Create React App was an officially supported way to create single-page React applications. It was maintained by developers at Facebook and was first released in 2016. Create React App aimed to provide a simple yet customizable build setup for React projects. Its main goals were to minimize configuration and simplify the process of creating modern React apps. So what has happened to Create React App in recent years?
The Rise of Create React App
When Create React App was first released, it gained popularity quickly. At the time, setting up a React app from scratch required cobbling together many build tools and configurations. Create React App abstracted away all this complexity by providing an easy command to generate a project with no configuration needed. It came preconfigured with popular tools like webpack, Babel, and ESLint. This allowed developers to start coding their React apps right away without worrying about build tooling.
By 2018, Create React App had become the default way for many developers to start new React single page apps. Its zero config approach made React more accessible to beginners. Create React App also enabled experienced developers to spin up proof of concept React projects quickly. The number of downloads on npm and GitHub stars reflected Create React App’s growing userbase.
During this rise in popularity, Create React App was also improved and expanded. Version 2 added support forTypeScript, Sass, CSS Modules and more. The ability to “eject” and customize the configuration was introduced. Create React App became flexible enough for complex professional apps while keeping its simple core experience.
Competition from Next.js and Gatsby
Around 2018-2019, new React app frameworks started gaining popularity. Next.js and Gatsby offered different tradeoffs and developer experiences compared to vanilla Create React App projects. Features like server-side rendering and static site generation became selling points for these new frameworks.
Next.js is a framework for server-rendered React apps. It handles routing and server-side rendering for you out of the box. This makes it well-suited for search engine optimization. Next.js apps also support features like image optimization, API routes and more. The zero config approach of Create React App inspired Next.js’s philosophy. But Next.js focused on expanding capabilities beyond client-side only apps.
Gatsby is a static site generator for React. It builds HTML pages at build time instead of relying on client-side JavaScript. This results in sites with excellent performance. Gatsby makes it easy to build blazing fast React apps with no extra configuration. It uses GraphQL at build time to combine data from different sources. Gatsby sites are highly optimized and come with advanced features like image processing, progressive web apps, and offline support.
The increasing adoption of both Next.js and Gatsby presented alternatives to plain Create React App projects. Next.js became popular for server-rendered React sites like ecommerce stores or blogs. Gatsby found its niche for super fast static sites. Features like server-side rendering and static site generation weren’t easily achievable using just Create React App.
The Transition to Vite and Create Vite App
In 2020, a new build tool called Vite gained traction in the React ecosystem. Vite advertises itself as a faster alternative to webpack. It uses esbuild under the hood for extremely fast bundle times. Vite also supports handy developer features like hot module replacement out of the box.
The release of Vite dovetailed with the decline of Create React App. Vite offered faster builds while avoiding complexity. Create Vite App emerged as the Vite equivalent of Create React App. It allowed spinning up React apps with Vite instantly, similar to how Create React App works. Adoption of Vite and Create Vite App steadily increased throughout 2020 and 2021.
By late 2021, Create React App usage had declined significantly from its peak. Most new React apps were using Vite and Create Vite App instead. The React team eventually deprecated Create React App. They cited Vite’s momentum and Create Vite App’s simplicity as reasons for retiring Create React App. The React docs were updated to guide new users towards Vite rather than Create React App.
Create React App Today
While Create React App is no longer recommended for new projects, many apps still use it in production. The React team plans to continue supporting Create React App with maintenance releases for the foreseeable future. So existing Create React App projects will continue to function normally.
For new React apps though, Vite and Create Vite App are now the recommended starting points. Create Vite App provides a similar zero config experience that Create React App pioneered. But Vite offers faster builds, first class TypeScript support, and easy adoption of new React features like React 18’s automatic batching.
Create React App undoubtedly accelerated React’s growth by making it approachable to more developers. It served as an on-ramp for learning React. But as the ecosystem evolved, tools like Next.js, Gatsby, and Vite addressed common pain points in new ways. Create React App’s opinionated approach was eventually superseded by frameworks with more flexibility. The ethos behind Create React App lives on in Create Vite App and other emerging tools.
Conclusion
Create React App rose to popularity by providing a simplified way to start React apps. It eliminated complex configuration in favor of an easy project setup command. However, the growing React ecosystem and new build tools like Vite offered compelling alternatives. Frameworks like Next.js and Gatsby addressed limitations around server-side rendering and static sites. Create Vite App eventually superseded Create React App as the default way to start React projects. While Create React App is in maintenance mode, its influence is still felt through the tools it inspired and developers it onboarded to React.