Why use React for web development in 2024: benefits, cases, top examples

Choosing the right tech stack for web development can be challenging for startup owners, especially those starting their first project. With so many options available, it’s too easy to get confused. However, one framework consistently stands out: React.

React's popularity is a fact backed by credible sources. The 2023 Stack Overflow Developer Survey revealed that React is one of the most widely used frameworks, loved by 42.8% of respondents. But why is React the go-to choice for so many? In this piece, we’ll explain why React web development is an excellent option in 2024.

What is React.js?

Developed by Facebook, React.js is a powerful JavaScript library for building dynamic and interactive user interfaces (UIs).

One of the main ideas behind React is its component-based architecture. Think of components as building blocks. Just like you can create a house using different blocks, developers can create complex UIs from simple, reusable pieces. Thus, it streamlines the development process.

The Virtual DOM technology is another reason why use React. Normally, when you make changes to a web page, the entire page needs to be updated (which is usually slow). The Virtual DOM, however, updates only the parts of the page that actually need to change. This means web pages load faster and run more smoothly.

"The Virtual DOM in React has been a game-changer for business optimization. By minimizing costly full-page refreshes and unnecessary DOM manipulations, you're able to dramatically reduce the server infrastructure costs.

With it, web applications can now handle significantly higher concurrency and traffic spikes without the need to overprovision expensive computing resources. This translates to massive savings on cloud hosting, data transfer, and maintenance fees.”

Andrei Savich, CTO at SolveIt

React has become a favorite among developers because it simplifies the process of creating modern, high-performing web applications. It’s flexible, efficient, and backed by a large community, which makes it a reliable choice for startups.

Benefits of using React.js for web development

React.js offers a multitude of advantages that can drive business success. These seven key benefits explain why using React is a great option for startups and established companies alike:

Improved user experience

React.js is great at creating intuitive and responsive user interfaces for websites and web apps. Its efficient updating capabilities allow developers to quickly make targeted changes to a page, enhancing the smoothness and speed of the user experience.

For startup owners, providing a great user experience is key to driving business success. A fast and user-friendly website or web app attracts more customers, results in better reviews, and boosts conversion rates. React's ability to deliver such high-quality interactions can give your web product a competitive edge in the market.

Accelerated development

React's component-based architecture lets developers build reusable UI components. If developers can reuse blocks, they can speed up the React development process, saving time and effort. And again, the Virtual DOM additionally ensures efficient updates, making development and iteration faster.

Speed is crucial for startups. If you strive to get your product to market faster and improve it based on user feedback, React is the answer. This approach allows you to focus on enhancing your product and meeting customer needs without delays.

Integration with other technologies

One more compelling reason why to use React.js is its integration capabilities. It’s compatible with other popular libraries and frameworks. Whether you're using Redux for state management, GraphQL for data fetching, or any other modern technology, React fits right in. Such adaptability allows developers to choose the best tools for their specific needs.

In other words, you are not locked into a single technology stack. You can build your web application with the confidence that React can work well with other tools you might want to incorporate now or in the future.

Wide applicability

With its incredible versatility, React web development is perfect for everything from simple single-page applications (SPAs) to SaaS app development and complex web platforms . Moreover, by using React Native, you can capitalize on shared tools and code across both web and mobile applications.

For businesses looking to grow, this means you can use one framework in various parts of your digital presence. It greatly simplifies things for your development team by reducing the learning curve and speeding up development across different platforms.

SEO-friendliness

React.js is known for its SEO-friendly nature, which is crucial for web applications that depend on search engine visibility. By enabling server-side rendering, React ensures that search engines can effectively index and rank your content.

From the SEO side, it means improved rankings and discoverability. The more organic traffic you attract, the more potential customers you’ll win. As such, using React’s SEO capabilities can help your business ultimately drive growth and revenue.

Thriving Community

React.js development has seen a surge in popularity, leading to the creation of a vast ecosystem of libraries, plugins, and resources around the framework. This abundance of available tools makes it easy for developers to find solutions to common problems. 

Adding an open-source nature all resulted in a vibrant and engaged community that continually improved the framework, introduced new features, and kept up with the latest web development trends. Whether you're looking for documentation, tutorials, or just some help, you can always find support. 

Responsive Performance

And the last but not least reason why use React is its responsiveness. Developers can create reusable UI components that adapt to different screen sizes and devices, ensuring a consistent experience across platforms.

The responsiveness of React.js is a major draw for businesses looking to deliver modern, performant web applications. Users expect fast, smooth interactions, and React's efficient rendering and adaptable components help developers meet these expectations.

