Vite or Webpack for GenAI development: which one scales better?

Ever wondered what happens to your code before it reaches a user's browser?

It's not just about frameworks like React and Vue; bundlers play a crucial role in optimizing all the dependencies that power our applications.

Take lodash, for example.

Importing just one function can trigger dozens of network requests to load various dependencies, which is incredibly inefficient. But what if we could package everything beforehand, so that only one request is needed?

That's where tools like Vite and Webpack come into play.

These JavaScript bundlers not only transpile our code but also streamline the loading process for browsers and other JS runtimes, ensuring that our applications load as fast and efficiently as possible.

Lately, there’s been a surge of discussions on Reddit about "Vite vs. Webpack" and which tool to choose over the years.

Community feedback reveals mixed feelings, with one user stating, “Vite is a game-changer; I've been using it and never looking back,” while another mentioned, “I work at BMW, and we heavily use Webpack... The build time is quite fast.” 

In this blog post, I aim to clear up the confusion by taking a close look at their unique features and breaking down their differences to help you choose the right bundler for your GenAI project.

Vite and Webpack at a glance

For developers building generative AI applications, the choice between Vite and Webpack becomes even more crucial.

The journey from prototype to production is often paved with multiple iteration cycles, demanding rapid prototyping. This makes speed a top priority in GenAI development, as highlighted by Sam Altman in a discussion with MIT President Sally Kornblut.

When I first used Vite, I was struck by its speed, which almost felt instantaneous. It made me wonder how I had settled for Webpack all these years. 

With minimal configuration to get started, it allows for quicker iteration, which is a huge advantage when experimenting with building GenAI applications.

Webpack, on the other hand, is a battle-tested bundler that compiles JavaScript modules and various assets into optimized chunks. Webpack has been in existence since 2012 and is widely adopted, making it a solid contender for larger or legacy GenAI applications requiring advanced configuration.

Ultimately, both tools have their unique strength and weaknesses.

That’s why I’ll be comparing them in detail to help you make an informed decision.

Shall we get started then?

Differences between Webpack and Vite

Speed

Speed, speed, speed!

It’s the one thing developers just can’t get enough of, right? Unfortunately, this is where Webpack falls short for me.

It follows a bundling-first approach, basically, which is just a fancy way of saying it bundles all files — including dependencies — before serving them to the browser.

When a module or dependency changes, Webpack has to rebundle everything, which really slows down server startup and increases latency between updates.  

On the flip side, Vite takes a different approach.

It processes source code and dependencies separately, using native ESM imports to serve files directly to the browser. This means that during development, it skips the bundling step altogether! Only the initial dev server startup requires pre-bundling, and dependencies are reprocessed only when they change.

The result?

A remarkably faster startup time and update latency.

TypeScript support

Vite comes in with built-in TypeScript support. This means I can write my code in TypeScript without any extra configuration. 

Webpack does offer support for TypeScript but requires me to install and configure ts-loader rules to transform .ts and .tsx files.

To address this, they provide a CLI scaffolding tool that automates the process for new projects.

However, when I tried running it on an existing project without TypeScript already configured, I was presented with file conflicts that I had to resolve manually in my editor.

It worked for the most part, but I can’t help wishing I didn’t have to go through the extra step in the first place.

Hot module replacement (HMR)

One of the perks of Vite that I absolutely love is its built-in Hot Module Replacement (HMR). Whenever I make a change in my codebase, it updates instantly — without losing the state of my components.

The best part?

There’s no extra setup required; it just works right out of the box.

Webpack also supports HMR, but I find it to be slower in comparison.

To get HMR functionality up and running, I have to install a separate package called webpack-dev-server and then configure it properly in my project.

This added complexity quickly becomes tiresome after just a couple of new projects.

Bundle size

Bundle size refers to the combined file size of all code, libraries, and dependencies that are loaded to the browser. A large bundle size will lead to slower page load times because it takes more time for the browser to download all the assets

Both Vite and Webpack do a solid job of optimizing bundle size, but I’ve noticed that Vite’s production builds typically result in smaller sizes than Webpack.

This difference is often negligible and shouldn’t be a primary focus. It’s primarily due to Vite’s use of Rollup for its production builds.

Ease of configuration

Both Vite and Webpack offer extensive configuration options tailored to your application's needs, however, they do it so differently.

