Which Framework is Best for Kinetix? (React vs. Svelte vs. Vue)

Subtitle: Choosing the Right Stack for Your Next Video Startup

We get asked this a lot: “Kinetix is vanilla JS, so which framework should I use to build my Video Editor?”

While Kinetix works with anything (even jQuery!), for a startup trying to build a product fast, the choice matters.

Here is our analysis of the top contenders.

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1. React (The Recommended Choice)

We frankly recommend React for 90% of startups.

Why?

1. Velocity: You are building a Video Editor. You need sliders, color pickers, timelines, and modals. React has the richest ecosystem of these components (Radix UI, Shadcn, MUI). You don’t want to build a Color Picker from scratch.
2. The useRef Pattern: React’s useRef creates a perfect boundary between the “Declarative UI” and the “Imperative Engine”.

   // It's clean and predictable
   const engineRef = useRef<Engine>(null);
   useEffect(() => { engineRef.current = new Engine(...) }, []);

3. Talent: It is easiest to hire React developers.

The Gotcha

React re-renders. If you trigger a React render every time the video timeline progresses (60fps), your UI will lag. Fix: Don’t store the “Current Time” in React State. Store it in the Engine, and only update React when the user pauses.

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2. Svelte (The Performance Choice)

If you are obsessed with performance or targeting low-end devices, Svelte is a compelling alternative.

Why?

1. No Virtual DOM: Svelte updates the DOM directly. This overhead reduction is noticeable when you have a timeline with 1,000 clips.
2. Reactivity: Svelte’s stores ($store) map incredibly well to Engine properties.

   // Svelte
   $: if (engine) engine.scene.getObject('text').text = $inputValue;

The Cons

The ecosystem is smaller. You might have to build your own Timeline component.

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3. Vue 3 (The Balanced Choice)

Vue’s Composition API (setup()) is very similar to React, and its Reactivity system (Proxies) is more performant than React’s useState.

It is a great middle ground, but we find most teams are either “React Experts” or “Svelte Enthusiasts”.

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Conclusion: Start with React

For a startup, Speed to Market is the only metric.

• Use React.
• Use Shadcn UI for the interface.
• Use Kinetix for the canvas.

You will have a working MVP in days, not weeks.