Top 10 React Developer Tools in 2024

In today’s web development market, React developers are in high demand or you can say there are a lot of job openings for React developers. It is very important to keep updated with some new skills and react to developers. You must know about the following top 10 famous react tools.

Having the right set of tools is essential for React developers to streamline their workflow and build efficient applications, In this article, we would be discussing some of the best React developer tools that will not only help you in writing better code but will enhance your overall development process.

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What are React Developer Tools?

React Developers Tools are a series of frameworks, libraries, and extensions designed to guide the development of React. Developers use code generators, test tools, debug extensions, and other React tools to make the code stronger and more stable.

Top 10 React Developer Tools in 2024

React contains lots of debugging tools known as react developer tools. These tools make the debugging and the development process easier with React. Let us take a look at the top react developer tools every developer should use while using React.

1. Bit 

It is an open-source tool on GitHub. This allows the React developers to make their application an independent component collection. So basically, this is a good tool for making different react components. You can access the third-party store using Bit.

Key Features

• Share React Components: Isolate and share components for reuse across projects.
• Version Control for Components: Track changes and collaborate on component development.
• Find Reusable Components: Discover pre-built components to save development time.
• Private Component Libraries: Create internal libraries for code sharing within your team.

How to use 

Bit comes with an online platform and CLI tool. You just need to publish your react component. Once it will be checked by Bit, you can share it with other developers. So, you need to develop everything from scratch. This also works with Microfrontends and can perfectly handle all the complexities of the code.

2. React Developer Tools Browser Extension

You can download the React developer tools as extensions in many browsers like Chrome, edge, firefox, etc. This tool allows you to check the component hierarchy of react.

Key Features

• Full Component View: See all rendered components and their hierarchy.
• Drill Down: Explore nested components for a deeper look.
• Performance Insights: Identify bottlenecks and optimize your app.
• Quick Component Testing: Test components by modifying props within the extension.

How to use

It is available in Chrome and Firefox. Once you will add that in your browser you will be allowed to debug the application using its different features. You can inspect React tree and you can check how props, state, and many other things are working in the application 

3. Reactide

It is the first tailored and most recommended IDE for web application development in React. You can use GitHub if you want to learn about Reactide. There might be a question, why this one is so popular and most recommended then you should understand what it offers.

Key Features

• Simplified Setup: Built-in server, simulator eliminates external configuration.
• Component Insights: Visualize component hierarchy, props, and state for easier understanding.
• Fast Code Updates: Hot module reloading instantly reflects code changes in the browser.
• Inspect Components: Dive deeper into components for debugging.

So because of these features, this is considered one of the best tools for React developers.

How to use

You don’t need to create a server configuration. This tool is easy to use with the help of a custom browser simulator and an integrated Node Server. This integrated node server eliminates the dependency on built-in tools and server configuration.

4. Rekit

If you want to create a web application using React, Redux, and React-router and you also want that application to be scalable then Rekit is a perfect tool for you. If you don’t want to focus on patterns, configuration, and large libraries and only want to deal with business logic then this tool is perfect for you. In this tool, you will find access to Rekit Studio which will show you an overview of all pages, reducers, and components. So what are you waiting for, connect this tool with your React project.

How to use

You need to install Rekit using the following command given below to use it in your React project.

Syntax:

npm install -g rekit  # Install Rekit CLI
npm install -g rekit-studio  # Install Rekit Studio

5. Create React App by Facebook

This is one of the most popular tools in the React developers community. You will find more than 102K stars on GitHub for this. Basically, it is developed by Facebook. It is best suitable for beginners and any new react project.

Key Features

• Simplified Setup: No need to manage complex build configurations, Create React App takes care of it.
• Modern Ready: Leverage modern features and popular modules instantly.
• Quick Start: Get coding fast with a single command to set up your React project.
• Fast Development: Hot reloading lets you see code changes instantly in the browser.

How to use

Follow the link Create React App: Setting development environment for a detailed description of using it.

So, start using all these tools, and let’s know how these are helpful for you in your react projects.

6. Evergreen

Evergreen is a React UI framework designed to streamline the creation of modern web applications. It provides a comprehensive set of pre-built React components that are functional and visually appealing. Evergreen prioritizes composability, allowing you to easily combine and customize these components to build complex and dynamic user interfaces.

Key Features

• Pre-built Components: Get started quickly with a vast library of ready-to-use React components.
• Flexible & Composable: Craft unique UIs by seamlessly combining and customizing Evergreen’s components.
• Enterprise-Grade Design: Maintain a professional look and feel with Evergreen’s design language, built for accessibility and responsiveness.
• Fast Development Experience: Benefit from smart defaults, CSS-in-JS integration, and server-side rendering support.

How to use

Use npm or yarn to install Evergreen as a dependency in your project

npm install evergreen-ui

Refer to their website (https://evergreen.segment.com/) for extensive documentation and examples to guide you further.

