Whether you've just started learning React or are working with it professionally full-time, there are plenty of React development tools (both free and paid) that you can use for your personal or professional projects.

React is considered by many professionals as a framework, but it remains a JavaScript library.

To enable React developers to reap the benefits of the library so that coding is easier and faster, here are 10 of the best React developer tools of 2022 that you as a React developer should know and use whenever needed...

1 – Reactide

Reactide is an IDE dedicated to the development of web applications with React.

If you ever wanted to have a separate IDE (not just an editor) just to handle your React development needs, then Reactide is the React development tool for you. It is the first IDE designed and released exclusively for React web application development.

Functions:

Extensible: It runs an integrated Node server and a custom browser simulator, eliminating the need to configure servers or build tools.

·     Easy configuration: You can run a simple command to start a universal configuration.

·     Component Visualization: You can navigate through a live representation of your application's architecture.

Open-source: The code for this powerful tool is hosted on its GitHub repository so you can not only download it for Mac, Windows, and Linux platforms but also contribute to it.

2 – bit

Bit is a standard framework for components for the development of web applications or stand-alone micro-frontends.

Bit is a collection of just about everything you and your team could need for fast releases, excellent consistency, and high-level collaboration to create components.

Functions:

·     Shared application development: With Bit, there is no need for monolithic development. Instead, you work on modular applications composed of features built by teams working simultaneously.

·     Hosting and Reuse: You and your team can together create a reusable component for your organization and then collaborate on new builds in the cloud.

·     Ongoing component and release upgrades: You can make updates to an application's components with decoupled releases and pipelines.

Excellent for document management: The React development tool ensures that every component is documented, organized, and discoverable by anyone.

3 – Storybook

Storybook is an open-source React development tool for building UI components and pages in isolation.

It is very useful for streamlining the development of user interfaces as well as for testing components and documenting them.

Functions:

·     Durable interfaces: The tool comes with a sandbox environment to create the user interfaces you need in isolation so that more edge cases and states of an element are taken into account.

·     Easy testing of user interfaces: Each time you write a scenario, you receive a test case with it. Along with that, you can reuse the scenarios in your unit tests.

·     UI Documentation and Sharing: Everything in the Storybook is searchable and comes with the ability to share each storyline with your teammates so there is a single source of truth.

·     Available for multiple tech stacks: In addition to React, Storybook is also available for Vue, Angular, Web Components, Ember, HTML, and more.

4 – React Developer Tools

React Developer Tools adds debugging tools to Google Chrome Developer Tools.

This extension is so popular and useful that installing and using it is recommended for anyone starting to learn React. With the tool's deep debugging, you can expect better bug fixing during the entire development process.

Functions:

·     Inspection: You can inspect individual React component hierarchies in the Google Chrome dev tools.

·     Components tab: This tab shows you all the root components that have been rendered on the page, as well as the sub-components if they are available.

·     Profiler tab: This tab allows you to record performance information.

Deeper inspection: With this React dev tool, you can inspect and edit the current properties of the selected component and then show them in the panel directly from this extension.

5 – React Cosmos

React Cosmos is a sandbox for developing and testing UI components in isolation.

With React Cosmos, you don't have to settle for the boring localhost:3000 development environment and instead can test and develop all components in isolation.

Functions:

·     Visual TDD: With Test-Driven Development in React Cosmos, you can develop one component at a time, isolate the UI, and then iterate quickly. No need to reload the application after each modification.

·     Component library: No matter it is an empty state or borderline case, you can bookmark each state of components. The included component library will organize everything you do.

·     Open Platform: The React development tool is not only used for developing and testing UI components. It can also be used for visual and instant regression testing, as well as custom integrations.

·     Maintainability: With reusable components, you can not only create beautiful interfaces, but you can also maintain quality at scale.

6 – Beautiful

Belle uses a set of configurable React components with great user experience (UX).

With Belle, you can never doubt the overall experience of your components. It provides you with a set of frequently used React components like Toggle, ComboBox, Rating, TextInput, Button, Card, Select, etc.

Functions:

·     Versatile and Customizable: Each component is efficiently optimized to work equally well on mobile and desktop devices.

·     Component library: No matter it is an empty state or borderline case, you can bookmark each state of components. The included component library will organize everything you do.

·     Open Platform: The React development tool is not only used for developing and testing UI components. It can also be used for visual and instant regression testing, as well as custom integrations.

·     Maintainability: With reusable components, you can not only create beautiful interfaces, but you can also maintain quality at scale.

7- React 360

React 360 is a framework for creating interactive 360 ​​experiences that run in your web browser.

The same company that builds React is responsible for its VR version, and that's Facebook. It uses three.js to facilitate lower-level WebVR and WebGL APIs to create an in-browser VR experience.

Functions:

· Cross-platform development: You can create VR experiences to run on desktops, mobile phones, and the web without too many changes across different platforms.

·     3D Media: The React development tool has environment features that manage all immersive media assets and configurations. This means that you will have precise control as a 360 developer.

·     Improved performance: The entire architecture has been customized.

·     Surfaces by React 360: This allows you to integrate UI panels into your applications by creating 2D interfaces that integrate with 3D spaces.

8 – Rekit

Rekit is an all-in-one solution for creating modern and extensible web applications with React, Redux, and React-router.

The React development tool prioritizes productivity rather than forcing the developer to work with large libraries, difficult configurations, and other complex things.

Functions:

·     Ready for production: The tool is ready to use as soon as it is launched.

·     No additional configuration required: You can develop a ready-to-use solution with Rekit.

9 – React Testing Library

React Testing Library offers a set of utility functions that serve to test the various React components without needing their implementation details.

With this React development tool, you can write tests based on how a user would experience your application. This allows you to ensure that your application works as it should, from the user's point of view.

Functions:

Simplified     Solution: You can quickly test React components. It provides simplified utility functions to encourage better testing practices.

·     Realistic tests: The tool allows you to have tests close to how a user would use your components.

·     Maintainable over the long term: Refactoring your component codes does not affect your tests and does not slow you down.

·     Enzyme Replacement: The tool represents a more accurate solution than Enzyme.

10 – Plasmic

Plasmic allows developers and designers to visually compose React user interfaces.

You start with basic Figma/Sketch designs or start from scratch to end up with visually presentable and functional pages and components before integrating them into your React code.

Functions:

·     Universal page builder: You can use Plasmic for everything. The React development tool was built to interface deeply with code.

·     Extensible: You can use your components, data, effects, and more.

·     Complete flexibility and freedom: You can start with a page or a component and you can get rid of the code whenever you want.

·     Performance and Quality: Image optimization, error-free code generation, support for static builds, and more.

Conclusion

In the end, knowing the different React development tools presented in this article can make all the difference in the speed of completion of a project and even in its quality.

A good idea would then be to add the page of this article to favorites, especially if you have just started with React. This way, you can come back to consult this list whenever you need it.

And if you have just started your adventure with React, you must persist because React developers are among the most demanded IT professions by companies and agencies specializing in web development.

Then the 10 React development tools in this article will come in handy in your career as a professional React developer.