React is a mature JavaScript library with the largest ecosystem and job market (67% of JavaScript framework jobs in 2025), while Svelte is a compiler-based framework that produces smaller bundle sizes (40% smaller on average) and requires less boilerplate code. React dominates enterprise adoption, but Svelte offers superior developer experience for smaller projects.
React vs Svelte — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
JavaScript library for building user interfaces with component-based architecture and virtual DOM
Compiler-based framework that shifts work from runtime to build time, producing optimized vanilla JavaScript.
Bundle Size (Hello World App). Job Market Share (2025). Learning Curve (hours to proficiency). NPM Weekly Downloads. State Management Boilerplate. Enterprise Adoption Rate. Developer Satisfaction (2025 Survey)
Choose React if you're building large-scale enterprise applications, need maximum job market leverage, or require extensive third-party library integration—its ecosystem dominance and 67% job market share make it the safer choice for career growth. Choose Svelte if you prioritize developer experience, want smaller initial bundle sizes, and are building smaller-to-medium projects where less boilerplate code translates to faster development and easier maintenance.
React: 1M+ third-party libraries | Svelte: N/A
React: Next.js 15, Remix mature | Svelte: N/A
React: Comprehensive but scattered | Svelte: N/A
React: Hook-based with closure complexity | Svelte: N/A
React: Gold standard, Fortune 500 adoption | Svelte: N/A
React: 3,500-4,200 ms (CSR) | Svelte: N/A
React: 35 (requires workarounds) | Svelte: N/A
React: No (requires React Router) | Svelte: N/A
React: No (requires separate backend) | Svelte: N/A
React: 80-120 hours | Svelte: 40-60 hours
React: None (requires Redux, Zustand) | Svelte: Built-in Stores API
React: Manual via useEffect dependency arrays | Svelte: Automatic compiler-based tracking
React: 1x baseline (virtual DOM diffing) | Svelte: N/A
React: Largest frontend community with millions of tutorials | Svelte: N/A
React: Yes—batch re-renders via virtual tree diffing | Svelte: N/A
React: React 19 (2026) with server components and new hooks | Svelte: N/A
React: Yes—standard JSX with hooks paradigm | Svelte: N/A
React: 45% of job postings | Svelte: N/A
React: 6/10 - moderate complexity | Svelte: N/A
React: 7/10 - needs proper patterns | Svelte: N/A
React: 8/10 - excellent support | Svelte: N/A
React: 145k+ related packages | Svelte: N/A
React: 3/10 - backed by Meta, stable | Svelte: N/A
React: UI library (not a full framework) | Svelte: N/A
React: Excellent (optional) | Svelte: N/A
React: Zustand / Redux / Context | Svelte: N/A
React: React Hook Form / Formik | Svelte: N/A
React: TanStack Query / SWR | Svelte: N/A
React: Vite / CRA (deprecated) | Svelte: N/A
React: React Testing Library + Vitest | Svelte: N/A
React: Routing, HTTP (via add-ons), state (via add-ons), testing (via add-ons) | Svelte: N/A
React: Optional—can write pure JavaScript | Svelte: N/A
React: 11 years (2013-2026) | Svelte: N/A
React: 42.8 KB (minified+gzipped) | Svelte: N/A
React: 18,400+ active listings | Svelte: N/A
React: 82% developer satisfaction | Svelte: N/A
React: Excellent (first-class support, community-driven type definitions) | Svelte: Excellent with automatic inference
React: 1.2 seconds | Svelte: 0.8s (compile-optimized)
React: Meta (Facebook) - dedicated engineering team | Svelte: N/A
React: 45,000+ compatible packages | Svelte: N/A
React: 45-120 (with tooling) | Svelte: N/A
React: Client-side only (CSR) | Svelte: N/A
React: None (requires React Router or equivalent) | Svelte: N/A
React: Not included (separate backend needed) | Svelte: N/A
React: 40-60 (without optimization) | Svelte: N/A
React: N/A | Svelte: Optional via preprocessor
React: N/A | Svelte: Compiler optimization, coarse-grained
React: N/A | Svelte: Yes (Svelte Stores)
Time to First Contentful Paint (typical blog)
React: N/A | Svelte: Yes - automatic per-component
React: N/A | Svelte: Limited to Svelte ecosystem
React: N/A | Svelte: ~650 ms (with SvelteKit)
React: N/A | Svelte: Coarse-grained (reactive declarations)
React: N/A | Svelte: No (compiler-optimized)
React: N/A | Svelte: Optional (with plugins)
React vs Svelte — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for React vs Svelte. Contains 158 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
React vs Svelte — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for React vs Svelte.
Learn React if job market prospects are important—67% of JavaScript framework positions require React skills. Learn Svelte if you prioritize developer experience and working on smaller projects. Many developers learn React first for career stability, then explore Svelte for personal projects.
Why is Svelte's bundle size so much smaller?
Svelte is a compiler, not a runtime library. It compiles components to vanilla JavaScript at build time, eliminating framework overhead. React includes the virtual DOM and runtime library (~42 KB) in every bundle. Svelte only ships the compiled component code, resulting in 67% smaller bundles for equivalent functionality.
Is Svelte production-ready for enterprise applications?
Svelte is production-ready but less common in enterprise. Only 12% of Fortune 500 companies use it versus 91% for React. This means fewer Svelte developers in the hiring market, less battle-tested tooling for massive applications, and potentially higher long-term maintenance risk. Use Svelte for mid-market startups or if you have in-house expertise.
Can I use React and Svelte together in the same project?
Yes, but it's complex and not recommended. You can run Svelte and React on different pages using a micro-frontend architecture, but sharing state between them requires custom solutions. Most projects stick to one framework to avoid maintenance overhead.
Which framework performs better for large applications?
React performs better at scale due to optimized virtual DOM diffing and battle-tested patterns from millions of large codebases. Svelte excels with smaller bundles but can struggle with highly dynamic, complex state management. For 5,000+ component applications, React's ecosystem and tooling provide better long-term performance.
Bundle Size (Hello World App): React has 42 KB, while Svelte has 14 KB.
Job Market Share (2025): React has 67%, while Svelte has 3%.
Consider: Learning Curve (hours to proficiency)
Learning Curve (hours to proficiency): React has 80-120 hours, while Svelte has 40-60 hours.
NPM Weekly Downloads: React has 3.2M, while Svelte has 280K.
State Management Boilerplate: React has Higher (hooks/context setup required), while Svelte has Lower (reactive variables built-in).
Enterprise Adoption Rate: React has 91% of Fortune 500 use React, while Svelte has 12% of Fortune 500 use Svelte.
Consider: Developer Satisfaction (2025 Survey)
Developer Satisfaction (2025 Survey): React has 72%, while Svelte has 87%.