Rust React Compiler lands in Vite, drop Babel for 2.4x faster builds
@vitejs/plugin-react 6.1.0 runs the compiler in Rust: one flag removes Babel, cuts one build 22.1s to 9.3s, and Oxlint now lints the same rules 11x faster.
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Drop Babel with one flag
@vitejs/plugin-react 6.1.0 ships experimental native React Compiler support built on the Rust-based oxc toolchain — pass { compiler: true } and delete your Babel React Compiler dependency. React Router framework-mode users install @acusti/vite-plugin-react-compiler instead.
17.6x faster compile, 2.4x faster build
On a 1,036-file React Router codebase, the compiler step fell from 14.3s to 0.81s (~17.6x) and the full build from 22.1s to 9.3s (2.4x). The oxc lead clocks the Rust compiler 10x+ faster than Babel in preliminary benchmarks.
It compiles code the old pass choked on
The Rust rewrite handles patterns Babel's React Compiler couldn't: conditional logic inside try/catch and destructured component props in nested closures now compile cleanly, so you can turn the compiler on across more of your tree.
Oxlint lints the same rules 11x faster
Oxlint 1.79.0 added 22 React Compiler-powered rules running natively in Rust, no compile step required — it works across Next.js, Webpack and Vite. One report: full lint dropped 29.2s to 2.6s. Add "plugins": ["react"] to .oxlintrc.json.
Elsewhere: Next.js is still stuck on Babel
The catch when picking a bundler — Next.js still needs a Babel plugin to run React Compiler because SWC lacks support, while Vite now runs it in Rust end to end.