react-infinite-scroll-component vs react-list vs react-virtualized vs react-window
React Infinite Scrolling and Virtualization Libraries
react-infinite-scroll-componentreact-listreact-virtualizedreact-windowSimilar Packages:

React Infinite Scrolling and Virtualization Libraries

These libraries are designed to enhance performance and user experience in React applications by efficiently rendering lists and handling infinite scrolling. They provide various methods to manage large datasets, ensuring that only the visible items are rendered in the DOM, which significantly improves rendering speed and reduces memory usage. This is particularly important for applications that display long lists or require dynamic loading of content as the user scrolls, making them essential tools for modern web development.

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react-infinite-scroll-component03,085212 kB13522 days agoMIT
react-list01,97434.9 kB71a year agoMIT
react-virtualized027,0712.24 MB0a year agoMIT
react-window017,178209 kB13 months agoMIT

Feature Comparison: react-infinite-scroll-component vs react-list vs react-virtualized vs react-window

Virtualization

  • react-infinite-scroll-component:

    This package does not implement virtualization; instead, it focuses on loading more items as the user scrolls. It is best for scenarios where the total number of items is manageable, and you want to keep the user experience seamless without complex setups.

  • react-list:

    react-list provides basic virtualization by rendering only the visible items in the list. It is effective for lists with uniform item heights, ensuring that performance is optimized without overwhelming the DOM with hidden elements.

  • react-virtualized:

    react-virtualized offers comprehensive virtualization features, allowing developers to render only the visible portion of a list or grid. It supports dynamic row heights, making it suitable for complex layouts and large datasets, significantly improving performance.

  • react-window:

    react-window simplifies virtualization by rendering only the visible items in a list or grid. It is lightweight and efficient, making it a great choice for applications that require basic virtualization without the complexity of additional features.

Ease of Use

  • react-infinite-scroll-component:

    This library is very easy to integrate and use, requiring minimal configuration. It is designed for developers who want to quickly implement infinite scrolling without diving deep into the complexities of virtualization.

  • react-list:

    react-list is straightforward to use, providing a simple API for rendering lists. It is suitable for developers who need a quick solution for displaying lists without extensive setup or configuration.

  • react-virtualized:

    react-virtualized has a steeper learning curve due to its extensive features and configuration options. It is best for developers who need advanced capabilities and are willing to invest time in understanding its API.

  • react-window:

    react-window offers a balance between ease of use and performance. Its simpler API compared to react-virtualized makes it easier to implement while still providing essential virtualization features.

Performance Optimization

  • react-infinite-scroll-component:

    This package optimizes performance by loading items on demand, reducing the initial load time. However, it does not optimize rendering for large lists, which could lead to performance issues if not managed properly.

  • react-list:

    react-list optimizes performance by only rendering visible items, which helps in managing memory usage. It is effective for medium-sized lists but may not perform as well with very large datasets compared to more advanced libraries.

  • react-virtualized:

    react-virtualized is highly optimized for performance, capable of handling very large datasets efficiently. It minimizes DOM updates and re-renders, making it ideal for applications that require fast rendering and scrolling capabilities.

  • react-window:

    react-window is designed for performance with a minimal footprint. It efficiently renders only the visible items, making it suitable for applications that need quick load times and smooth scrolling experiences.

Customization

  • react-infinite-scroll-component:

    This library offers limited customization options, focusing primarily on infinite scrolling functionality. It is best for developers who need a quick solution without extensive customization requirements.

  • react-list:

    react-list allows for some customization in terms of item rendering, but it is relatively basic. Developers looking for more control over the rendering process may find it somewhat limiting.

  • react-virtualized:

    react-virtualized provides extensive customization options, allowing developers to tailor the rendering and scrolling behavior to fit specific needs. It is ideal for applications that require a high degree of flexibility and control.

  • react-window:

    react-window offers a good level of customization while maintaining simplicity. It allows developers to customize the rendering of items while keeping the API straightforward, making it suitable for most use cases.

Community and Support

  • react-infinite-scroll-component:

    This package has a growing community and is well-documented, making it easy to find support and examples for implementation. It is suitable for developers looking for a reliable library with community backing.

  • react-list:

    react-list has a smaller community compared to others, which may result in less available support and fewer resources. It is still a viable option for simple use cases but may lack extensive community-driven enhancements.

  • react-virtualized:

    react-virtualized has a large community and extensive documentation, providing ample resources for developers. It is well-supported and frequently updated, making it a solid choice for complex applications.

