https://svelte.technology/ https://svelte.technology/ is what you're looking for. I haven't ever used it because I find React quite adequate. I share your conc

https://svelte.technology/ https://svelte.technology/ is what you're looking for. I haven't ever used it because I find React quite adequate. I share your concern about the complex runtime layer that React introduces, and it is getting even more complex with the introduction of Fiber. However, the test of an abstraction is whether it leaks undesirably, and whether it lets you escape to the lower layers when you need to. React scores well on both counts. So while the implementation might be complex and will get even more elaborate over time, the abstraction is as water-tight as I can hope. In that case complex implementations with better performance might even be a good thing. Also, I strolled through the React codebase in its early days and found it eminently understandable. So if it ever comes to it, I'm confident I can contribute a patch for the things I need with enough time and effort.