React vs Vite: What’s the Real Difference?
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React is a UI library used to build user interfaces. Vite is a build tool and development server used to run and bundle web projects.
They are not competitors and they don’t replace each other. In most modern projects, developers use React to build the UI and Vite to run the development environment and production build.
A few months ago, I was helping a junior developer set up a new project. He opened his laptop, looked at me and said:
“Should I use React or Vite?”
That question comes up a lot and honestly, it sounds simple… but it’s not wrong to be confused.
Because React and Vite are often mentioned together, used together and sometimes even compared as if they solve the same problem.
They don’t.
So let’s clear this up properly without buzzwords, without marketing talk. Just the real difference.
React and Vite are not alternatives to each other. They don’t replace each other. They don’t even live in the same category. Comparing React and Vite is a bit like comparing an engine with a garage that helps you build and tune the car faster.
Once you see that distinct, everything else makes sense.
React is a UI library. Its job is simple (but powerful):
React answers questions like:
At its core, React works with:
React does not care how your app is built, bundled or served during development. It only cares about rendering UI.
Vite is a build tool and development server.
Its job is to help you:
Vite answers questions like:
Vite handles:
Vite doesn’t build UI. It doesn’t manage state. It doesn’t know anything about components. It just helps your code to run fast.
| Category | React | Vite | | ------------------- | ------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------- | | Type | UI Library | Build Tool | | Purpose | Build user interfaces | Run development server and build projects | | Handles UI? | Yes | No | | Handles dev server? | No | Yes | | Manages state? | Yes | No | | Bundles code? | No | Yes | | Used with | Vite, Webpack, Parcel, Next.js | React, Vue, Svelte, Vanilla JS |
The confusion happens because today we often say:
“I built a React app using Vite”
Which makes it sound like:
But what actually happened is:
They worked together, not against each other.
Before Vite became popular, most React apps were created using tools like:
These tools worked, but they had problems:
As projects grew, waiting for the dev server to start or reload became frustrating. Developers wanted something faster and simpler. That’s exactly why tools like Vite and frameworks like Next.js started replacing CRA in most modern React projects.
Vite changed how development works. Instead of building everything upfront, Vite:
This means:
React didn’t change. Your components didn’t change. The experience of developing React apps changed.
A typical modern setup looks like this:
When you write a React component:
Each tool sticks to its responsibility. That’s why this combination feels so smooth.
Yes, both are possible.
They are independent tools.
Vite doesn’t require React.
React doesn’t require Vite.
They just happen to work very well together.
You don’t choose React or Vite.
You choose:
Most modern React projects use Vite because:
But React is still React. Vite doesn’t replace it.
React helps you think about UI. Vite helps you work faster while building it.
One shapes how your app behaves. The other shapes how your development feels.
Once you separate those roles in your head, the confusion disappears. And the next time someone asks: “React or Vite?”
You’ll know the right answer is:
“They do different jobs and they work best together.”
Written by Adrian Hajdin - Founder of JavaScript Mastery
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