Preact vs Solid
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 small (about 4kB) React-style library for building user interfaces in JavaScript.
Open source · MIT
A JavaScript library for building user interfaces that updates only the parts of the page that change.
The short answer
Choose Preact if you need…
- Web developers who already know React and want a lighter library
- Projects where small bundle size matters, such as pages loaded over slow connections
- Teams that want an optional compatibility alias (preact/compat) to reuse React-based code
- Developers building apps that need server-side rendering with hydration
Choose Solid if you need…
- Developers who want fine-grained control over what re-renders in a web UI
- Developers already comfortable with JSX and TypeScript
- Teams building client-rendered single-page apps or server-rendered apps
- People who want to inspect rendered output directly with browser devtools
Side-by-side
| Preact | Solid | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 39k | 36.2k |
| 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 | 4 days ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
Preact
Preact is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces out of reusable components, using an API that closely follows React. The README describes it as a fast, roughly 4kB alternative to React with a similar modern API, covering components, hooks, JSX, and a virtual DOM. Developers use it when they want React-style code with a much smaller download size.
Solid
Solid is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces. Instead of using a Virtual DOM, it compiles templates into real DOM nodes and updates just the pieces that depend on changed state. Developers use it to build interactive web apps that can also be rendered on the server.
Best for
Preact
- Web developers who already know React and want a lighter library
- Projects where small bundle size matters, such as pages loaded over slow connections
- Teams that want an optional compatibility alias (preact/compat) to reuse React-based code
- Developers building apps that need server-side rendering with hydration
Solid
- Developers who want fine-grained control over what re-renders in a web UI
- Developers already comfortable with JSX and TypeScript
- Teams building client-rendered single-page apps or server-rendered apps
- People who want to inspect rendered output directly with browser devtools
Strengths
Preact
- Very small size (the README states about 4kB), which helps page load time
- Familiar React API, including class components, hooks, and functional components
- MIT licensed with a large community and many stars on GitHub
Solid
- Updates only the code that depends on changed state, avoiding whole-component re-renders
- Built-in primitives for state, context, stores, and async data reduce the need for extra libraries
- Renders to real DOM nodes, so standard browser devtools work for inspection
Not ideal for
Preact
- Complete beginners who have never written JavaScript; the README assumes familiarity with components and modern JS syntax
- Projects that depend on React-only libraries without testing compatibility, since the README only describes compatibility as 'extensive' via an alias and does not list limits
- Native mobile app development, which the README does not mention
Solid
- Complete beginners with no JavaScript background, since the README assumes familiarity with components and state
- Projects that require a specific ecosystem of ready-made component libraries, since the README does not describe its ecosystem size
- Anyone who needs a framework with a large, established track record of production use, as the README does not discuss adoption beyond its own benchmarks
Trade-offs
Preact
- The README is truncated and gives limited detail on edge-case React compatibility
- Some React ecosystem libraries may need the compat layer or may not work fully
- Tooling such as DevTools and HMR depends on additional setup that the README only briefly mentions
Solid
- The README describes concepts like fine-grained reactivity that take time to learn compared with simpler templating
- Setup for JSX outside the starter templates requires configuring Babel or TypeScript, per the README
- Performance claims rely on the README's links to external benchmarks rather than independent analysis here
Getting started
Solid
Create a new JavaScript app from the starter template
npx degit solidjs/templates/js my-appCreate a new TypeScript app from the starter template
npx degit solidjs/templates/ts my-appFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Preact and Solid?
Preact: A small (about 4kB) React-style library for building user interfaces in JavaScript. Solid: A JavaScript library for building user interfaces that updates only the parts of the page that change. Preact suits web developers who already know react and want a lighter library, while Solid suits developers who want fine-grained control over what re-renders in a web ui.
Are Preact and Solid free?
Preact: Free and open source. Solid: Free and open source.
Is Preact or Solid more popular?
Preact has more GitHub stars (39k) than Solid (36.2k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Preact and Solid?
Other options people compare them with include React, Inferno, Million.js, Mithril, 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.