React Lost the Mass and Vercel is Wearing its Skin

React Lost the Mass and Vercel is Wearing its Skin

The React community used to feel like they owned the project. Today, a single hosting company manages it.

Many React core team members work for Vercel. They list this on their profiles. This creates a conflict of interest. The people deciding the future of React receive paychecks from a company that sells React deployment.

The roadmap aligns with Vercel's business model. Features like Server Components and the App Router were not requested by the masses. These features align with Vercel's infrastructure. They are hard to self-host but easy for Vercel to run.

React is still MIT-licensed. A license is not the same as open source. True open source requires community governance. Right now, developers feel like consumers instead of contributors.

Server Components require deep framework integration. Next.js is the most mature version. Other frameworks offer limited support. You can try to use React Server Components without Next.js. It is like running a marathon without shoes. You can do it, but you should not.

The problem is not JSX or hooks. The problem is trust. Developers chose React because it was a view library. Now, it grows into your server, your routing, and your caching layer. Every direction points toward one company's checkout page.

Vercel builds good technology. However, a library used by millions should not follow the business model of one company. This turns open source into a marketing channel with a GitHub repository.

Other frameworks like Svelte, Solid, and Vue keep a clear line between the library and deployment. React mixed them together. The old version of React is gone. The new version acts as an opinion engine with a billing page attached.

You do not have to use Vercel with React. But the gravity is real. It pulls harder with every release.

React needs an independent steering committee. We need members who do not work for a single corporation. Open source must mean more than a license.

If one company determines the direction of React, do you still trust the project? What needs to change to earn your trust back?

Source: https://dev.to/adioof/react-lost-the-mass-and-vercel-is-wearing-its-skin-27fc