When to use React.js

No matter what your project goals or scope are, React can be a perfect fit for a variety of scenarios:

Single-page applications (SPA)

Single-page applications operate by loading only one HTML page and dynamically refreshing the content as users interact with it. React’s efficient Virtual DOM ensures that these updates happen quickly and smoothly, providing a seamless user experience. If your project is an SPA, React is a great choice because it handles quick and dynamic content changes efficiently.

Complex and dynamic web applications

For apps that are complex and require frequent updates, React’s component-based architecture is ideal. Breaking down your app into manageable, reusable components makes updates and bug fixes easier to handle. This is especially beneficial when you need to internationalize a React application, as individual components can be localized separately. React's modular structure simplifies managing content across multiple languages, enabling efficient scaling to global audiences without disrupting core functionality. This is why React can be great for tackling sophisticated web projects.

Web applications with high interactivity

Again, Virtual DOM is the reason why using React can streamline the creation of highly interactive web apps. This is especially important for apps with real-time updates and lots of user interactions, like live data feeds or interactive forms. React makes these interactions feel seamless and engaging for users.

Large scale web applications

Large-scale applications present their own challenges, particularly in managing code complexity and ensuring smooth performance. React tackles these issues head-on. Since it can handle large amounts of data and frequent user interactions, React web development has become a strong choice for big projects. This approach allows you to start with MVP development and gradually expand your app as your business needs grow.

Top examples of companies using React.js

React isn't just a popular framework – it's the backbone of some most used and innovative apps today. Let’s explore the big names that rely on React.js for web development to create exceptional user experiences:

Netflix

Netflix uses React in combination with Gibbon to enhance their TV app’s user interface. React.js manages the core UI logic and component structure, offering an efficient and consistent development experience. Meanwhile, Gibbon acts as a custom rendering layer tailored for TVs and other low-powered devices, optimizing performance. This division of responsibilities allows React.js to handle the overall UI framework while Gibbon ensures the application runs smoothly on various platforms and delivers a seamless user experience.

Uber

Uber has extensively used React in its technology stack, not just for its main app but also for various internal tools and dashboards, including the Restaurant Dashboard. This technology helps Uber create intuitive and responsive interfaces for its web and mobile applications. React's component-based architecture allows Uber to efficiently manage its complex UI components, such as real-time ride tracking and fare calculations.

PayPal

By adopting React.js, PayPal successfully redesigned the user interface and streamlined the checkout process. React was chosen for its ability to create dynamic and responsive user interfaces efficiently. React's Virtual DOM and efficient rendering mechanism helped PayPal deliver a responsive design that adapts to different devices and screen sizes. This is crucial for ensuring a consistent user experience across desktop, mobile, and tablet devices.

Twitter

Twitter leverages React.js extensively across its platform to deliver a modern and interactive user experience. From the tweeting interface to the main feed and notifications, React’s capabilities contribute to the scalability and performance of Twitter’s web application. This strategic adoption proved Twitter’s commitment to keep its interface fast and engaging for users worldwide.

Atlassian

The decision to use React.js aligns with Atlassian’s focus on developer experience and custom web app development. The company has incorporated React.js into its suite of collaborative tools, including Jira and Confluence. It helps to build interactive interfaces for task management, team communication, and project tracking. Plus, React was also adopted for Atlassian’s developer blog.

Final thoughts

Choosing React.js for web development offers a number of benefits that empower developers to build modern and scalable apps. Whether you're looking to revamp an existing platform or embark on a new development journey, leveraging React.js can streamline your efforts.

Get in touch with SolveIt to discover how React.js can revolutionize your project. Our team of experts is ready to offer comprehensive React web development services or assemble a dedicated development team (or provide an individual React.js specialist), tailored to your project’s needs. We’re excited to collaborate and bring your project to life!

FAQ: Why choose React.js for web development? 

1 | What is React.js used for?

React.js is a JavaScript library primarily used for building user interfaces (UIs) for web apps. It allows developers to create interactive and dynamic UI components efficiently. React is especially suitable for apps that involve dynamic changes in data over time.

2 | When and why use React.js for web development?

React.js is ideal for single-page applications where users interact heavily with the UI and for applications requiring frequent content updates. Its component-based architecture encourages reusing code, simplifies maintenance, and improves collaboration among team members.

3 | Why should I choose React rather than use other frameworks?

The answer to why use React.js over other frameworks lies in its simplicity, performance, and flexibility. Its virtual DOM implementation ensures efficient updates, faster rendering, and better performance compared to traditional DOM manipulations. Additionally, React’s ecosystem is robust, with a vast community and numerous third-party libraries that enhance productivity and extend functionality.

4 | What is the biggest advantage of React?

One of React's biggest advantages is its component-based architecture. React breaks down the UI into reusable blocks. This modularity not only improves code maintenance and scalability but also allows developers to build complex UIs faster.