Rendering Large Lists: Infinite Scroll vs. Virtual Scrolling Across Frameworks
These libraries solve the problem of displaying large datasets in web applications without crashing the browser. ngx-infinite-scroll and react-infinite-scroll-component focus on loading more data as the user scrolls, appending new items to the DOM. In contrast, ngx-virtual-scroller, react-virtualized, react-window, and vue-virtual-scroller use virtualization to render only the visible items, recycling DOM nodes to maintain performance regardless of list size. Choosing between them depends on whether you need to load data dynamically or simply render a large static dataset efficiently.
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Rendering Large Lists: Infinite Scroll vs. Virtual Scrolling Across Frameworks
When building data-heavy applications, rendering thousands of items can freeze the browser. Developers typically choose between two strategies: Infinite Scroll (loading more data as you go) and Virtual Scrolling (rendering only what fits on screen). The packages ngx-infinite-scroll, ngx-virtual-scroller, react-infinite-scroll-component, react-virtualized, react-window, and vue-virtual-scroller each tackle this problem in different ways. Let's compare how they work under the hood.
🗂️ Core Mechanism: Appending vs. Windowing
Infinite Scroll packages (ngx-infinite-scroll, react-infinite-scroll-component) focus on data fetching.
- They listen for scroll events near the bottom of the page.
- When triggered, they call a callback to load more items.
- The DOM grows continuously as more data arrives.
<!-- ngx-infinite-scroll: Angular Template -->
<div infiniteScroll [infiniteScrollDistance]="2" (scrolled)="loadMore()">
<div *ngFor="let item of items">{{ item.name }}</div>
</div>
// react-infinite-scroll-component: React Component
<InfiniteScroll
dataLength={items.length}
next={loadMore}
hasMore={true}
>
{items.map(item => <div key={item.id}>{item.name}</div>)}
</InfiniteScroll>
Virtual Scroll packages (ngx-virtual-scroller, react-virtualized, react-window, vue-virtual-scroller) focus on DOM management.
- They calculate which items are visible in the viewport.
- They render only those items, using placeholders for the rest.
- The DOM size stays constant even if the dataset has millions of rows.
<!-- ngx-virtual-scroller: Angular Template -->
<virtual-scroller [items]="allItems" #scroll>
<div *ngFor="let item of scroll.viewPortItems">{{ item.name }}</div>
</virtual-scroller>
// react-window: React Component
<FixedSizeList height={500} itemCount={allItems.length} itemSize={35}>
{({ index, style }) => (
<div style={style}>{allItems[index].name}</div>
)}
</FixedSizeList>
// react-virtualized: React Component (Legacy)
<List
width={500}
height={500}
rowCount={allItems.length}
rowHeight={35}
rowRenderer={({ index, style }) => (
<div key={allItems[index].id} style={style}>{allItems[index].name}</div>
)}
/>
<!-- vue-virtual-scroller: Vue Component -->
<recycle-scroller :items="allItems" :item-size="35">
<template v-slot="{ item }">
<div>{{ item.name }}</div>
</template>
</recycle-scroller>
⚡ Performance: DOM Nodes vs. Network Requests
Infinite Scroll saves initial load time but risks long-term slowdowns.
- Great for feeds where users rarely scroll to the very bottom.
- If a user scrolls through 10,000 items, the DOM will eventually lag.
- Best when data must be fetched from a server in pages.
// ngx-infinite-scroll: Callback triggers network request
loadMore() {
this.api.getPage(this.currentPage++).subscribe(newItems => {
this.items = [...this.items, ...newItems]; // DOM grows
});
}
// react-infinite-scroll-component: Callback triggers network request
const loadMore = () => {
fetchMoreData().then((newItems) => {
setItems([...items, ...newItems]); // DOM grows
});
};
Virtual Scroll saves memory and keeps scrolling smooth.
- Great for large datasets already loaded in memory (e.g., filtered results).
- Scrolling remains 60fps even with 100,000 items.
- Best when you need to jump to specific positions quickly.
// ngx-virtual-scroller: Handles DOM recycling internally
// No manual network logic needed in the template
// Items are passed as a full array
@ViewChild('scroll') scroll: VirtualScrollerComponent;
// react-window: Handles DOM recycling internally
// Only renders visible rows
// No manual DOM management needed
// react-virtualized: Handles DOM recycling internally
// Similar to react-window but with heavier bundle
// vue-virtual-scroller: Handles DOM recycling internally
// Uses requestAnimationFrame for smooth updates
⚠️ Maintenance Status: Legacy vs. Modern
react-virtualized is a powerful library but is considered legacy.
