There’s been a lot of buzz about Svelte among frontend developers lately. Developers who’ve switched from React or Vue to Svelte consistently say the same thing: “Why didn’t I discover this sooner?” I initially thought, “Oh, another new framework?” But after actually using it, I realized it’s a completely different world.

As of 2025, Svelte isn’t just “another” framework—it’s an innovative tool that’s changing the paradigm of frontend development. In this article, I’ll explain what Svelte is, why it’s getting so much attention, and how you can get started.

 

 

 

1. What Makes Svelte Different?

When you think of frontend frameworks, names like React, Vue, and Angular probably come to mind first. But Svelte takes a fundamentally different approach.

Compiler vs Runtime: This Changes Everything

Most frameworks depend on runtime libraries that execute in the browser, but Svelte compiles components into optimized vanilla JavaScript at build time. To put it simply, while React or Vue are like packing your entire closet for a trip, Svelte is like carefully selecting only what you need.

What does this difference actually mean?

Bundle Size Comparison (Simple Hello World App)

Framework	Bundle Size	After gzip
React	124KB	37.6KB
Vue	34KB	~15-20KB
Svelte	2.3KB	1.16KB

When building an actual Todo app, Svelte came in at 9.7KB, Vue at 34KB, and React at 42.2KB. This difference significantly impacts perceived performance, especially on mobile devices or slow internet connections.

Fast Without a Virtual DOM

Virtual DOM frameworks like React and Vue spend time rendering components in an invisible tree before committing changes to the actual DOM, but Svelte skips this intermediate step and updates directly. While DOM updates can be slow, Svelte knows exactly which elements have changed and can process them much faster.

 

 

2. Who’s Actually Using It?

Theory aside, which companies are actually using Svelte?

Proven Cases from Major Companies

The New York Times built interactive graphics with Svelte, IKEA rebuilt its global site templates with SvelteKit, and Spotify uses Svelte for its marketing pages and year-end ‘Wrapped’ feature.

Why these major companies chose Svelte is clear:

• Optimal for performance-critical interactive content
• Fast loading speeds reduce user bounce rates
• Rapid development enables quick prototyping

This is backed by statistics too. Svelte has been ranked as the most admired frontend framework for several years running in both Stack Overflow and State of JS surveys.

 

 

3. Svelte 5’s Runes: Much Simpler Than Hooks

The current latest version, Svelte 5, introduced an innovative feature called ‘Runes.’

If React Hooks Felt Complicated

If you’ve used React, you’ve probably wrestled with hooks like useState and useEffect. Svelte 5’s Runes system is a signal-based reactivity API that provides more refined and universal reactivity.

Let’s say you want to build a simple counter:

React Way:

import { useState } from 'react';

function Counter() {
  const [count, setCount] = useState(0);
  
  return (
    <div>
      <p>Count: {count}</p>
      <button onClick={() => setCount(count + 1)}>Increment</button>
    </div>
  );
}

Svelte 5 Way:

<script>
  let count = $state(0);
</script>

<p>Count: {count}</p>
<button onclick={() => count++}>Increment</button>

As you can see, Svelte is much more intuitive and requires less code. When implementing the same functionality, Svelte components require significantly less code than React.

 

 

4. Installation to First Project Walkthrough

Now let’s actually get started with Svelte. It’s easier than you think.

What You’ll Need

Before starting:

• Node.js (version 18+, LTS recommended)
• Code editor (VS Code recommended)
• Terminal (Command Prompt, PowerShell, etc.)

Easiest Method – Starting with Vite

As of 2025, Vite has become the standard bundling tool, and SvelteKit also supports Vite 7. Open your terminal and enter these commands:

npm create vite@latest my-svelte-app -- --template svelte
cd my-svelte-app
npm install
npm run dev

Now visit http://localhost:5173 in your browser and your first Svelte app is running!

Building a Real App – Using SvelteKit

SvelteKit is a framework for building Svelte apps, providing Server-Side Rendering (SSR), Static Site Generation (SSG), File-based Routing, and more.

npx sv create my-app
cd my-app
npm install
npm run dev

During installation, it’ll ask you:

• Whether to use TypeScript
• Whether to set up ESLint and Prettier
• Whether to add Vitest testing tools

If you’re new, just go with the defaults and hit enter.

Essential VS Code Extension

To make development easier, install this extension:

• Svelte for VS Code

With this installed, you get:

• Syntax Highlighting
• Auto-completion
• Error Checking
• Code Formatting

 

 

5. Building a Simple Todo App

Rather than just theory, let’s build a simple todo list to get a feel for it.

