react-infinite-scroll-component vs react-infinite-scroll-component: A Self-Comparison

You're looking at two identical entries for the same npm package: react-infinite-scroll-component. There is no technical difference to compare because both references point to the exact same library. However, this presents an opportunity to clarify what this package actually does, how it works under the hood, and when it’s appropriate (or not) to use it in professional applications.

🧩 Core Functionality: What It Actually Does

react-infinite-scroll-component wraps your scrollable content and listens for scroll events. When the user scrolls within a configurable distance from the bottom, it calls a provided next function to fetch more data. It also handles rendering a loading spinner or a “no more data” message.

Here’s a standard usage pattern:

import InfiniteScroll from 'react-infinite-scroll-component';

function MyList({ items, hasMore, loadMore }) {
  return (
    <div id="scrollableDiv" style={{ height: '400px', overflow: 'auto' }}>
      <InfiniteScroll
        dataLength={items.length}
        next={loadMore}
        hasMore={hasMore}
        loader={<h4>Loading...</h4>}
        scrollableTarget="scrollableDiv"
      >
        {items.map(item => <div key={item.id}>{item.name}</div>)}
      </InfiniteScroll>
    </div>
  );
}

The component relies on either the window scroll or a specified scrollable target (via scrollableTarget). Internally, it uses window.addEventListener('scroll', ...) or attaches to the target element’s scroll event.

⚠️ Key Limitations in Real-World Apps

While simple to integrate, this package has architectural constraints that matter in production:

1. No Virtualization

It renders all loaded items in the DOM. As the list grows, performance degrades due to layout thrashing and memory pressure.

// ❌ Problem: 10,000 items = 10,000 DOM nodes
<InfiniteScroll dataLength={hugeList.length} ...>
  {hugeList.map(item => <ExpensiveComponent key={item.id} />)}
</InfiniteScroll>

For large datasets, use react-window or react-virtual instead—they only render visible items.

2. Fixed Height Assumption (Implicit)

Although not enforced, smooth scroll detection assumes consistent item heights. If your items have dynamic heights (e.g., user-generated content with variable text), the “near bottom” calculation can become inaccurate, causing premature or missed load triggers.

3. Scroll Event Overhead

It attaches scroll listeners without built-in throttling or requestAnimationFrame optimization. In high-frequency scroll scenarios, this can cause jank. You’d need to manually debounce your next handler if data fetching is expensive.

✅ When It Shines: Appropriate Use Cases

This package is well-suited for:

• Short-to-medium lists (e.g., chat messages, activity feeds with <500 items)
• Prototypes or internal tools where performance isn’t critical
• Simple UIs with uniform item heights and predictable data growth

Example: a notification center that loads 20 items at a time, rarely exceeding 200 total.

// ✅ Good fit: small, predictable dataset
<InfiniteScroll
  dataLength={notifications.length}
  next={fetchMoreNotifications}
  hasMore={notifications.length < totalAvailable}
  loader={<Spinner />}
>
  {notifications.map(n => <NotificationItem key={n.id} data={n} />)}
</InfiniteScroll>

🔁 Alternatives for Advanced Scenarios

If your app needs more control, consider these instead:

react-intersection-observer + Manual Logic

Use an intersection observer on a sentinel element at the list bottom. Gives you full control over loading logic and avoids scroll event pitfalls.

import { useInView } from 'react-intersection-observer';

function ListWithSentinel({ items, loadMore, hasMore }) {
  const { ref, inView } = useInView();

  useEffect(() => {
    if (inView && hasMore) loadMore();
  }, [inView, hasMore]);

  return (
    <div>
      {items.map(item => <Item key={item.id} />)}
      {hasMore && <div ref={ref}>Loading...</div>}
    </div>
  );
}

react-virtual for Large Lists

Combines virtualization with infinite scroll patterns. Only renders visible rows, even with 100k+ items.

import { useVirtualizer } from '@tanstack/react-virtual';

function VirtualizedInfiniteList({ items, loadMore, hasNextPage }) {
  const parentRef = useRef(null);
  const virtualizer = useVirtualizer({
    count: hasNextPage ? items.length + 1 : items.length,
    getScrollElement: () => parentRef.current,
    estimateSize: () => 50,
    overscan: 5
  });

  const virtualItems = virtualizer.getVirtualItems();

  // Trigger load when last item is visible
  useEffect(() => {
    const lastItem = virtualItems[virtualItems.length - 1];
    if (lastItem && lastItem.index >= items.length - 1 && hasNextPage) {
      loadMore();
    }
  }, [virtualItems, hasNextPage]);

  return (
    <div ref={parentRef} style={{ height: '400px', overflow: 'auto' }}>
      <div style={{ height: virtualizer.getTotalSize() }}>
        {virtualItems.map(virtualItem => {
          if (virtualItem.index >= items.length) {
            return <div key="loader">Loading...</div>;
          }
          return <Item key={items[virtualItem.index].id} data={items[virtualItem.index]} />;
        })}
      </div>
    </div>
  );
}

📌 Final Guidance

Since both entries are the same package, the real decision isn’t which to choose—but whether to use it at all.

• Use react-infinite-scroll-component for simple, low-scale infinite scroll with minimal engineering overhead.
• Avoid it for public-facing apps with large datasets, dynamic content heights, or strict performance budgets.

In professional frontend architecture, favor composability and performance over convenience when the stakes are high. Sometimes, rolling your own scroll detection with IntersectionObserver yields more maintainable and efficient results than relying on a one-size-fits-all component.