As a React developer, you may have heard about SolidJS, a relatively new web framework that has been gaining popularity among developers in recent years. SolidJS provides a fresh take on building user interfaces, and many developers are curious to know more about it.

In this post, we'll take a look at five reasons why React developers should learn SolidJS. By the end of this article, you'll have a better understanding of how SolidJS can benefit your development workflow and why it's worth adding to your toolset.

Familiar Syntax

One of the most significant advantages of SolidJS is its familiar syntax, which is similar to React. If you're already familiar with React, you'll find SolidJS easy to learn and adopt. SolidJS uses JSX, which allows you to write HTML-like syntax within your JavaScript code. This makes it easy to write and understand your application's structure.

SolidJS also offers a similar component-based architecture to React, making it easy to break down your application into reusable and composable components. With this familiarity, you can quickly start building applications in SolidJS without much difficulty.

Reactive Programming

SolidJS offers a reactive programming model that makes it easier to handle complex state changes in your application. With SolidJS, you can declare reactive state variables that automatically update the view when they change. This reactive programming model simplifies the management of complex state changes, allowing you to focus on building your application's features.

Built-in State Management Solution

SolidJS provides built-in solutions for state management, which can make your application development process faster and more efficient. SolidJS offers two main options for managing state including Signals and Stores, which provide an intuitive way to manage state without the need for external libraries.

In contrast, React doesn't have a built-in solution for state management, and you have to use a state management library such as Redux, Zustand, or MobX. While these libraries can provide powerful and flexible state management solutions, they also add complexity to your codebase and require additional setup and configuration.

Faster Performance

SolidJS is faster than React because it uses a system called fine-grained reactivity to write updates directly onto a webpage, while React updates a virtual DOM with its page changes. The reactivity system enables SolidJS to update only what changes, while React's virtual DOM re-renders entire components.
As I mentioned in my recent article about SolidJS vs Svelte, SolidJS beats React and almost every other JavaScript library out there in terms of performance. According to the JS Framework Benchmark, SolidJS is about 5% slower than vanilla JS, while React is at best almost 100% slower.

Smaller Bundle Size

Like Svelte, SolidJS compiles to vanilla JavaScript at build stage. This means that it does not need any runtime libraries or dependencies to run on browsers. SolidJS eliminates the need for a virtual DOM, which is a critical component of React's architecture. With SolidJS, you can create highly performant web applications with minimal bundle sizes, which can lead to faster load times and a better user experience.

Conclusion

In summary, SolidJS is a powerful web framework that offers many advantages for React developers. Its familiar syntax, faster performance, smaller bundle size, reactive programming model, and built-in state management solution make it an excellent choice for building high-performance web applications.

By learning SolidJS, you can add a new tool to your development workflow, expanding your options and capabilities. If you're interested in learning SolidJS, there are many resources available online, including the official documentation and community-driven tutorials. So why not give SolidJS a try and see how it can benefit your next web application?