Skip to content

DEV Community

Athreya aka Maneshwar

Posted on Aug 18

Why Astro Feels Like the Framework We’ve Been Waiting For 🚀

#javascript #webdev #frontend #programming

Hi there! I'm Maneshwar. Currently, I’m building a private AI code review tool that runs on your LLM key (OpenAI, Gemini, etc.) with flat, no-seat pricing — designed for small teams. Check it out, if that’s your kind of thing.

Frameworks come and go, but few actually change the way developers think about building for the web.

Astro is one of those rare ones.

It’s not just another React/Vue competitor — it’s a static-first, performance-obsessed framework that puts content and speed front and center.

I recently used Astro to build FreeDevTools, and even though it’s still early in development, the experience has been smooth — and the site already clocks a 99 performance score in Lighthouse.

That’s enough to make any dev raise an eyebrow.

What Makes Astro Different?

1. Zero JavaScript by Default

Astro ships no JS unless you tell it to. That means:

Every page starts as static HTML.
Users get fast-first paint and excellent Core Web Vitals.
No accidental shipping of megabytes of framework JS.

2. Islands Architecture

Instead of hydrating your entire app, Astro lets you sprinkle interactivity where it matters:

---
import Counter from "../components/Counter.tsx";
---
<h1>Static + Interactive</h1>
<Counter client:load />

This means my Sidebar and ThemeSwitcher (React components) only hydrate when needed, while the rest of the page stays static and light.

3. Framework-Agnostic

Astro doesn’t force you to pick one frontend library:

React, Vue, Svelte, Solid, Preact — use them all if you want.
In my case, I mixed .astro layouts with React components.
The result: a clean codebase that doesn’t care about framework wars.

4. Perfect for Content + Tools

Astro is tuned for sites that are content-driven (blogs, docs, portfolios). But it’s also a great fit for developer tools:

Static pages handle tool descriptions and docs.
Dynamic components (like JSON editors) become interactive only when needed.
The build process stays simple, and deployment is a breeze.

Here’s a peek at how my project is structured:

freedevtools/
  ├─ src/
  │  ├─ components/      # Sidebar, ThemeSwitcher (React)
  │  ├─ layouts/         # BaseLayout.astro
  │  ├─ pages/           # Tools + JSON prettifier
  │  └─ styles/          # global.css with Tailwind
  ├─ astro.config.mjs
  └─ tailwind.config.js

Why I Built FreeDevTools in Astro

I’m on a mission to build useful, clean UI-based developer tools that you don’t have to dig through ads or paywalls to use. Astro made that possible:

Performance-first: the site already hits 99 in Lighthouse.
DX-friendly: the component model + Tailwind integration keeps dev work simple.
Scalable: adding a new tool is as easy as dropping a page under /src/pages/tools/.

Join the Mission

I’m actively building out more dev tools under FreeDevTools.
If you care about good, open dev tools, hit that ⭐ star and 👀 watch on GitHub — it’ll help me keep momentum and prioritize what devs actually need.

HexmosTech / FreeDevTools

A collection of free 1,25,000+ dev resources including tools, icons, emojis, cheat sheets, and TLDRs. No login, unlimited downloads.

A curated collection of 1,25,000+ free resources, icons, cheat sheets, and TLDRs. No login, unlimited downloads.

📘 Table of Contents

Available Tools

JSON Utilities ^{Format, validate, and lint JSON online for free with Hexmos Free DevTools. Enjoy multiple indentation options and real-time validation in an ad-free environment.}
JSON Prettifier ^{Format, validate, and lint JSON online for free with Hexmos Free DevTools. Enjoy multiple indentation options and real-time validation in an ad-free environment.}
JSON Validator ^{JSON Validator - Check & Validate Your JSON Online}
JSON Fixer ^{JSON Fixer - Automatically Correct JSON Errors}
Password Generator ^{Generate secure passwords instantly with Hexmos Free DevTools. Choose quick presets, customize password type, length, and characters for strong, random passwords.}
Dockerfile Linter ^{Comprehensive Dockerfile linter. Analyze, validate, and optimize Dockerfiles for syntax errors, security risks, performance issues, and best practices.}
Date Time Converter ^{Free online Date Time}…

Final Thoughts

Astro isn’t just another framework hype train — it’s genuinely solving performance and developer experience problems in a way that feels fresh.

If you’re building:

Developer tools (like me).
Content-heavy sites (blogs, docs, marketing).
Or just want a site that’s fast by default…

Astro is worth your time.

LiveReview helps you get great feedback on your PR/MR in a few minutes.

Saves hours on every PR by giving fast, automated first-pass reviews. Helps both junior/senior engineers to go faster.

If you're tired of waiting for your peer to review your code or are not confident that they'll provide valid feedback, here's LiveReview for you.

Top comments (0)

Subscribe