Learn INFERNO with Real Code Examples

Inferno provides a React-compatible API focused heavily on performance.

It uses a highly optimized Virtual DOM engine for minimal overhead.

Its architecture makes it suitable for real-time UIs, embedded widgets, and performance-critical apps.

JSX + components

Virtual DOM diffing

Lifecycle hooks (componentDidMount, etc.)

Functional components supported

Efficient event handling system

JSX + component rendering

Functional and class components

Props + state system

Virtual DOM re-rendering

Event handlers and lifecycle hooks

src/components/ - UI components

src/index.js - app entry

public/index.html - mount point

babel.config.js - JSX transform

vite/webpack config - bundlers

Create components (functional or class)

Use JSX with Babel or Vite

Render with `Inferno.render()`

Manage state in components

Bundle via Vite/Webpack/Rollup

Beginner: simple components

Intermediate: dynamic UIs with state

Advanced: SSR + hydration

Expert: optimizing micro-interactions

Community: custom renderers and extensions

Faster than React - optimized VDOM

Smaller than React - tiny bundle

Less ecosystem than React/Vue

Similar API to React (easy migration)

Better suited for high-performance UIs

2016 – Inferno initial release

2017 – React-like API compatibility

2018 – SSR improvements

2020 – Further performance tuning

2024–2025 – Stable maintenance releases

Virtual DOM: lightweight DOM representation

VNode: Virtual DOM node object

Hydration: binding server-rendered HTML

Lifecycle hooks: component methods on render/update

Diffing: comparing VDOM trees efficiently