Why Gumroad Didn't Choose Htmx

Gumroad's CEO, Sahil Lavingia, shared insights on why the company opted not to use htmx for their new project, Helper, despite initial enthusiasm. The team found that while htmx aimed to simplify interactions, it ultimately did not scale well for their needs. The development experience with Next.js was more intuitive and enjoyable, particularly for complex tasks like dynamic form handling and state management. Htmx's server-centric approach led to limitations in user experience, making it challenging to implement features like drag-and-drop functionality and real-time collaboration. Additionally, the React ecosystem provided a wealth of resources and libraries that facilitated faster development and troubleshooting, which htmx lacked. As the project grew in complexity, the simplicity of htmx became a hindrance rather than a benefit. Ultimately, Gumroad transitioned to React and Next.js, which allowed for a more engaging user experience and better performance optimization. While acknowledging that htmx may suit simpler projects, Lavingia emphasized the importance of selecting technologies that align with a project's long-term vision and complexity.

- Gumroad initially considered htmx for its new project but found it limiting as complexity increased.

- The development experience with Next.js was deemed more intuitive and efficient for their needs.

- Htmx's server-centric approach hindered user experience and made implementing advanced features challenging.

- The React ecosystem offered extensive resources and libraries that facilitated faster development.

- Gumroad remains open to reevaluating their tech stack as project needs evolve.