Create React App (CRA) is not officially deprecated by the React team, but it is no longer recommended for new projects by many developers and the community. There are several reasons why CRA is being left behind, and some better alternatives are now preferred.
Is CRA Deprecated?
- CRA is not officially deprecated by Facebook/Meta or the React Core Team.
- But it is no longer actively developed at a fast pace.
- CRA is still usable, but it's no longer modern or optimal.
Why Is CRA No Longer Recommended?
1. Slow and Heavy
- Build times are slow.
- The development server is not as fast as modern alternatives like Vite.
2. Doesn't Keep Up with the Modern Ecosystem
- CRA lacks native support for many modern features such as:
- Native ESM
- Import aliases
- Server Side Rendering (SSR)
- Advanced code-splitting
- Seamless integration with Tailwind, TypeScript, and PostCSS
3. Hard to Customize
To change the Webpack configuration in CRA, you need to eject, which makes your project complex and irreversible.
Modern Alternatives to CRA
| Tool | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Vite | Fast, modern, native ESM, lightweight | Requires a bit of setup learning |
| Next.js | SSR, SSG, built-in API, very powerful | More complex than CRA |
| Parcel | Zero-config, fast bundler | Smaller ecosystem than Vite |
| Remix | Very strong SSR and nested routing | Still new to some developers |
Community favorites right now:
Vite for simple SPAs
Next.js for larger or SEO/SSR-focused apps
When Is CRA Still Okay to Use?
- For learning React fundamentals without much tooling.
- For internal or quick prototype projects.
- For developers not yet comfortable with modern tooling.
Create React App is not officially deprecated, but:
- It’s outdated.
- It’s not suitable for modern needs.
- Vite and Next.js are better options for new projects.
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