Inferno vs Snabbdom
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 small, fast virtual DOM library for building and updating web interfaces efficiently.
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 Snabbdom if you need…
- Developers building interactive web interfaces who want a small, low-level rendering library
- Teams that prefer to pick only the modules they need rather than adopt a full framework
- Projects that need to integrate rendering with functional or reactive (FRP) code
- Developers who want to read and understand the rendering core end to end
Side-by-side
| Inferno | Snabbdom | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 16.5k | 12.4k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 6 days ago | 5 months 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.
Snabbdom
Snabbdom is a JavaScript library that manages a virtual DOM, a lightweight in-memory description of what a web page should look like. When your app state changes, it compares the new description with the old one and updates only the parts of the real page that changed. Its core is intentionally small, and extra features such as classes, styles, properties and event listeners are added through optional modules.
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
Snabbdom
- Developers building interactive web interfaces who want a small, low-level rendering library
- Teams that prefer to pick only the modules they need rather than adopt a full framework
- Projects that need to integrate rendering with functional or reactive (FRP) code
- Developers who want to read and understand the rendering core end to end
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
Snabbdom
- The core is about 200 SLOC, so it is easy to read and understand
- Modular design lets you include only the features you use
- The README describes it as among the fastest virtual DOM libraries, with a built-in JSX option
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
Snabbdom
- Beginners looking for a complete framework with routing, state management and tooling included, since the README describes Snabbdom as a focused library
- Projects that need a large built-in ecosystem of components, as the README lists mainly a few third-party packages
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
Snabbdom
- Fewer built-in features than full frameworks; routing and state management are not mentioned in the README
- Requires following its specific patch and vnode conventions, which are described as necessary for its design
- Documentation is limited to the README excerpt provided here, so some advanced areas are unclear
Getting started
Inferno
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/infernojs/infernoSnabbdom
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/snabbdom/snabbdomFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Inferno and Snabbdom?
Inferno: A fast, React-like JavaScript library for building user interfaces in the browser and on servers. Snabbdom: A small, fast virtual DOM library for building and updating web interfaces efficiently. Inferno suits developers already familiar with react who want a react-like api, while Snabbdom suits developers building interactive web interfaces who want a small, low-level rendering library.
Are Inferno and Snabbdom free?
Inferno: Free and open source. Snabbdom: Free and open source.
Is Inferno or Snabbdom more popular?
Inferno has more GitHub stars (16.5k) than Snabbdom (12.4k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Inferno and Snabbdom?
Other options people compare them with include React, Preact, Svelte, Solid, MDX.
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.