7. Storybook

Storybook is a powerful tool for React developers that fosters isolated UI component development. It creates a separate environment where you can build, test, and document your React components independently of your main application. This streamlines the development process and ensures component consistency across your project.

Key Features:

• Isolated Development: Storybook allows you to develop components in isolation, free from the complexities of your application’s logic and context. This simplifies debugging and experimentation.
• Interactive Documentation: Generate interactive documentation for your components, showcasing different states, props, and usage examples. This improves communication and understanding between developers.
• Reusable Component Library: Storybook serves as a centralized repository for your reusable React components. This promotes component reuse and consistency throughout your application.
• Visual Testing: Facilitate visual testing to ensure components render correctly under various scenarios.

How to use

Installation: Set up Storybook in your existing React project using their official guide: https://storybook.js.org/tutorials/intro-to-storybook/react/en/get-started/

Create Stories: Define stories for your components. These stories represent different states, props, and usage scenarios.

import { Button } from './Button';

export default {
  title: 'Button',
  component: Button,
};

export const Primary = () => <Button>Primary Button</Button>;
export const Secondary = () => <Button intent="secondary">Secondary Button</Button>;

8. Jest

Jest is a comprehensive JavaScript testing framework specifically designed to streamline testing React applications. Developed by Meta earlier Facebook, Jest boasts a range of features that make writing and running tests efficient and enjoyable.

Key Features

• Effortless Setup: Jest requires minimal configuration, allowing you to start writing tests quickly without extensive setup procedures.
• Seamless Integration: Jest integrates seamlessly with popular React projects and tools, minimizing friction in your development workflow.
• Snapshot Testing: Jest’s snapshot testing allows you to easily verify the output of your components, ensuring they render correctly under different conditions.
• Code Coverage: Analyze the extent to which your tests cover your codebase using Jest’s built-in code coverage features. This helps identify areas that might require additional testing.

How to use

Install Jest as a development dependency in your React project

npm install --save-dev jest

Create Test Files: Create test files with the .test.js or .spec.js extension. These files house your test code.

// Button.test.js
import { Button } from './Button';

test('Button renders correctly', () => {
  const { getByText } = render(<Button>Click Me!</Button>);
  expect(getByText('Click Me!')).toBeInTheDocument();
});

Run Tests: Use npm test (or your preferred command) to execute your Jest tests. Jest provides clear feedback on test results, including successes, failures, and detailed error messages.

9. React Styleguidist

React Styleguidist is a comprehensive tool that empowers you to create and maintain a living style guide specifically for your React components. It offers a centralized location to document, showcase, and test your components in isolation.

Key Features:

• Living Style Guide: Generate a dynamic style guide that showcases your React components with interactive examples. This fosters better communication and understanding within development teams.
• Interactive Documentation: Styleguidist allows you to document your components using Markdown, including descriptions, usage examples, and props definitions. These descriptions can be displayed alongside interactive component previews.
• Isolated Development & Testing: Similar to Storybook, Styleguidist provides an isolated environment for developing and testing components. This simplifies debugging and experimentation.
• Hot Reloading: Experience real-time updates as you make changes to your components. Styleguidist automatically reloads the style guide, reflecting your modifications instantly.

How to use

Install React Styleguidist as a development dependency in your React project

npm install --save-dev react-styleguidist

10. React-proto

React-Proto is a unique tool that bridges the gap between design and development for React applications. It offers a visual interface to prototype your application’s structure and functionality, streamlining the initial stages of development.

Key Features:

• Visual Prototyping: Drag and drop UI elements to build the layout of your React application. This allows for rapid iteration and early feedback on the user interface.
• Component Hierarchy Definition: Define the hierarchy of your React components within React-Proto. This visual representation clarifies component relationships and data flow.
• State and Prop Management: Visually define initial states and props for your components within React-Proto. This simplifies communication between designers and developers.
• Code Generation: Once your prototype is finalized, React-Proto can generate React code for your components, giving developers a head start on the implementation phase.

How to use

• Install React-Proto (details on website).
• Start a project and create your prototype.
• Generate React code for a development head start.

Conclusion

In this article, we talked about the Top 10 React Developer Tools that are good to have for any React developer, these top 10 React developer tools offer a valuable set of resources that enhances productivity, simplify the development workflows, and also enable developers to build high-quality and performant React applications. Using these tools will make your journey of development much easier an exciting.

FAQs on React Developer Tools

What are React Developer Tools?

React Developers Tools are a series of frameworks, libraries, and extensions designed to guide the development of React. Developers use code generators, test tools, debug extensions, and other React tools to make the code stronger and more stable.

What are the Top 5 React Developer Tools?

The top 5 React Developer Tools are:

• Bit
• React Developer Tools (Google Extension)
• Reactide
• Rekit
• Create React App

Is React Js still in demand?

Yes, React Js is still in demand as React is the second most used and most popular web framework by professional developers just after JQuery.