Let’s get one thing clear right out of the gate:
React is not the best JavaScript framework/library.
There. I said it.
It’s not the fastest. It’s not the cleanest. It’s not the most bug-free. Heck, it’s not even the most elegant. But it is the most famous. And that counts for more than you might think.
So, if you're here to see React get glorified like a golden retriever with a PhD in Computer Science, sorry to disappoint. This is not that blog. But if you're here to understand why React continues to dominate, even though it feels like it's held together by JSX, duct tape, and vibes—buckle up, my friend.
The Popularity Paradox
Everybody knows React.
You know who else everybody knows? Jeffrey Epstein. Hitler.
Just because something is well-known doesn’t mean it’s good.
But here’s the catch: in tech, popularity isn’t just a vanity metric. It translates into real things like:
- More jobs
- More tutorials
- More libraries
- More Stack Overflow answers
- More memes
Imagine you’re a company CTO trying to scale your frontend team. What’s easier: finding React devs, or explaining QwikJS to a recruiter who still thinks Java and JavaScript are the same?
Hiring React developers is like ordering from McDonald's. Hiring Vue or Svelte devs is like finding an authentic ramen joint in rural Idaho.
New Tech Is Cool Until You Hit Production
You know what's cool? Astro. QwikJS. SolidJS. These frameworks are like concept cars — futuristic, sleek, and jaw-droppingly fast.
But would you trust a concept car to drive cross-country with your in-laws in the backseat? Exactly.
Enterprise-level applications don’t care about your 0.002 second faster hydration. They want stability. They want maturity. They want guarantees.
Can you guarantee that QwikJS will work out for your 3-million-line payroll web app?
Maybe.
Can React?
Still maybe... but with better odds. And a Discord full of devs who’ve already stubbed their toes on your exact issue.
A Real-Life Vue-pocalypse
Let me take you back to 2021. I was just starting out. I joined a Scottish company as a junior developer. The project? A website written in Vue 2.
Task: Migrate it to Vue 3.
Seemed easy enough. Until I realized that most Vue libraries hadn't been updated for Vue 3, a full year after its release.
Even the libraries that were updated felt like someone duct-taped Composition API code over an Options API soul.
It wasn’t the library authors' fault — Vue 3 is very different from Vue 2. But still...
Try building a stepper component. Try finding a maintained animation library. Try installing a toaster without getting toasted yourself.
And this is where the kicker comes in: in 2021, Vue had ~12,000 packages on npm. React? Over 61,000.
You know what that means? If I need something in React, chances are someone already built it. Badly? Maybe. But it exists.
Eventually, we moved that project to React (Next.js). Not because we loved React. But because we didn’t want to reinvent a toaster from scratch.
React From a Developer’s Lens
Look, I like Vue. Genuinely. It’s prettier, faster, and honestly, more fun to write. But liking a framework doesn’t pay the bills.
As a dev, what’s the safest bet?
Learning the shiny new thing, or learning the one that floods job boards like a badly written for-loop?
Sure, Angular and Vue jobs exist. But React jobs? They’re everywhere. You could sneeze and accidentally land an interview.
React has become the JavaScript default. Not because it’s better. But because it’s bigger.
Big community. Big companies. Big salaries. Big problems, too — but those are someone else’s Stack Overflow problem now.
So, Is React the Best?
Still no. And maybe it never will be.
But React is dependable in the way a microwave is. It’s not glamorous. But it’s in every home. And you will need it at 3AM when you're hungry and tired and just want your leftover spaghetti.
That’s why companies use it. That’s why developers learn it. That’s why, despite the drama, it’s still here — holding the line with its community of 61k+ packages and thousands of devs who know how to solve every bug by slapping in a key prop and praying.
Final Thoughts: Use What Works, But Don’t Bet Against React
Use Vue. Use Svelte. Use Solid. Experiment. Enjoy it. But when the chips are down and the project is due yesterday, React is the cockroach of web frameworks.
You might not love it, but it’s still here. Still standing. And honestly? Still kinda good at what it does.
If you're just starting out or even if you're deep into dev life, learning React isn't a bad move.
Oh, and if you’re into learning the real internals — like building your own Docker, Redis, Git, etc. from scratch (aka getting absolutely humbled by your own code) — I highly recommend checking out CodeCrafters.
TL;DR:
- No, React isn’t the best.
- Yes, it’s still the most used, most supported, and most job-secure.
- No, that doesn’t mean it’s the future.
- But yes, it’s very much the present.
React’s not perfect. But it's perfectly placed to win. And that’s more than enough.
Stay curious, stay experimental, but don’t sleep on the classics.
Written by a React-basher who secretly uses React every day.
Top comments (4)
Aha, so this is the real reaon some people go for it.
Maybe they should also run your business and operate your nearest nuclear powerplant, based on logic like "at least you'd get more memes"...
The "badly, but it exists" is no excuse either. The same stuff exists without React. The reason why other frameworks don't have 61k packages is because maybe they don't need yet another
npm i react-add-two-numbersand yet anotheruseAddTwoNumberssort of things.React is not a hope that you can "at least" do xyz" with it, but a guarantee you'll have irreversible trouble with it at some point.
There is no valid "but" based rational explanation for choosing it. What's left is just feelings and cognitive bias, so good luck whatever you choose.
Overall, I think you're spot on, but of course, there's always a thing or two, and I'll comment based on experience.
The most notable "mistake" in your argumentation is that you work on the (implicit) premise that a React developer cannot program in anything else. This is something we programmers know: A programmer is a programmer with any language. This applies to front-end libraries and frameworks too. Give me a good front-end developer, and he'll code in React, Svelte, Vue or whatever. Knowing React doesn't imply an exclusivity contract.
Then there's the no-time scenario, where a project needs to be rushed. You have another implicit premise here: No front-end library or framework can be productive unless NPM packages exist for each (or a majority) task/component that is needed, and this premise, like the previous one above, is just outright false. Again, from experience, I can tell you that under Svelte, you only need a good CSR router (if doing a PWA, otherwise there's Sveltekit) and a stylesheet. A component library would be nice, but not the end of the world if it doesn't exist.
I know that people will debate this point, and I agree to some extent: This is the truth for programmers who are above the average skill. If you're an average developer, or below-average developer, you'll need more help, and NPM packages are the life savers.
I conclude then, that React still reigns supreme, but only because it attract the less-skilled masses that depend on finding an NPM package for every little thing. What above-average developers need to do is collaborate with their favorite framework in the open source realm, which will appeal to the masses.
React has the largest developer communities and ecosystems. It has robust solutions for routing, state management, and also optimized tools. While React scales well and manages complex apps. Reacts approach to building reusable, composable UI components fits well with modern development practices. There are valid reasons why React Still Reigns Supreme. Your content looks natural and stays engaging.
Growth like this is always nice to see. Kinda makes me wonder - what keeps stuff going long-term? Like, beyond just the early hype?