"React is DEAD! Why would you even bother developing apps with that Facebook relic from 2011?! Jump on the AI train instead and code faster!"
Those were the words of a senior software developer I met at React Summit 2022 in Amsterdam.
But that can’t be further from the truth — React isn't dead. At least not yet. It's still relevant and wanted more than ever before. In fact, here you’ll find 8 astonishing feet-sweeping apps you could build with React in 2023 and amaze even the grumpiest of software devs.
Warning: Brace yourself, React naysayers! These apps will make you question your claims and even make you join the React side. That's how sexy and powerful these apps are.
What is React in the first place? Revisiting the JavaScript history
React is a JavaScript library that creates what every app user wants — gorgeous UI. It's Facebook's poster child, and it’s mostly used for crafting single-page web and mobile apps.
React pushes developers to create reusable UI components with the help of declarative-style programming. It means that developers specify what the UI should look like rather than describing the steps needed to get to that state. It's also one of the must-master libraries when you're at the beginning of your software developer career.
As a mentor I had a while back always said: "React JS is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get, but you know it's going to be something sweet."
With React and its different framework flavors, you'll be dead sure that something will always be a tasty, interactive user interface that will satisfy your cravings for a seamless experience.
8 jaw-dropping React app ideas
Fun Fact: Did you know that famous websites most people and software developers depend on were made with React? The New York Times app, Instagram, the WhatsApp web client, Codecademy, and Dropbox all work flawlessly thanks to React.
Here are 8 React app ideas for 2023 that'll inspire you to master this library and make an app that'll rewrite that FunFact:
- Personal finance management app
- Recipe and meal planning app
- Language learning app
- Travel and adventure planning app
- Personal growth and self-care app
- Online marketplace for handmade and vintage goods
- Community-based recycling and sustainability app
- Virtual event planning app
Personal finance management app
The fintech industry is going to explode in the following years, driven by a marked increase in digital shopping. Sophisticated AI algorithms will make the regular consumers shop like there's no tomorrow and hunt for those fresh, juicy deals.
And who wouldn't?!
Everyone loves amazing, cheap, quality stuff. But what will track all those expenses? Gone are the days of creating a monthly budget in your journal and tracking where each penny goes.
Why not create an app with React that tracks user income, expenses, and budget. It could have features such as:
- A dashboard showing an overview of the user's financial situation, including their current balance, upcoming bills, and budget breakdown.
- The ability to add and categorize transactions, such as income, bills, and purchases.
- Budgeting tools, such as the ability to set financial goals and track progress toward them.
- Reports and charts to visualize and analyze the user's spending and saving habits.
Keep this in mind — The app needs convenience and user-friendly UI. That's what the essence of React is.
Recipe and meal planning app
Who doesn't love tracking their calorie intake and getting a complete, comprehensive meal plan tailored to their needs for a week?
Meal planning features could be:
- A recipe search engine with filters for dietary restrictions, cuisine type, and ingredient availability.
- The ability to save and organize favorite recipes in customizable recipe collections.
- A meal planner that allows users to drag and drop recipes onto a calendar to create a weekly meal plan.
- The ability to generate a shopping list based on the selected recipes for the week.
- Integration with popular recipe websites and blogs to import recipes directly into the app.
- The ability to scale recipes up or down based on the desired serving size.
Best of all, learning how to create a meal-planning app is like activating the Boost potion with your software development career.
P.S. If you ever create such an app, please contact me at ilovecookies@applepie.com. I would love to invest in it!
Language learning app
If one wasn't living under a rock, they would probably know about Duolingo, Deerlingo, and Tandem. All are language apps that gamify the learning experience and run on some type of ReactJS framework. And you could create your own version of them!
It's all about being fun, simple, and interactive. These are the features worth crafting:
- Interactive exercises to practice and reinforce what’s been learned.
- The ability to track progress and set goals for learning.
- Gamification elements, such as points and rewards, to motivate and engage users.
- Integration with speech recognition technology to provide feedback on pronunciation.
- A community forum where users can connect with native speakers and other language learners.
Travel and adventure planning app
Don't forget about the adventurous and travel-loving crowd your app could serve. One of the great things React is a master of is setting a perfect UI environment for flights, hotels, and destinations search engines.
There are so many features your adventure planning app could have, but the main ones are:
- The ability to save and organize travel ideas in a personalized itinerary.
- Integration with maps and location services to help users plan their routes and activities.
- Recommendations for things to do and see based on the user's interests and location.
- A community forum where users can connect with other travelers and share advice and recommendations.
- The ability to track travel expenses and create budgets.
Personal growth and self-care app
Personal growth and self-care audiences care about one thing — effortless UI design. Creating this kind of a React app should not revolve around rich features and limitless options.
Keeping the UI self-explanatory and unique with these features is what makes this idea perfect for any beginner software dev in 2023:
- A daily journal for recording thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
- The ability to track and log various health-related metrics, such as exercise, sleep, and nutrition
- A library of self-care and personal growth activities, such as meditation exercises and goal-setting tools
- Integration with mindfulness and relaxation apps to provide users with guided relaxation and meditation sessions.
Online marketplace for handmade and vintage goods
Crafting an online marketplace for handmade and vintage goods with React pushes you into the wild, uncharted territories of e-commerce web development. It's nothing scary, don't worry!
It's rather an amazing chance to fully discover what sorts of things are possible with React, and an opportunity to entirely unleash its power with features like:
- A search engine for browsing and discovering items based on categories, tags, and keywords.
- The ability for sellers to create and customize their own storefronts to showcase their products.
- A secure payment system for transactions between buyers and sellers.
- Integration with social media to allow sellers to promote their products and connect with customers.
- A review and rating system to help buyers make informed purchasing decisions.
- The ability to save and organize favorite items and sellers in a wishlist or personal collection.
Community-based recycling and sustainability app
It's a fact: Smart tech and green tech go hand in hand. It's a match made in heaven! Together they make our society a better place. Creating a React app that focuses on sustainability and recycling within diverse communities makes getting to that better place even more possible.
App features would be:
- A directory of local recycling facilities and their accepted materials.
- A tool for finding and organizing community clean-up events and initiatives.
- A platform for buying and selling locally-grown and produced goods to reduce transportation-related emissions.
- A library of resources and tips for living a more sustainable lifestyle.
- A community forum for discussing and sharing information about sustainability efforts in the local area.
Virtual event planning app
Like the Fenix, something was born out of the ashes of the pandemic era — virtual events and gatherings. More and more people prefer to attend an event out of the comfort of their homes.
That's why we'll see an increase in the popularity of virtual event planning apps, having some of these features:
- A customizable event landing page with information about the event, including the schedule, speakers, and sponsors.
- Integration with video conferencing platforms, such as Zoom or Skype, to facilitate live presentations and breakout sessions.
- Tools for attendees to network and connect with each other, such as a messaging system or virtual networking sessions.
React apps in 2023? Yes, they are still sexy!
React apps are powerful and still sexy in 2023, so what are you waiting for? Time to code and rock this year!
From social media platforms and virtual event platforms to personal finance management apps, React does it all. But whatever you do, do not let this extremely powerful, flexible, and high-quality tool become dull and forgotten in your tech stack.