Developers are frustrated with React. The posts about it are all over the place. "Does anybody actually like React anymore?" And the answers are… rough.
I believe we are pointing fingers in the wrong direction.
React didn't get worse. It got captured. And the company that captured it is Vercel.
The library that became a sales funnel
Here's what happened. Vercel hired key React team members. React Server Components shipped as a concept — but the first and most prominent production-ready implementation lived inside Next.js. Which is Vercel's framework. Which runs best on Vercel's platform.
Yes, I see it.
→ React introduces a new feature
→ The feature only works properly in Next.js
→ Next.js runs best on Vercel's infrastructure
→ You just got funneled
This isn't some loony notion. It's a way of doing business. And it works too well.
"React feels incomplete now"
This is where it hurts. Many developers, in my case, became fond of React because it was a library. You could choose your router. You could choose your state management. You could choose your build tool. React didn't overstep.
Now? Try using React without a framework. The official React docs literally recommend starting with Next.js. Not Create React App (which has been sunsetted). Not Vite alone (which is listed as an option for custom setups). Next.js and other frameworks are the primary recommendations.
The message is clear: React alone isn't enough anymore. You need the framework. And the framework has an opinion about where you should deploy.
That is not a library; it is a funnel that has JSX syntax.
The roadmap problem
This is the real issue. If a VC-backed company has disproportionate influence over the roadmap of an open-source project that is relied upon by millions of users, we end up with misaligned incentives.
Features are not prioritized based on what developers require the most, but based on what enhances the platform's performance.
→ Server Components push logic to the server — where hosting matters
→ The "use server" directive blurs lines between frontend and backend — making you more dependent on integrated deployment
→ Simple things that should just work (like client-side SPA patterns) feel increasingly like second-class citizens
I'm not calling Vercel an evil entity. They employ talented people and ship real technology. However, their motives are different from yours. They want to keep you dependent on their ecosystem, while you need the freedom to choose. You need flexibility.
Those two things are going to clash.
The real frustration isn't performance or DX
If someone mentions they can't stand React, take note. It's not the virtual DOM or hooks they have an issue with. It's that unexpected complexity they're frustrated about.
What is the importance of knowing whether this component is a server component or a client component?
"Why is my simple app now talking about edge runtimes?"
Why is Next.js recommended by the React team?
The frustration developers feel is not because of the React library itself. It's about React the ecosystem — an ecosystem increasingly shaped by one company's revenue goals.
What I'm actually doing about it
I'm not mass-migrating to another framework. I've seen that movie before. But I am being more intentional.
→ I evaluate whether I actually need Next.js or if Vite + React Router handles it
→ I treat framework recommendations from the React docs with skepticism
→ I deploy where it makes sense for the project, not where the framework nudges me
At the heart of it all, React remains a great rendering library. It's everything that has been added on to it, by the folks whose livelihood depends on you adding on more, that has become a problem.
The takeaway
The actual crisis faced by React is not technical in nature. It is a political one. A library that is utilized by millions is being significantly influenced in terms of its direction by one company, which has an obvious financial interest. That should make you uncomfortable — even if you like Next.js.
We should not give up on React. It's demanding that React's roadmap serve developers, not deployment platforms.
So here's my question: do you think React can reclaim its independence from Vercel, or is the capture already permanent? 💬