React-Bootstrap vs reactstrap

Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.

React-Bootstrap

Open source · MIT

Bootstrap 5 UI components rebuilt as React components.

Full review Website

reactstrap

Open source · MIT

React components that wrap Bootstrap 5 styles, so you can build pages with Bootstrap pieces.

Full review Website

The short answer

Choose React-Bootstrap if you need…

React developers who already use Bootstrap styling
Teams maintaining a React app built on Bootstrap 5
Developers migrating a Bootstrap 4 React project to version 2

Choose reactstrap if you need…

React developers who already know Bootstrap and want its styling as components
Teams building admin dashboards or internal tools with Bootstrap look and feel
Projects that want to avoid jQuery and Bootstrap's own JavaScript
Developers who prefer composing content through props.children

Side-by-side

	React-Bootstrap	reactstrap
Type	Library	Library
Price	Free and open source	Free and open source
Licence	MIT	MIT
GitHub stars	22.6k	10.5k
Setup difficulty	Beginner	Beginner
How you get it	Install with a package manager	Install with a package manager
Main language	TypeScript	JavaScript
Last code update	6 days ago	2 years ago

What each one is

React-Bootstrap

React-Bootstrap provides Bootstrap 5 styled interface pieces (such as buttons, navbars and forms) as React components, so developers can use Bootstrap's look inside React apps without writing raw Bootstrap JavaScript. The README says it is compatible with specific Bootstrap versions, so the correct major version pairing matters.

reactstrap

Reactstrap is a library of React components for Bootstrap 5, such as buttons, tooltips, and dropdowns. You write React code using these components instead of raw Bootstrap HTML and class names. It does not include Bootstrap's CSS, so you install Bootstrap separately and import it into your project.

Best for

React-Bootstrap

React developers who already use Bootstrap styling
Teams maintaining a React app built on Bootstrap 5
Developers migrating a Bootstrap 4 React project to version 2

reactstrap

React developers who already know Bootstrap and want its styling as components
Teams building admin dashboards or internal tools with Bootstrap look and feel
Projects that want to avoid jQuery and Bootstrap's own JavaScript
Developers who prefer composing content through props.children

Strengths

React-Bootstrap

Maps Bootstrap 5 components to React components, a familiar pattern for React developers
Has a documented table matching Bootstrap versions to library versions
Includes a docs site and linked CodeSandbox examples

reactstrap

Stateless components that fit naturally into React code, per the README
Does not depend on jQuery or Bootstrap's JavaScript
Documentation site and CodeSandbox examples are provided

Not ideal for

React-Bootstrap

Projects that do not use Bootstrap, since the components assume Bootstrap's styles
Anyone on Bootstrap 4 or 3 who wants active maintenance, because the README marks v1 and v0.33 as not maintained

reactstrap

Projects using Bootstrap 4, which needs the older Reactstrap v8 according to the README
People who do not use React, since the library is React-only
Teams wanting a non-Bootstrap design system, because it is built specifically for Bootstrap styling

Trade-offs

React-Bootstrap

You must match the React-Bootstrap version to your Bootstrap version, which adds setup care
Older Bootstrap versions are no longer maintained according to the README

reactstrap

Bootstrap CSS must be installed and imported separately
Tied to Bootstrap 5; Bootstrap 4 users must use an older version

Getting started

React-Bootstrap

Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/react-bootstrap/react-bootstrap

Install dependencies for library and docs site (run inside the repo)

npm run bootstrap

Step-by-step guide: how to use React-Bootstrap

reactstrap

Install Bootstrap and reactstrap with React

npm i bootstrap

Install reactstrap with React and React DOM

npm i reactstrap react react-dom

Step-by-step guide: how to use reactstrap

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between React-Bootstrap and reactstrap?

React-Bootstrap: Bootstrap 5 UI components rebuilt as React components. reactstrap: React components that wrap Bootstrap 5 styles, so you can build pages with Bootstrap pieces. React-Bootstrap suits react developers who already use bootstrap styling, while reactstrap suits react developers who already know bootstrap and want its styling as components.

Are React-Bootstrap and reactstrap free?

React-Bootstrap: Free and open source. reactstrap: Free and open source.

Is React-Bootstrap or reactstrap more popular?

React-Bootstrap has more GitHub stars (22.6k) than reactstrap (10.5k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.

What are other alternatives to React-Bootstrap and reactstrap?

Other options people compare them with include Material UI, Chakra UI, Semantic UI React, Ant Design Mobile, Base UI.

Keep comparing

React-Bootstrap alternatives reactstrap alternatives Chakra UI vs React-Bootstrap Material UI vs React-Bootstrap React-Bootstrap vs Semantic UI React reactstrap vs shadcn/ui reactstrap vs Recharts

Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.