind react-scripts.

If you want to tweak Webpack, you have to eject, which makes things messy and hard to maintain.

Vite uses Rollup under the hood and has a clean, minimal config that’s easy to extend.

Lightweight & Modern

Vite uses native ES modules for development and supports the latest JS features out of the box.

No heavy build step during dev — just fast, modern tooling.

Summary – CRA vs Vite

Feature	CRA	Vite
Dev Server Start	~20–30s (Webpack)	< 1s (esbuild)
Hot Reload	Sometimes Lags	Instant & Smooth
Config	Eject Required	Minimal Setup
Developer Experience	Slower Workflow	Fast & Enjoyable

Quick Start with Vite

npm create vite@latest my-app
cd my-app
npm install
npm run dev

Boom — you’re up and running in seconds.

Final Thoughts

If you’re still using CRA for new projects, I’d highly recommend trying Vite.

The difference in speed and developer experience is hard to ignore.

What about you — have you switched yet?

Drop your thoughts below, I’d love to hear how your experience compares.

DEV Community: Zulfikar Azmi Alghifari