React's Create React App Officially Deprecated

The React team has officially deprecated Create React App (CRA), a tool once recommended for beginners. This decision follows compatibility issues with the recently released React 19 and the fact that CRA has received minimal maintenance since 2021.

<img src="https://devclass.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/React-768x432.jpeg" alt="React team formally deprecates Create React App following ‘perfect storm of incompatibility’">

Why the Deprecation?

The deprecation was triggered by a perfect storm of incompatibilities between CRA and React 19. This caused errors for users, particularly beginners, trying to use CRA. This, combined with a lack of clear alternatives in older documentation, led to significant confusion.

<img src="https://devclass.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/cra-2-1024x768.jpg" alt="Create React App, now loudly deprecated">

What are the Alternatives?

The React team recommends these alternatives to CRA:

• Next.js: The primary suggestion for most projects.
• Vite with React Router: A simpler alternative for basic client-side applications.
• Expo: For React Native mobile development.

The updated documentation offers guidance on getting started with these frameworks: https://react.dev/learn/creating-a-react-app

CRA's Limitations

CRA's limitations, such as the lack of a built-in routing library, data fetching, and code-splitting for performance optimization, made it unsuitable for production applications. Evolving it into a full-fledged framework was deemed unnecessary due to the existence of robust alternatives.

The Future of React App Creation

While the deprecation is final, the React team aims to provide clear guidance and support for developers looking to transition to more robust frameworks. The emphasis is on streamlined workflows, addressing previous complexities associated with React app development.