htmx vs React: 14KB vs 200KB+ — Do You Still Need a JS Framework?

HTMX is 14KB. React + ReactDOM is 42KB — before you add a router, state management, and a build system. Originally published on pkgpulse.com React has 96 million weekly downloads. HTMX has 94,000. That's a 1,000x gap. But HTMX gained 16,800 GitHub stars in 2024 — more than React gained in the same period. Developers aren't just curious about HTMX. They're using it. These aren't competing tools in the traditional sense. They represent fundamentally different philosophies about how the web should work. We compared both using real data from PkgPulse . Here's what the numbers say — and when each approach makes sense. At a Glance: The Numbers Metric React HTMX Weekly Downloads 96M 94K GitHub Stars 234K+ 42K+ Stars Gained (2024) ~12K ~16.8K Bundle Size (min+gzip) 42KB (react + react-dom) 14KB npm Ecosystem Packages 6,000+ ~35 First Stable Release 2013 2020 (1.0) Current Version 19.x 2.x Language Required JavaScript/TypeScript Any server language Build Step Required Yes (typically) No License