Modernize your build tooling

Frontend build tooling is moving from eager bundlers (Webpack, Jest) toward native-ESM tools (Vite, Vitest). Vite 8 unifies its dev and build pipeline on Rolldown, a Rust bundler that replaced the old esbuild-for-dev / Rollup-for-build split. The payoff is a near-instant dev server and faster tests; the cost is CommonJS-to-ESM friction. These guides cover the choice and the migration.

What this covers

Start with the Webpack vs Vite comparison to decide whether to switch at all. If you are switching, follow the Webpack-to-Vite path for the bundler and the Jest-to-Vitest path for the test runner — they are independent moves and can be sequenced separately. The fix-Vite-build-errors workflow handles the issues that surface once you flip the switch.

The two migrations

• Webpack -> Vite: replace eager bundling with a native-ESM dev server and a Rolldown (Rust) production build — unified since Vite 8.
• Jest -> Vitest: reuse a Jest-compatible API on top of Vite's transform pipeline, sharing one config.

Version timeline

• Jest 29 — active (released 2022-08-25)
• Vite 8 — current, active (released 2026-03-12)
• Webpack 5 — active (released 2020-10-10)
• Vite 5 — eol (released 2023-11-16)
• Vitest 4 — current, active (released 2025-10-22)
• Vitest 2 — eol (released 2024-07-01)

Build-tool migration paths

• Webpack vs Vite — Migration
• Migrate from Webpack to Vite — Migration
• Fix Vite Build Errors — Workflow

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to migrate the bundler and the test runner together?

No. Webpack-to-Vite and Jest-to-Vitest are independent. Many teams move the dev server to Vite first, then adopt Vitest later to share a single config. Either order works.