React is just the UI library. The tools around it change depending on whether you build a website, a full-stack app, or a mobile app — but the Vite-based frameworks all share one fast toolchain.
Good for dashboards, internal tools, and apps that don't need server rendering.
A strong pick for new full-stack projects. Stays on the Vite pipeline instead of a separate bundler stack.
Same Vite/Rolldown/Oxc pipeline as TanStack Start. Mature patterns for data loading and forms.
Uses Turbopack and SWC, not Vite/Rolldown. Tightly tied to its vendor — it runs most seamlessly on Vercel, and self-hosting the full feature set takes extra setup.
Mobile has its own toolchain. You don't use Vite or Webpack here — Metro and Hermes are the defaults.
| Vite SPA | TanStack Start | React Router 7 | Next.js 16 | React Native | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Setup | Vite 8 no framework | Start on Vite 8 | RR7 on Vite 8 | Vercel framework | Expo / mobile only |
| Bundler | Rolldown | Rolldown | Rolldown | Turbopack | Metro |
| Compiler | Oxc | Oxc | Oxc | SWC | Babel |
| Runtime | Browser | Node + Browser | Node + Browser | Node + Browser | Hermes V1 |
| Ship to | Static CDN | Any JS host | Any JS host | Vercel / Node | App stores |
Vite / Rolldown / OxcTurbopack / SWCMetro / Babel
Next.js uses Turbopack — a separate stack from Vite — and leans toward its own vendor's platform for deployment. TanStack Start and React Router both stay on the Vite/Rolldown pipeline and ship to any host you like, which keeps you portable. React Native doesn't use any of the web bundlers at all.
Where this guide leans toward portable, vendor-neutral tooling, that's a personal preference — not an objective verdict. Weigh these trade-offs against your own project and do your own research before you commit.
You've seen how stacks differ. The next chapter zooms into the present: what shipped in 2025 and 2026, and what's still in progress.