ice.js vs umi
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A React-based framework for building web apps, with routing, SSR/SSG and a plugin system.
Open source · MIT
A React framework for building web apps, with the project's own docs at umijs.org.
The short answer
Choose ice.js if you need…
- Developers who already know React and want a ready-made project structure
- Teams building sites that need server-side or build-time rendering
- Developers who want TypeScript, Less, Sass and CSS Modules supported without manual setup
Choose umi if you need…
- Developers who already work with React and want a framework on top of it
- Teams looking for a MIT-licensed, community-maintained React framework
- People who want to read the official docs and launch post for the project's current direction
Side-by-side
| ice.js | umi | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Framework | Framework |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 18.6k | 16k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 7 months ago | 6 days ago |
What each one is
ice.js
ice.js is an open-source framework built on React for building web applications. It comes with features such as file-system routing, state management and data requests, and it can pre-render pages at build time (SSG) or on each request (SSR). It is aimed at developers who want a React setup that works with minimal configuration.
umi
Umi is an open-source framework for building web applications with React, a popular JavaScript library for user interfaces. The README is brief and describes it only as a framework in the React community, pointing to a launch post and documentation site for details. It is published on npm under the name umi and is licensed under MIT.
Best for
ice.js
- Developers who already know React and want a ready-made project structure
- Teams building sites that need server-side or build-time rendering
- Developers who want TypeScript, Less, Sass and CSS Modules supported without manual setup
umi
- Developers who already work with React and want a framework on top of it
- Teams looking for a MIT-licensed, community-maintained React framework
- People who want to read the official docs and launch post for the project's current direction
Strengths
ice.js
- Zero-config support for TypeScript, Less, Sass and CSS Modules, per the README
- Supports both build-time (SSG) and request-time (SSR) rendering
- Released under the permissive MIT license
umi
- MIT license, which permits commercial and personal use
- Published on npm with an active-looking build badge and download counts
- Has a named core maintainer group and a documented contribution guide
Not ideal for
ice.js
- Complete beginners to React, since the README gives little introductory guidance and assumes familiarity with the stack
- Projects that need only a static page or a very small script, where a framework adds unnecessary weight
- Teams needing a mobile or miniapp target, since the README mentions these only briefly and the details are unclear from it
umi
- Complete beginners to web development, since the README assumes familiarity with React and npm
- People who need a framework with detailed setup guidance in the README itself, since the README links out to the docs for most information
Trade-offs
ice.js
- The README is short and truncated, so many details must be checked in the official docs
- Multi-end support (web, miniapp, Weex) is listed in the features but not explained
- Documentation is hosted externally at ice.work
umi
- The README is short and does not describe features, so the scope has to be checked on the docs site
- Install and setup commands are not given in the README, so they are not listed here
Getting started
ice.js
Create a new project from the lite scaffold
npm init ice ice-app --template @ice/lite-scaffoldInstall dependencies
cd ice-app && npm installFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between ice.js and umi?
ice.js: A React-based framework for building web apps, with routing, SSR/SSG and a plugin system. umi: A React framework for building web apps, with the project's own docs at umijs.org. ice.js suits developers who already know react and want a ready-made project structure, while umi suits developers who already work with react and want a framework on top of it.
Are ice.js and umi free?
ice.js: Free and open source. umi: Free and open source.
Is ice.js or umi more popular?
ice.js has more GitHub stars (18.6k) than umi (16k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to ice.js and umi?
Other options people compare them with include Next.js, Remix, Gatsby, Aurelia, ngx-admin.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.