Vite adopts a minimal configuration philosophy, making it easy to get started. It comes with built-in plugins that cover most JavaScript frameworks.

Here’s a simple configuration for a React app:

import { defineConfig } from "vite";import react from "@vitejs/plugin-react";export default defineConfig({  plugins: [react()],});

Yes, it’s that simple.

Here, I simply install Vite’s official React plugin and register it. Under the hood, it uses Babel and esbuild to build the application.

Moving on to Webpack, its configuration is a bit more involved and verbose. Using the same example, here's the Webpack equivalent:

const path = require("path");
const HtmlWebpackPlugin = require("html-webpack-plugin");

module.exports = {
  mode: "development",
  entry: "./src/main.jsx",
  output: {
	path: path.resolve(__dirname, "dist"),
	filename: "bundle.js",
  },
  module: {
	rules: [
  	{
    	test: /\.jsx?$/,
    	exclude: /node_modules/,
    	use: "babel-loader",
  	},
	],
  },
  plugins: [
	new HtmlWebpackPlugin({ template: "./index.html" }),
  ],
  devServer: {
	static: "./dist",
	hot: true,
  },
};

When I say "verbose," this is what I mean.

Webpack's configuration requires you to manually specify the entry and output paths, set up loaders, and add plugins for specific functionalities.

It’s also worth noting that the example above doesn’t even include TypeScript support.

Community and ecosystem

Vite is relatively new and made its debut in 2020. Although the community of users is growing rapidly, it is not as large as Webpack. At the time of writing, Vite has about 20 million weekly downloads on NPM, trailing behind Webpack. However, given its current trajectory, it won't be long before it surpasses Webpack.

Source: npmtrends in the last 5 years.

Webpack has been around since 2012, which means it naturally has a larger community, a mature plugin ecosystem and extensive documentation on different topics.

Because of this, it is mostly used in most legacy applications today. At the time of this writing, Webpack has about 30 million weekly downloads, highlighting its widespread use among developers.

Source: star-history.

📌 Interestingly, when comparing GitHub stars, Vite has already overtaken Webpack, with 70,626 stars compared to Webpack’s 65,023.

This demonstrates Vite’s strong community engagement and growing recognition.

Module federation

What is module Federation, you might ask? It’s an architectural approach that allows code and resources to be shared across multiple applications with separate builds, creating one unified application.

Now, here’s where things can get a bit confusing. Webpack introduced Module Federation in version 5, giving you native support right out of the box, which is fantastic for building modern micro-frontends.

But wait — we also have an open-source framework called Module Federation. It’s designed also to achieve the same goal, but now we’re mixing names like a cocktail.

Try not to get caught up in the names.

When I tried to implement Module Federation in Vite, I realized I needed to use ByteDance’s Module Federation along with their Vite integration plugin. Unfortunately, Vite sadly does not have built-in support for module federation.

Table of comparison between Vite and Webpack

The following table summarizes their key differences across various features.

Developer experience 

If I'm starting a new project in 2025, Vite is a strong contender and is at the top of my list of choices.

It offers numerous benefits, including out-of-the-box TypeScript support, hot module replacement (HMR), and static asset handling — all with little to no configuration required.

I've found Vite to be incredibly fast, which significantly enhances my development experience. It allows me to focus on writing code without getting bogged down in configuration setup.

Additionally, I’ve noticed some large projects, like Nuxt, Svelte, and Astro, already taking advantage of Vite's capabilities, reinforcing my belief in its potential.

However, for legacy applications with an established build process or overlapping products, Webpack remains my go-to choice.

From my observations in enterprise companies, many teams opt for Webpack for this same reason: why tamper with what isn’t broken?

While Webpack may not be the most efficient tool available, it is stable and highly customizable.

Additionally, if you're looking to build micro-frontends — something common at the enterprise level — Webpack is currently the only bundler that offers this capability natively.

Ultimately, the choice between Vite and Webpack hinges on your project's specific needs and complexity. Here are some questions I recommend considering:

• Is this a greenfield project, allowing us to start fresh without legacy constraints?

• Do we have existing internal tools or projects that are already built with Webpack?

• What level of customization do we need in our build process?

Reflecting on these inquiries has always helped me make informed decisions about which tool is right for the job.

Migrate from Webpack to Vite with Pieces

Migrating a project from Webpack isn’t always straightforward, especially when dealing with custom plugins.

