Lightweight React Alternative

A fast 3-kilobyte alternative to React that provides the same modern component-based API while significantly reducing bundle size and improving runtime performance. The library implements the thinnest possible Virtual DOM abstraction on top of the real DOM, registering native browser event handlers and playing nicely with other DOM manipulation libraries and frameworks. Unlike heavier alternatives that abstract away browser APIs, this library stays close to the platform, enabling direct access to DOM nodes, native focus management, and standard CSS without framework-specific abstractions. At approximately 3 kilobytes gzipped, it is small enough that application code typically constitutes the majority of the total JavaScript payload, reducing download time, parse time, and execution time on both desktop and mobile devices. The API surface mirrors React including hooks like useState, useEffect, useContext, useMemo, useCallback, and useRef, making migration straightforward through simple import aliasing in bundler configuration. Components can be written as functions with JSX, and the library supports concurrent rendering patterns, portals, fragments, and suspense. The ecosystem includes compatibility layers that allow using React component libraries with minimal changes, preact-render-to-string for server-side rendering, preact-router for client-side routing, and preact/debug for browser DevTools integration. Sponsored by organizations including a major hotel booking platform, a travel technology company, and a leading JavaScript runtime, the project maintains 100 percent test coverage and releases on a predictable schedule. The library runs in all modern browsers without transpilation and can be included directly via a script tag for quick prototyping.