Inferno vs React
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 fast, React-like JavaScript library for building user interfaces in the browser and on servers.
Open source · MIT
A JavaScript library for building interactive user interfaces out of reusable components.
The short answer
Choose Inferno if you need…
- Developers already familiar with React who want a React-like API
- Projects that re-render frequently with real-time data or large DOM trees
- Teams that want server-side rendering through inferno-server
- Developers who want to use JSX compiled by Babel, SWC or TypeScript plugins
Choose React if you need…
- Developers building interactive web interfaces with JavaScript
- Teams adding React gradually to an existing project, as the README describes
- Developers who want to reuse the same component model for mobile apps via React Native
- Students learning how modern front-end UIs are structured
Side-by-side
| Inferno | React | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 16.5k | 252k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Last code update | 6 days ago | 6 days ago |
What each one is
Inferno
Inferno is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces, with an API modeled on React, so many React concepts such as components, props and state carry over. Its stated focus is runtime rendering speed, especially for views that update often with real-time data or render large DOM trees. It can render on the client and on the server using inferno-server.
React
React is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces. You describe what the screen should look like for each state of your data, and React updates and redraws only the parts that change. It is built around components, small self-contained pieces of UI that you combine into larger screens. The README also says React can render on the server with Node and power mobile apps through React Native.
Best for
Inferno
- Developers already familiar with React who want a React-like API
- Projects that re-render frequently with real-time data or large DOM trees
- Teams that want server-side rendering through inferno-server
- Developers who want to use JSX compiled by Babel, SWC or TypeScript plugins
React
- Developers building interactive web interfaces with JavaScript
- Teams adding React gradually to an existing project, as the README describes
- Developers who want to reuse the same component model for mobile apps via React Native
- Students learning how modern front-end UIs are structured
Strengths
Inferno
- The README describes compile-time JSX optimizations and child flags that can reduce runtime work
- Familiar React-like API and component model
- Works without polyfills on tested browsers, per the README's browser support section
React
- Declarative views make code easier to predict and debug, according to the README
- Adopts incrementally, so it can be added to an existing project without rewriting it
- Large, active project with an MIT license and a documented site at react.dev
Not ideal for
Inferno
- Teams that depend on the React ecosystem of libraries and tooling, since Inferno is a separate library with its own plugins and compatibility details
- Beginners looking for a large body of tutorials, because the README does not point to a learning path beyond docs and examples
- Projects on very old runtimes, since the README lists features v9 requires at runtime (Promise, Array.prototype.includes and others) and recommends checking compatibility for your targets
React
- People who want a complete, opinionated framework with routing and data fetching built in, since the README says React makes no assumptions about the rest of your stack and points to a separate toolchain for new projects
- Non-programmers looking for a no-code website builder
Trade-offs
Inferno
- Version 10 requires matching v10 versions of the Babel, SWC or TypeScript plugins, and JSX compiled by older plugins will not work
- Some performance optimizations, such as child flags, depend on developers following contracts the README warns can crash the app if broken
- Some React-style features differ, so existing React code may need changes
React
- It is a UI library only, so you must choose and add other tools for routing, data, and build setup
- The README's examples use JSX, a syntax extension that adds a learning step, though the README notes JSX is not strictly required
Getting started
Inferno
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/infernojs/infernoReact
Install React and React DOM from npm
npm install react react-domFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Inferno and React?
Inferno: A fast, React-like JavaScript library for building user interfaces in the browser and on servers. React: A JavaScript library for building interactive user interfaces out of reusable components. Inferno suits developers already familiar with react who want a react-like api, while React suits developers building interactive web interfaces with javascript.
Are Inferno and React free?
Inferno: Free and open source. React: Free and open source.
Is Inferno or React more popular?
React has more GitHub stars (252k) than Inferno (16.5k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Inferno and React?
Other options people compare them with include Preact, Svelte, Solid, MDX, react-virtualized.
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.