You’ve probably heard people say, “React is faster than regular HTML.”

But HTML is just markup, and React renders HTML. So what's the actual reason developers keep saying React is “faster”?
Here’s the truth 👇

It’s not the DOM structure - it’s the DOM behaviour.
Both the Real DOM (used by browsers) and React’s Virtual DOM are built on the same concept:
👉 A tree data structure.

But just like two cars can have the same frame and vastly different engines, these DOMs perform very differently because of the weight and cost of operations.

🔷 Real DOM: Heavy and Expensive

Every node is a complex object tied to rendering, layout, styles, and browser internals.
Updating a node can trigger:

• CSS recalculations

• Layout reflows

• Repaints (which are costly in performance)

• Changes are applied synchronously, slowing down the UI.

⚡ Virtual DOM: Lightweight and Efficient

Every node is just a plain JavaScript object - no styling, layout, or rendering overhead.
React can quickly find the difference between the previous and current versions of the tree to figure out exactly what changed.
Changes are batched, optimized, and then synced to the real DOM all at once, reducing expensive updates.

The Virtual DOM is faster not because it's different in structure, but because it's cheaper to work with.
It lets React:

• Minimize direct DOM manipulation

• Reduce layout thrashing

• Update the UI in a smart, efficient way

📌 React is faster than “regular HTML” in apps where things change a lot - not because it skips HTML, but because it handles updates more intelligently.

For static content? HTML alone is often better.

For dynamic, state-driven interfaces? React gives you performance at scale.