Alpine.js in 2026: The 7 kB Script Tag That Replaced jQuery (And When to Actually Use It)

Alpine.js 2026: The 7.1 kB jQuery replacement. No build step. Add reactivity to Laravel/Django & boost Core Web Vitals. Compare it to React and Vue today. TL;DR Alpine.js is a 7.1 kB JavaScript framework with no build step. Drop in a script tag and get reactive dropdowns, modals, tabs, and form validation on any server-rendered page. It is not a React replacement — it is the tool you reach for when React is too much and vanilla JS is too tedious. What is Alpine.js? Alpine.js is a declarative