A frontend project rarely fails because of the framework. It fails because the build is slow, nobody runs the tests and the bundle grows unnoticed until the site takes four seconds to load.
These eight tools are free, they work together and they are the first things I install on a new project.
Astro
Ships zero JavaScript by default, which makes it hard to build a slow content site with it.
astro.buildTailwind CSS
Utility classes that keep the CSS from growing forever as the project ages.
tailwindcss.comBiome
Linter and formatter in one binary: replaces a pile of config files with a single fast tool.
biomejs.devPlaywright
Real browser tests that catch the bugs unit tests never see, with traces you can replay.
playwright.devStorybook
Build and review components in isolation; invaluable once more than one person touches the UI.
storybook.js.orgBundlephobia
Check what a dependency costs in kilobytes before you install it, not after.
bundlephobia.comPick the build tool and the linter first: those two decide how the rest of the project feels day to day.
Need it built, not just chosen?
Web apps, APIs, infrastructure and interfaces. Freelance from Barcelona, working with clients anywhere.
Leave a Reply