Stop Comparing Web Components to React: The Trap of Library-Centric Criticism
The realm of web development is teeming with choices, each technology vying for developers’ attention. On one hand, powerful libraries like React have revolutionised how we build web applications. On the other, there are Web Components—although not as “foundational” as one might think, given that they’ve been universally supported by browsers only since 2020. Yet, they are increasingly important in the modern web ecosystem. With its massive ecosystem and community, React often becomes the yardstick against which other technologies are measured. This is especially true for Web Components. However, this comparative framework is unfair and fosters misleading criticisms stemming from overreliance on libraries like React. This post aims to disentangle these misplaced critiques and highlight why Web Components deserve to be evaluated on their own merits.