- It is in maintenance mode and no longer receives major feature updates.
- The author recommends
react-windowfor most new use cases. - It is still valid for complex grids but adds unnecessary weight for simple lists.
// react-virtualized: Requires importing heavy components
import { List } from 'react-virtualized';
// Bundle size is significantly larger than react-window
react-window is the modern standard for React virtualization.
- It is smaller, faster, and actively maintained.
- It splits features into smaller packages (e.g.,
FixedSizeList,VariableSizeGrid). - Choose this for any new React project needing virtualization.
// react-window: Lightweight imports
import { FixedSizeList } from 'react-window';
// Optimized for tree-shaking and modern bundlers
Angular and Vue options are currently stable.
ngx-infinite-scrollandngx-virtual-scrollerare the standard choices for Angular.vue-virtual-scrolleris the community standard for Vue 2 and 3.- None are deprecated, but ensure you pick the version matching your framework.
<!-- ngx-infinite-scroll: Works with Angular 15+ -->
<div infiniteScroll [infiniteScrollContainer]="container"></div>
<!-- vue-virtual-scroller: Works with Vue 3 -->
<recycle-scroller :items="items" :item-size="50" />
📊 Summary: Key Differences
| Feature | Infinite Scroll Packages | Virtual Scroll Packages |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Goal | Load more data on scroll | Render fewer DOM nodes |
| DOM Growth | Grows continuously | Stays constant |
| Best For | Feeds, Search Results, Social Media | Data Grids, Dropdowns, Large Tables |
| Data Source | Server-side pagination | Client-side array |
| Complexity | Low (Wrapper component) | Medium (Requires item sizing) |
| Package | Framework | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
ngx-infinite-scroll | Angular | Infinite | Active |
ngx-virtual-scroller | Angular | Virtual | Active |
react-infinite-scroll-component | React | Infinite | Active |
react-virtualized | React | Virtual | Legacy / Maintenance |
react-window | React | Virtual | Active / Recommended |
vue-virtual-scroller | Vue | Virtual | Active |
💡 The Big Picture
Infinite Scroll packages (ngx-infinite-scroll, react-infinite-scroll-component) are like a conveyor belt 📦 — they keep bringing new items as you need them. Use them when your data lives on a server and you want to save bandwidth by loading pages on demand.
Virtual Scroll packages (ngx-virtual-scroller, react-window, vue-virtual-scroller) are like a viewport camera 📷 — they only show what is in frame. Use them when you have the data but need to keep the browser fast by limiting DOM nodes.
Final Thought: For React developers, prefer react-window over react-virtualized for new work. For Angular and Vue, the choice is simply between loading more data (Infinite) or rendering less DOM (Virtual). Match the tool to your data strategy.
How to Choose: react-window vs react-virtualized vs react-infinite-scroll-component vs vue-virtual-scroller vs ngx-infinite-scroll vs ngx-virtual-scroller
- react-window:
Choose
react-windowfor new React projects that need high-performance rendering of large lists or grids. It is lighter and more modular thanreact-virtualized, making it easier to bundle and maintain. Use it when you have a large dataset in memory and need to ensure smooth scrolling without DOM overload. - react-virtualized:
Choose
react-virtualizedonly if you are maintaining a legacy React codebase that already depends on it. For new projects, avoid this package as it is heavier and less actively developed than modern alternatives. It offers complex features like variable height rows, butreact-windowis generally preferred for new work. - react-infinite-scroll-component:
Choose
react-infinite-scroll-componentfor React apps that require a simple, wrapper-based approach to loading more data on scroll. It works well for blogs, news feeds, or e-commerce product listings where pagination is handled by fetching new pages. It is easier to set up than virtualizers but does not solve DOM bloat if data accumulates. - vue-virtual-scroller:
Choose
vue-virtual-scrollerfor Vue applications that need to handle long lists efficiently. It provides components likeRecycleScrollerthat work seamlessly with Vue's reactivity system. It is the go-to choice for Vue developers facing performance issues with largev-forloops. - ngx-infinite-scroll:
Choose
ngx-infinite-scrollfor Angular applications where you need to load data in chunks as the user scrolls down. It is best suited for feeds, search results, or social media timelines where the total dataset size is unknown or too large to load at once. Avoid it if you already have all the data locally and just need to render it efficiently. - ngx-virtual-scroller:
Choose
ngx-virtual-scrollerfor Angular projects that need to render a large, fixed dataset without lag. It is ideal for dropdowns, data grids, or contact lists where all items are available but rendering them all would slow down the app. It keeps the DOM light by only showing what is visible on screen.
