React Stack Patterns

Table of Contents

• When to Use
• Instructions
• Details
• Source

React has come a long way since its early days of simple component libraries. By late 2025, the React ecosystem is rich but complex, offering multiple ways to choose your stack for building apps. Modern React developers face choices at every layer of the stack - from build tools and frameworks to routers and other libraries. The official React documentation (now at react.dev) encourages using higher-level frameworks for new projects. In fact, Create React App (CRA) - once the go-to bootstrap tool - was deprecated in early 2025, signaling a shift in how we start React apps.

Instead of stitching together your own tooling from scratch, the recommendation is to either use a React framework (like Next.js or Remix) or, if you have special requirements, start from a modern build tool like Vite or Parcel. In this opinionated guide, we'll explore the 2025 React landscape: the toolchain and stack we suggest for mid-to-senior developers, covering build tools (Vite, Turbopack, Webpack), routing solutions (React Router vs. TanStack Router), popular frameworks (Next.js, Remix, etc.), key libraries for state and data management, and even how AI is influencing React development.

When to Use

• Use this as a reference when choosing your React stack (framework, build tools, routing, state management)
• This is helpful when starting a new React project and evaluating modern ecosystem options

Instructions