The router and some other components are not only plain react ui components, they try to implement a Flux-Architecture with real components. Flux: http://facebo

The router and some other components are not only plain react ui components, they try to implement a Flux-Architecture with real components. Flux: http://facebook.github.io/react/docs/flux-overview.html http://facebook.github.io/react/docs/flux-overview.html A better approach (IMHO) is Fluxxor http://fluxxor.com/ http://fluxxor.com/ And the benefit of the react router is, that you don't have to concern about the render / re-render. With express you have to do everything by your own. I think we must difference between Browser - Application Routing and Application - Component - Routing.