Rolldown drops Rust React Compiler over a 17% binary-size increase
JavaScript bundler Rolldown has removed its Rust-based React Compiler integration, citing that the feature caused a 17% increase in the binary size of the tool. The decision prioritizes keeping the bundler lightweight over including the compiler.
Background
Rolldown is a new JavaScript bundler (like Webpack or Vite's Rollup) being built in Rust for performance. The React Compiler is a Meta-developed tool that automatically optimizes React code by memoizing components. Rolldown had been integrating the React Compiler as a "plugin" inside its binary, but the maintainers just decided to remove that integration because including the React Compiler's Rust port would increase Rolldown's binary size by 17%. This matters because it highlights a tension in the JavaScript tooling ecosystem: native plugins that compile into a bundler make the tool faster and simpler for users, but they come at a cost to the tool's own size and maintenance burden. The decision means users will need to set up the React Compiler as an external plugin instead of having it built in.