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README for react-window
react-window is a component library that helps render large lists of data quickly and without the performance problems that often go along with rendering a lot of data. It's used in a lot of places, from React DevTools to the Replay browser.
Support
If you like this project there are several ways to support it:
The following wonderful companies and individuals have sponsored react-window:
Installation
Begin by installing the library from NPM:
npm install react-window
TypeScript types
TypeScript definitions are included within the published dist folder
FAQs
Frequently asked questions can be found here.
Documentation
Documentation for this project is available at react-window.vercel.app; version 1.x documentation can be found at react-window-v1.vercel.app.
List
Renders data with many rows.
Required props
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| rowComponent | React component responsible for rendering a row. This component will receive an ℹ️ The prop types for this component are exported as |
| rowCount | Number of items to be rendered in the list. |
| rowHeight | Row height; the following formats are supported:
⚠️ Dynamic row heights are not as efficient as predetermined sizes. It's recommended to provide your own height values if they can be determined ahead of time. |
| rowProps | Additional props to be passed to the row-rendering component. List will automatically re-render rows when values in this object change. ⚠️ This object must not contain |
Optional props
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| className | CSS class name. |
| style | Optional CSS properties. The list of rows will fill the height defined by this style. |
| children | Additional content to be rendered within the list (above cells). This property can be used to render things like overlays or tooltips. |
| defaultHeight | Default height of list for initial render. This value is important for server rendering. |
| listRef | Ref used to interact with this component's imperative API. This API has imperative methods for scrolling and a getter for the outermost DOM element. ℹ️ The |
| onResize | Callback notified when the List's outermost HTMLElement resizes. This may be used to (re)scroll a row into view. |
| onRowsRendered | Callback notified when the range of visible rows changes. |
| overscanCount | How many additional rows to render outside of the visible area. This can reduce visual flickering near the edges of a list when scrolling. |
| tagName | Can be used to override the root HTML element rendered by the List component. The default value is "div", meaning that List renders an HTMLDivElement as its root. ⚠️ In most use cases the default ARIA roles are sufficient and this prop is not needed. |
Grid
Renders data with many rows and columns.
ℹ️ Unlike List rows, Grid cell sizes must be known ahead of time.
Either static sizes or something that can be derived (from the data in CellProps) without rendering.
Required props
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| cellComponent | React component responsible for rendering a cell. This component will receive an ℹ️ The prop types for this component are exported as |
| cellProps | Additional props to be passed to the cell-rendering component. Grid will automatically re-render cells when values in this object change. ⚠️ This object must not contain |
| columnCount | Number of columns to be rendered in the grid. |
| columnWidth | Column width; the following formats are supported:
|
| rowCount | Number of rows to be rendered in the grid. |
| rowHeight | Row height; the following formats are supported:
|
Optional props
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| className | CSS class name. |
| dir | Indicates the directionality of grid cells. ℹ️ See HTML |
| style | Optional CSS properties. The grid of cells will fill the height and width defined by this style. |
| children | Additional content to be rendered within the grid (above cells). This property can be used to render things like overlays or tooltips. |
| defaultHeight | Default height of grid for initial render. This value is important for server rendering. |
| defaultWidth | Default width of grid for initial render. This value is important for server rendering. |
| gridRef | Imperative Grid API. ℹ️ The |
| onCellsRendered | Callback notified when the range of rendered cells changes. |
| onResize | Callback notified when the Grid's outermost HTMLElement resizes. This may be used to (re)scroll a cell into view. |
| overscanCount | How many additional rows/columns to render outside of the visible area. This can reduce visual flickering near the edges of a grid when scrolling. |
| tagName | Can be used to override the root HTML element rendered by the List component. The default value is "div", meaning that List renders an HTMLDivElement as its root. ⚠️ In most use cases the default ARIA roles are sufficient and this prop is not needed. |