Basic Todo List Code

<script>
  let todos = $state(['Learn Svelte', 'Build a project']);
  let newTodo = $state('');
  
  function addTodo() {
    if (newTodo.trim()) {
      todos = [...todos, newTodo];
      newTodo = '';
    }
  }
  
  function removeTodo(index) {
    todos = todos.filter((_, i) => i !== index);
  }
</script>

<div class="todo-app">
  <h1>My Todo List</h1>
  
  <div class="input-group">
    <input 
      bind:value={newTodo} 
      placeholder="Enter a todo"
      onkeydown={(e) => e.key === 'Enter' && addTodo()}
    />
    <button onclick={addTodo}>Add</button>
  </div>
  
  <ul>
    {#each todos as todo, index}
      <li>
        <span>{todo}</span>
        <button onclick={() => removeTodo(index)}>Delete</button>
      </li>
    {/each}
  </ul>
</div>

<style>
  .todo-app {
    max-width: 500px;
    margin: 2rem auto;
    padding: 1rem;
  }
  
  .input-group {
    display: flex;
    gap: 0.5rem;
    margin-bottom: 1rem;
  }
  
  input {
    flex: 1;
    padding: 0.5rem;
    border: 1px solid #ddd;
    border-radius: 4px;
  }
  
  button {
    padding: 0.5rem 1rem;
    background: #ff3e00;
    color: white;
    border: none;
    border-radius: 4px;
    cursor: pointer;
  }
  
  button:hover {
    background: #ff5722;
  }
  
  ul {
    list-style: none;
    padding: 0;
  }
  
  li {
    display: flex;
    justify-content: space-between;
    align-items: center;
    padding: 0.5rem;
    margin-bottom: 0.5rem;
    background: #f5f5f5;
    border-radius: 4px;
  }
</style>

Key Takeaways from the Code

1. $state(): How to make things reactive in Svelte 5
2. bind:value: Automatically connects input fields with variables (two-way binding)
3. onclick: Handles button click events
4. {#each}: Loops through and displays lists
5. <style>: Styles scoped to this component only

Conditional Rendering

<script>
  let isLoggedIn = $state(false);
  let username = $state('');
</script>

{#if isLoggedIn}
  <div>
    <p>Welcome, {username}!</p>
    <button onclick={() => isLoggedIn = false}>Logout</button>
  </div>
{:else}
  <div>
    <input bind:value={username} placeholder="Username" />
    <button onclick={() => isLoggedIn = true}>Login</button>
  </div>
{/if}

Much more readable than React’s ternary operators, right?

 

 

6. React, Vue, or Svelte: Which Should You Choose?

I get asked “Which should I use for my project?” all the time. The answer depends on your situation. Here’s a comparison:

Framework Pros and Cons

Feature	React	Vue	Svelte
Learning Curve	Medium	Easy	Very Easy
Bundle Size	Large (40KB+)	Medium (20KB+)	Very Small (1-3KB)
Performance	Good	Very Good	Excellent
Ecosystem	Huge	Large	Growing
Job Market	Largest	Medium	Small (Growing)
Mobile	React Native	Limited	Limited
Learning Hurdle	Hooks concept needed	Options/Composition API	Intuitive syntax

When to Choose What

Choose React if:

• You’re building large-scale apps with complex state management needs
• You need the largest developer community and ecosystem
• You’re working with a team that already knows React
• You plan to build mobile apps with React Native
• You need meta-frameworks like Next.js or Remix

Choose Vue if:

• You want quick onboarding and excellent developer experience
• You prefer clear separation of concerns (HTML, CSS, JS)
• You want to start simple and scale up later
• You’re integrating with backend frameworks like Laravel
• You need SSR with Nuxt.js

Choose Svelte if:

• Performance and simplicity are top priorities and you need the fastest loading speeds
• You have many mobile users or users on slow networks
• You’re building marketing sites, landing pages, or interactive widgets
• Your team enjoys learning new things
• You’re a small team building an MVP quickly

Actual Performance Benchmarks

In benchmark results, Svelte dominates both in bundle size and performance, scoring 95 points for first place. Solid.js follows with 92 points, then Vue. React performs adequately for most applications but shows moderate performance due to its larger runtime and Virtual DOM overhead.

But remember: The fastest framework isn’t always the best choice. Consider team experience, project requirements, ecosystem support, and hiring availability holistically.

