Comparing ViteJS and Create-React-App: A React #2 Review

In this tutorial, we will be comparing ViteJS and Create-React-App, two popular tools for building React applications. ViteJS is a new build tool developed by the Vue.js team that is designed to be fast and lightweight, while Create-React-App is a tool developed by the React team for quickly setting up a new React application. We will be looking at the similarities and differences between these two tools to help you decide which one is right for your project.

1. Installation and Setup:
   ViteJS:
   To get started with ViteJS, you can use npm to install the Vite CLI globally by running the following command:

   npm install -g create-vite

Once the CLI is installed, you can use it to create a new project by running the following command:

create-vite my-react-app --template react

This will create a new React project using ViteJS as the build tool.

Create-React-App:
To get started with Create-React-App, you can use npm to install the Create-React-App CLI globally by running the following command:

npm install -g create-react-app

Once the CLI is installed, you can use it to create a new project by running the following command:

create-react-app my-react-app

This will create a new React project using Create-React-App as the build tool.

1. Development Server:
   ViteJS:
   ViteJS comes with a built-in development server that supports hot module replacement (HMR) out of the box. This allows you to see changes to your code reflected in the browser immediately without needing to refresh the page.

To start the development server with ViteJS, you can run the following command in the root of your project:

vite

Create-React-App:
Create-React-App also comes with a built-in development server that supports hot module replacement (HMR). To start the development server, you can run the following command in the root of your project:

npm start

1. Build Process:
   ViteJS:
   ViteJS is designed to be fast and lightweight, using ES modules to speed up the build process. It also supports tree-shaking out of the box, which helps to reduce the size of your production bundle.

To build your project with ViteJS, you can run the following command in the root of your project:

vite build

Create-React-App:
Create-React-App uses webpack under the hood for the build process. It also supports tree-shaking, but the build process may be slower compared to ViteJS.

To build your project with Create-React-App, you can run the following command in the root of your project:

npm run build

1. Configuration:
   ViteJS:
   ViteJS requires minimal configuration out of the box, making it easy to get started with a new project. However, if you need to customize the build process, you can create a vite.config.js file in the root of your project.

Create-React-App:
Create-React-App abstracts away much of the configuration for you, but if you need to customize the build process, you can use react-scripts to eject the default configuration and make changes.

1. Conclusion:
   In conclusion, ViteJS and Create-React-App are both great tools for building React applications. ViteJS is faster and more lightweight, making it a great choice for small to medium-sized projects. Create-React-App is more robust and comes with more features out of the box, making it a better choice for larger projects with more complex requirements.

Ultimately, the choice between ViteJS and Create-React-App will depend on your project requirements and personal preferences. We recommend trying out both tools to see which one works best for you.