During my migration journey, I discovered Pieces through a podcast on YouTube, which you can check out here.

What stood out to me while watching was its context awareness feature, which accurately generated code based on the content of the project files.

As a result, I decided to give it a try on my local machine to migrate a project.

The project I was working on involved developing an AI background remover that operated locally in the browser using the BRIA-2.0 model. It was a basic React app, using Webpack as my bundler of choice.

I initially braced myself for a lengthy migration—especially after months of procrastination!

🗒️ However, I found that using Pieces made it easy by generating the correct configuration based on my project framework, specifically React. It even identified the equivalent Vite plugins, saving me the hassle of scouring the internet and reducing the time required.

"Show, don't tell," you might say, and that's exactly what I'll do.

Below is my previous Webpack configuration 👇

I'll walk you through my migration process using Pieces Copilot.

This setup supported TypeScript, Hot Module Replacement (HMR), React Fast Refresh, and other essential plugins for production:

import path from "path";
import { fileURLToPath } from "url";
import webpack from "webpack";
import HtmlWebpackPlugin from "html-webpack-plugin";
import CopyWebpackPlugin from "copy-webpack-plugin";
import ReactRefreshWebpackPlugin from "@pmmmwh/react-refresh-webpack-plugin";
import CompressionPlugin from "compression-webpack-plugin";
import "dotenv/config";

const __filename = fileURLToPath("https://framerusercontent.com/modules/u7aScvTnfolIOWSkn5Y2/li9uyfpTaqOYzTuTh9jz/WRwMJBaHb-6.js");
const __dirname = path.dirname(__filename);

export default (env, argv) => {
  const isDevelopment = argv.mode === "development";

  /** @type { import('webpack').Configuration } */
  return {
	mode: isDevelopment ? "development" : "production",
	entry: "./src/main.tsx",
	output: {
  	path: path.resolve(__dirname, "dist"),
	},
	resolve: {
  	extensions: [".tsx", ".ts", ".js", ".jsx"],
  	alias: {
    	"@": path.resolve(__dirname, "src"),
  	},
	},
	devtool: isDevelopment ? "inline-source-map" : "source-map",
	devServer: {
  	hot: true,
  	static: path.join(__dirname, "public"),
	},
	module: {
  	rules: [
    	{
      	test: /\.(js|jsx|ts|tsx)$/,
      	exclude: /node_modules/,
      	use: [
        	{
          	loader: "babel-loader",
          	options: {
            	presets: [
              	"@babel/preset-env",
              	"@babel/preset-react",
              	"@babel/preset-typescript",
            	],
            	plugins: [isDevelopment && "react-refresh/babel"].filter(
              	Boolean,
            	),
          	},
        	},
      	],
    	},
    	{
      	test: /\.css$/,
      	use: ["style-loader", "css-loader", "postcss-loader"],
    	},
  	],
	},
	plugins: [
  	new webpack.ProvidePlugin({ React: "react" }),
  	new HtmlWebpackPlugin(),
  	new CopyWebpackPlugin({
    	patterns: [{ from: "public/", to: "assets" }],
  	}),
  	new CompressionPlugin(),
  	new webpack.DefinePlugin({
    	"process.env.ALPHA_VANTAGE_API_KEY": JSON.stringify(
      	process.env.ALPHA_VANTAGE_API_KEY,
    	),
  	}),
  	isDevelopment && new ReactRefreshWebpackPlugin(),
	].filter(Boolean),
  };
};

I started by right-clicking my webpack.config.js file and asking copilot to generate a step-by-step guide for migrating from Webpack 5 to Vite. It intelligently analyzed my project's configuration and suggested the necessary changes.

📌 It's good to note that I'm using Pieces for VS Code extension here, but Pieces is also available for for other IDEs, including Neovim, JetBrains Suite, and more.

Next, let's go over and implement the proposed changes by Pieces.

