> Option B: React (or Vue, or Svelte, or Angular if you're being punished for something).

> And suddenly you've got:

> A package.json with 847 dependencies

> A build step that takes 45 seconds (if the CI gods are merciful)

> State management debates polluting your pull requests

> Junior devs losing their minds over why useEffect runs twice

> A bundle size that would make a 56k modem weep

No? React is surprisingly small, and if you're in dependency hell then fix that. The alternative is another idiom.

React only renders. You need a lot more than that for an app.

And if you glue packages together you're basically reinventing frameworks. This can be a good thing or a bad thing.

Regardless of your choice between glueing libs or a framework, you'll end up with tons of dependencies for most non-trivial projects anyway.