How to create a new React app

Monday, October 6, 2025

Setting up a new React application efficiently is crucial for modern web development with proper tooling, build optimization, and development experience. As the creator of CoreUI, a widely used open-source UI library, I’ve created countless React applications and integrated CoreUI with various React setups for enterprise dashboards and user interfaces. From my expertise, the most modern approach is to use Vite for new projects due to its superior performance and developer experience. This method provides lightning-fast development server, optimized builds, and excellent support for modern JavaScript features and TypeScript.

Use Vite to create modern React applications with superior performance and developer experience.

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

Vite creates React applications with modern tooling including fast Hot Module Replacement (HMR), optimized builds, and native ES modules support. The --template react flag sets up a React project with JavaScript, or use --template react-ts for TypeScript. Vite provides instant server startup, faster builds than webpack-based solutions, and excellent developer experience. After creation, navigate to the project directory, install dependencies, and start the development server with npm run dev for immediate development.

Best Practice Note:

This is the same approach we use for new CoreUI React projects to leverage modern development tools and optimal performance. For existing projects or team preferences, create-react-app is still viable: npx create-react-app my-app, but Vite is recommended for new projects due to significantly faster development builds and modern tooling.

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About the Author

Łukasz Holeczek, Founder of CoreUI, is a seasoned Fullstack Developer and entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience. As the lead developer for all JavaScript, React.js, and Vue.js products at CoreUI, they specialize in creating open-source solutions that empower developers to build better and more accessible user interfaces.

With expertise in TypeScript, JavaScript, Node.js, and modern frameworks like React.js, Vue.js, and Next.js, Łukasz combines technical mastery with a passion for UI/UX design and accessibility. CoreUI’s mission is to provide developers with tools that enhance productivity while adhering to accessibility standards.

Łukasz shares its extensive knowledge through a blog with technical software development articles. It also advises enterprise companies on building solutions from A to Z. Through CoreUI, it offers professional services, technical support, and open-core products that help developers and businesses achieve their goals.

Learn more about CoreUI’s solutions and see how your business can benefit from working with us.