What is ‘React’? The Most Popular Component-Based JavaScript Library

Vue.js? : A Deep Dive into the Progressive JavaScript Framework

 

 

7. The 2025 Svelte Ecosystem

As Svelte grows rapidly, its surrounding ecosystem is developing alongside it.

SvelteKit 2.0: Production Ready

SvelteKit supports Vite 7 and Rolldown, providing faster compilation speeds. Key features include Server-Side Rendering (SSR), Static Site Generation (SSG), API Routes, and Edge Deployment.

SvelteKit project structure:

my-app/
├── src/
│   ├── routes/              # Pages go here
│   │   ├── +page.svelte     # "/" main page
│   │   └── about/
│   │       └── +page.svelte # "/about" page
│   ├── lib/                 # Shared components
│   └── app.html             # HTML template
├── static/                  # Static files
└── svelte.config.js         # Config file

Check out the SvelteKit official docs for details.

Solid UI Libraries

Shadcn-svelte officially released v1.0, Skeleton v3.0 launched with Svelte 5 and Tailwind 4 support, and Flowbite Svelte added data table and WYSIWYG editor components.

Recommended UI Libraries:

• shadcn-svelte: Copy-paste components
• Skeleton: Tailwind-based modular UI toolkit
• Flowbite Svelte: Extensive component library
• SVAR Svelte: TypeScript-enabled open source UI
• Melt UI: Headless UI components

Deployment Options

Where to deploy your Svelte/SvelteKit apps:

• Vercel: One-click deployment, optimized performance
• Netlify: Easy CI/CD pipelines
• Cloudflare Pages: Edge deployment, free tier
• DigitalOcean App Platform: Flexible infrastructure

 

 

8. Learning Resources and Next Steps

Want to dive deeper into Svelte? I recommend these resources.

Official Learning Materials

The official Svelte tutorial presents each concept brilliantly in “lesson” format and provides a REPL where you can try things directly in your browser.

Free Learning Resources:

• Official Svelte Tutorial: Step-by-step interactive learning
• Svelte Documentation: Latest API reference
• Svelte REPL: Test directly in browser
• Svelte Society YouTube: Talks and tutorials

Project Ideas to Try

Don’t just read—build something:

1. Personal Portfolio: SvelteKit + Markdown for a fast site
2. Weather App: Practice API integration with OpenWeatherMap
3. Blog System: Learn Markdown rendering and SSG
4. Real-time Chat: Integrate WebSockets
5. Todo Manager: Connect with LocalStorage or Supabase
6. Movie Search: Practice data fetching with TMDB API

Join the Community

• Svelte Society: Official community
• Svelte Discord: Real-time Q&A (very active)
• Svelte Reddit: Great for discussions

 

 

9. Things to Know Before Going Production

Some things worth knowing before using Svelte in real projects.

The Ecosystem is Smaller Than React

Svelte’s ecosystem is much younger. It has fewer UI libraries and plugins than React or Vue, and fewer specialized developers. Finding help when bugs occur can be harder.

But this is improving rapidly, and core features are already mature enough. Plus, Svelte plays nicely with regular JavaScript libraries—you can easily integrate jQuery, Three.js, etc. using the use: directive.

The Job Market is Still Small

Finding React developers is easier than finding Svelte developers. But Svelte has such a gentle learning curve that React developers can be productive in 1-2 weeks.

Performance Optimization Tips

Svelte is fast by default, but to optimize further:

• Long lists: Use virtual scrolling libraries
• Image optimization: Implement lazy loading and WebP format
• Code splitting: Use dynamic imports to optimize initial load
• CSS optimization: Leverage Tailwind’s purge functionality

When You Might Want to Skip Svelte

To be honest, you might want to consider other frameworks if:

• You’re working on a very large enterprise project with dozens of developers
• You need React Native for mobile apps too
• Specific React/Vue-only libraries are essential
• You’ve already invested heavily in React/Vue

 

 

Wrapping Up

Svelte isn’t just “another new framework.” Web development in 2025 is clearly moving toward performance-first, developer-experience-forward stacks, and Svelte is unmatched in speed, performance, and simplicity.

If you don’t absolutely need React’s massive ecosystem and want fast performance with an enjoyable coding experience, give Svelte a try. It’s an excellent choice especially when starting new projects, building performance-critical marketing sites, or developing interactive widgets.

The best way to learn is to write code. Jump into the Svelte REPL right now and create your first component. Five minutes is all you need! 🙂