Install React directly on Windows

This guide walks through setting up a React development environment directly on Windows using the Vite frontend tooling.

We recommend these instructions if you are new to React or building a project that does not need a Linux environment. If you plan to use Bash tooling extensively or deploy to a Linux server, consider installing React on WSL instead.

For background on React and the different scenarios — web apps, mobile apps (React Native), and native desktop apps (React Native for Desktop) — see the React overview.

Prerequisites

• Node.js: Required to run Vite and npm. Install using nvm-windows for easy version management.

Create your React app

1. Open a terminal (Windows Command Prompt or PowerShell).

2. Create a new project folder and enter it:

   mkdir ReactProjects
   cd ReactProjects
   

3. Create a new React app using Vite:

   npm create vite@latest my-react-app -- --template react
   

   Vite will scaffold a new React project in the my-react-app folder.

4. Navigate into the new app folder and install dependencies:

   cd my-react-app
   npm install
   

5. Start the local development server:

   npm run dev
   

   Your app will be available at http://localhost:5173. Use Ctrl+C to stop the server.

6. When you are ready to deploy, build a production bundle:

   npm run build
   

   Output is placed in the dist folder. See Deploying a Static Site for hosting options.

Note

Vite is ideal for single-page apps (SPAs). If you need server-side rendering or a Node.js backend, consider Next.js instead. For static site generation, see Gatsby.

Additional resources

• React docs
• Vite docs
• Using React in Visual Studio Code
• React learning path on Microsoft Learn
• Install NodeJS on Windows
• React Native for Desktop (UWP/WPF)