React is not the problem. Vercel is.

Developers feel frustrated with React. Many people ask if anyone likes React anymore. The answers are often negative.

I believe we look at the wrong cause. React did not get worse. It got captured. Vercel is the company behind this shift.

Vercel hired key members of the React team. React Server Components arrived as a concept. The first big implementation lives inside Next.js. Next.js is a Vercel framework. It runs best on Vercel hosting.

This is a business strategy. It works well.

Many developers loved React because it was a library. You chose your own router. You chose your own state management. You chose your own build tools. React stayed out of your way.

That has changed.

Try using React without a framework today. The official docs recommend starting with Next.js. They do not recommend Vite as the first choice. The message is loud. React alone is not enough. You need a framework. That framework has an opinion on where you deploy your code.

This is not a library. It is a funnel with JSX syntax.

A VC-backed company now has massive influence over an open-source project used by millions. This creates misaligned incentives. Features are not built for developer needs. They are built to help a specific platform perform better.

Server Components push logic to the server. This makes hosting matter more.

Vercel is not evil. They ship great technology. But their motives differ from yours. They want to keep you in their ecosystem. You want freedom and flexibility. These two goals clash.

When developers complain about React, they usually mean the complexity. They ask questions like:

  • Why must I know if a component is a server or client component?
  • Why does a simple app need edge runtimes?
  • Why does the React team recommend Next.js?

The frustration comes from an ecosystem shaped by one company's revenue goals.

I am not moving to a new framework yet. I am just being more intentional. I ask if I actually need Next.js or if Vite and React Router work fine.

React is still a great rendering library. The problem is the layers added on top by people who profit from your dependency.

This is a political crisis, not a technical one. One company influences the direction of a tool used by millions to serve its own financial interests. This should make you uncomfortable.

We should not give up on React. We should demand a roadmap that serves developers instead of deployment platforms.

Do you think React can regain its independence? Or is the capture permanent?

Source: https://dev.to/adioof/reacts-real-problem-isnt-react-its-vercel-a7l