React's Real Problem Isn't React. It's Vercel.

Developers feel frustrated with React. You see posts asking if anyone likes it anymore. The answers are often negative.

You are likely looking in the wrong direction.

React did not get worse. It got captured. Vercel is the company behind this shift.

Vercel hired key members of the React team. They released React Server Components. The most famous way to use these components is through Next.js. Next.js is a Vercel product. It works best on Vercel hosting.

This is a business strategy.

You used to love React because it was a library. You picked your own router. You picked your own state management. You picked your own build tools. React did not tell you what to do.

Now, React is different. The official docs recommend starting with Next.js. You cannot easily use React alone. The message is clear: you need a framework. That framework has an opinion on where you deploy your code.

React is no longer just a library. It feels like a funnel for a specific platform.

When a VC-backed company controls an open-source project, incentives change. Features are not built for your needs. They are built to help a platform perform better.

Server Components move logic to the server. This makes hosting choices more important.

Vercel is a talented company. But their goals differ from yours. They want ecosystem dependency. You want freedom and flexibility. These two goals will clash.

When people say they hate React, they usually mean they hate the complexity. They wonder why a simple app now requires knowledge of edge runtimes. They wonder why they must constantly decide between server and client components.

The problem is the ecosystem. One company's revenue goals now shape the tools you use.

I am not switching frameworks yet. I am just being more intentional. I ask if I need Next.js or if Vite and React Router are enough.

React is still a great rendering library. The problem is the layers added on top. The crisis is not technical. It is political.

A library used by millions is being steered by a company with a financial interest. That should make you uncomfortable.

React must serve developers, not deployment platforms.

Can React reclaim its independence? Or is this capture permanent?

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