Install Vite and required plugins

First, in our project directory, we'll need to install Vite and it's plugins as devDependencies:

pnpm install -D vite @vitejs/plugin-react vite-plugin-html vite-plugin-static-copy

Next, we can remove all Webpack-related dependencies from our project:

pnpm remove webpack webpack-cli webpack-dev-server @babel/core @babel/preset-env @babel/preset-react @babel/preset-typescript @pmmmwh/react-refresh-webpack-plugin babel-loader compression-webpack-plugin copy-webpack-plugin css-loader dotenv postcss-loader style-loader

Update package.json

We'll update our build scripts to use Vite instead of Webpack:

{
  "scripts": {
-   "dev": "webpack serve  --mode development --open",
-   "serve": "webpack serve",
-   "build": "webpack build",
+   "build": " vite",
+   "serve": " vite preview",
+   "build": "vite build",
  }
}

Create Vite configuration

Next, we need to create a vite.config.ts file in the root of our project and add the following content:

import { defineConfig } from "vite";
import react from "@vitejs/plugin-react";
import path from "path";

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [react()],
  resolve: {
	alias: {
  	"@": path.resolve(__dirname, "src"),
	},
  },
  build: {
	outDir: "dist",
  },
});

Add community plugins

We should replace our Webpack plugins with their Vite counterparts.

 copy-webpack-plugin => vite-plugin-static-copy

import { viteStaticCopy } from "vite-plugin-static-copy";

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [
	// ...,
	viteStaticCopy({
  	targets: [{ src: "public/", dest: "assets" }],
	}),
  ],
});

 html-webpack-plugin => vite-plugin-html

import { createHtmlPlugin } from "vite-plugin-html";

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [
	// ...,
	createHtmlPlugin(),
  ],
});

compression-webpack-plugin => vite-plugin-compression

import viteCompression from "vite-plugin-compression";

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [
	// ...,
	viteCompression(),
  ],
});

Update source code

As you might know, Vite exposes environment variables under import.meta.env, and requires them to be prefixed with VITE_ to be accessible in our code. We will need to update our source code accordingly:

// const API_KEY = process.env.ALPHA_VANTAGE_API_KEY; // ❌
const API_KEY = import.meta.VITE_PUBLIC_ALPHA_VANTAGE_API_KEY; // ✅

💡 We'll also need to update the environment variable in our .env file too.

And that's it, I successfully migrated my React app from Webpack 5 to Vite with the help of Pieces Copilot.

While the product is still in its early stages — meaning there's room for huge improvement — it already provides me with everything I need to make my day-to-day coding sessions easier.

If you're interested in learning more about Pieces, you can check out the official documentation and download the Pieces extension for your preferred IDE.

So can Vite replace Webpack?

Absolutely. Vite was made with a clear focus on addressing from the challenges developers faced with traditional bundlers like Webpack.

The growing popularity of Vite, reflected in its increasing weekly downloads and active contributions from the developer community, indicates that it has the potential to replace Webpack over time.

In fact, for new projects, Vite has already established itself as the standard.

My key learning takeaways using both tools

Reflecting on my journey with both Vite and Webpack, I found that each tool presented its own set of challenges.

With Webpack, I faced a steep learning curve due to its verbose and complex configuration setup, which sometimes made the development process feel tedious. I often knew what I wanted to achieve, but I wished there was an easier abstraction to help me get there.

In contrast, Vite offered a more streamlined development experience. However, I did encounter limitations when trying to configure custom behaviors that weren’t covered by its built-in options. I had to familiarize myself with its build hooks and plugin API to achieve my niche feature.

Fortunately, their robust documentation helped ease much of the struggle.

As I further explored these tools, I encountered features that proved particularly difficult to configure.

However, everything changed when I introduced Pieces into my development workflow.

Suddenly, tasks that used to take hours — l ike debugging configurations or setting up a new plugin — became manageable in minutes.

With its contextual understanding of my codebase, I could confidently handle any migrations or changes. Gone were the days of fiddling with configurations and searching through endless documentation.

Before Pieces, I had to:

• Spend hours tinkering with configurations and fighting with tooling quirks.

• Hunt down bugs in my custom setup, often feeling like I was searching for a needle in a haystack.

• Dig into documentation or forums for common solutions.

Now, with Pieces, I have:

• The ability to quickly set up configurations without the pain of manual adjustments.

• Intelligent suggestions that make debugging a breeze, helping me resolve issues even faster.

• Access to actionable improvements at my fingertips, eliminating the need to waste time on outdated resources.

So, what are you waiting for?

Get your free AI companion with long-term memory and save yourself valuable time.

This article was first published on September, 25th, 2024, and was improved by Emmanuel Isenah as of February 28th, 2025, to improve your experience and share the latest information.