Comparison

Preact vs React

On the evidence we track, Preact leads this comparison with a composite score of 79/100. Scores are only directly comparable because these tools share a category; the full breakdown and every source is below.

Preact full profile →React full profile →

Machine formatsJSON Markdown GraphQLor send Accept: application/json

Attribute comparison across 2 tools
Attribute	PreactLeader	React
Vioscale score	79 / 100low · 31%	79 / 100low · 44%
Commits last 30dactivity.commits_last_30d	91	63
Github starsadoption.github_stars	38,800	246,836
Package downloads weeklyadoption.package_downloads_weekly	28,091,724	161,654,447
Stackoverflow questionsadoption.stackoverflow_questions	-	470,000
Faqcontent.faq	-	[{"answer":"React is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces using a component-based architecture. It uses a declarative programming model, allowing developers to describe what the UI should look like for any given application state. React employs a virtual DOM abstraction to efficiently update only the parts of the interface that have changed.","source":"https://github.com/facebook/react","question":"What is React?","confidence":0.95},{"answer":"Yes, React is open source software released under the MIT license, permitting free use, modification, and distribution in both commercial and personal projects. There are no licensing fees or cost barriers to using React.","source":"https://github.com/facebook/react","question":"Is React open source and free to use?","confidence":0.95},{"answer":"React is maintained by Meta (formerly Facebook) along with contributions from the open-source community. Meta created React to solve its own internal UI challenges and later open-sourced it to enable broader adoption and community feedback.","source":"https://github.com/facebook/react","question":"Who maintains React?","confidence":0.94},{"answer":"React is built on JavaScript and TypeScript, running natively in web browsers. Meta also maintains React Native, a separate framework that allows developers to apply React principles to build native iOS and Android mobile applications using JavaScript.","source":"https://github.com/facebook/react","question":"What programming languages and platforms does React support?","confidence":0.95},{"answer":"Popular alternatives include Vue.js (a progressive JavaScript framework), Angular (a comprehensive full-featured framework), Svelte (a compiler-based framework), and Preact (a lightweight React-compatible library). Each offers different trade-offs in learning curve, ecosystem size, and performance characteristics.","source":"https://github.com/facebook/react","question":"What are the main alternatives to React?","confidence":0.93},{"answer":"React applications can use multiple rendering strategies: client-side rendering (browser handles all rendering), server-side rendering (server generates initial HTML via Node.js), or static site generation (pre-built HTML files). Deployments typically run on web servers, content delivery networks, or serverless computing platforms.","source":"https://github.com/facebook/react","question":"How are React applications typically deployed?","confidence":0.94},{"answer":"React projects typically use build tools such as Webpack, Vite, or Parcel for bundling and development. Common complementary libraries include React Router for navigation, Redux or Context API for state management, and Jest or React Testing Library for testing.","source":"https://github.com/facebook/react","question":"What build tools and libraries are commonly paired with React?","confidence":0.93}]
Longdescription.long	A lightweight Virtual DOM framework with a 3kB runtime that provides component-based architecture, state management, and high performance optimizations.	A JavaScript library for building user interfaces from reusable components. React components are JavaScript functions that can manage state, respond to user interactions, and use JSX markup syntax.
Capabilitiesfeatures.capabilities	{"paradigm":"Virtual DOM Component","bundle_size":"tiny","virtual_dom":true,"component_model":true,"state_management":true}	{"paradigm":"component-based","component_model":true,"state_management":true}
Primarylanguage.primary	JavaScript	JavaScript
Spdxlicense.spdx	MIT	MIT
Availabilitymarket.availability	-	{"source":"https://react.dev","hqCountry":"US","confidence":0.95,"primaryMarkets":["US"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}
Supportplatform.support	{"web":true}	{"web":true}
Pricingpricing	-	{"type":"open_source","sourceUrl":"https://react.dev","retrievedAt":"2026-08-01T15:00:26.727Z"}
Modelpricing.model	commercial	commercial
Price levelpricing.price_level	-	free
Cadence daysrelease.cadence_days	6	60

Capabilities

Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for frontend ui frameworks. “-” means undocumented, not absent.

Capability comparison for Frontend UI Frameworks
Capability	Preact	React
Core
Paradigm	Virtual DOM Component	component-based
Reusable component model	✓	✓
Rendering
Virtual DOM	✓	-
Signals / fine-grained reactivity	-	-
SSR support	-	-
DX
First-class TypeScript	-	-
State
Built-in state management	✓	✓
Ecosystem
Official router	-	-
Performance
Runtime size	Tiny (<10kb)	-

Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.