Vite

Vite made Webpack's configuration complexity feel absurd overnight. Hot module replacement that actually works, near-instant dev server startup, and sensible defaults for TypeScript, JSX, and CSS modules — all without touching a config file.

For non-Next.js projects — libraries, tools, standalone SPAs — Vite is the build tool. The plugin ecosystem covers every reasonable use case, and the Rollup-based production builds are fast and reliable.