  • react-window:

    react-window has a growing community and is well-documented, making it easy to find examples and support. It is a popular choice for developers looking for a lightweight virtualization solution.

How to Choose: react-infinite-scroll-component vs react-list vs react-virtualized vs react-window

  • react-infinite-scroll-component:

    Choose this package if you need a straightforward implementation of infinite scrolling with minimal setup. It is ideal for applications where you want to load more items as the user scrolls down, without complex configurations.

  • react-list:

    Opt for react-list if you require a simple, lightweight solution for rendering large lists with basic virtualization. It is suitable for applications where you want to maintain a balance between performance and ease of use, especially when the list items are of uniform height.

  • react-virtualized:

    Select react-virtualized for advanced use cases that require extensive features like windowing, dynamic row heights, and complex layouts. It is best suited for applications that need fine-grained control over rendering and scrolling behavior, making it ideal for data-heavy applications.

  • react-window:

    Choose react-window if you need a lightweight alternative to react-virtualized with a simpler API. It is perfect for applications that require basic virtualization without the overhead of additional features, making it suitable for most use cases where performance is a priority.

README for react-infinite-scroll-component

react-infinite-scroll-component npm npm bundlephobia

All Contributors

Infinite scroll for React. Zero runtime dependencies, IntersectionObserver-based, TypeScript-first. ~4 kB gzipped.

Works with window scroll, fixed-height containers, and custom scrollable parents. Pull-to-refresh and inverse (chat) scroll included. React 17, 18, and 19 compatible.

Install

npm install react-infinite-scroll-component
# or
yarn add react-infinite-scroll-component
# or
pnpm add react-infinite-scroll-component

Two APIs

APIWhen to use
InfiniteScroll componentMost cases, handles loader, endMessage, pull-to-refresh, inverse scroll UI
useInfiniteScroll hookCustom UI, you own the markup, the hook manages the observer

InfiniteScroll component

Basic usage (TypeScript)

import { useState } from 'react';
import InfiniteScroll from 'react-infinite-scroll-component';

type Item = { id: number; name: string };

function Feed() {
  const [items, setItems] = useState<Item[]>(initialItems);
  const [hasMore, setHasMore] = useState(true);

  const fetchMore = async () => {
    const next = await api.getItems({ offset: items.length });
    if (next.length === 0) {
      setHasMore(false);
      return;
    }
    setItems((prev) => [...prev, ...next]);
  };

  return (
    <InfiniteScroll
      dataLength={items.length}
      next={fetchMore}
      hasMore={hasMore}
      loader={<p>Loading...</p>}
      endMessage={<p style={{ textAlign: 'center' }}>All items loaded.</p>}
    >
      {items.map((item) => (
        <div key={item.id}>{item.name}</div>
      ))}
    </InfiniteScroll>
  );
}

Scroll inside a fixed-height container

<div id="scrollableDiv" style={{ height: 400, overflow: 'auto' }}>
  <InfiniteScroll
    dataLength={items.length}
    next={fetchMore}
    hasMore={hasMore}
    loader={<p>Loading...</p>}
    scrollableTarget="scrollableDiv"
  >
    {items.map((item) => (
      <div key={item.id}>{item.name}</div>
    ))}
  </InfiniteScroll>
</div>

Pass a ref value directly instead of a string id:

const containerRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);

<div ref={containerRef} style={{ height: 400, overflow: 'auto' }}>
  <InfiniteScroll
    dataLength={items.length}
    next={fetchMore}
    hasMore={hasMore}
    loader={<p>Loading...</p>}
    scrollableTarget={containerRef.current}
  >
    {items.map((item) => (
      <div key={item.id}>{item.name}</div>
    ))}
  </InfiniteScroll>
</div>;

Inverse scroll (chat / messaging UIs)

<div
  id="chatBox"
  style={{
    height: 500,
    overflow: 'auto',
    display: 'flex',
    flexDirection: 'column-reverse',
  }}
>
  <InfiniteScroll
    dataLength={messages.length}
    next={loadOlderMessages}
    hasMore={hasMore}
    loader={<p>Loading older messages...</p>}
    inverse={true}
    scrollableTarget="chatBox"
    style={{ display: 'flex', flexDirection: 'column-reverse' }}
  >
    {messages.map((msg) => (
      <div key={msg.id}>{msg.text}</div>
    ))}
  </InfiniteScroll>
</div>

Pull-to-refresh

<InfiniteScroll
  dataLength={items.length}
  next={fetchMore}
  hasMore={hasMore}
  loader={<p>Loading...</p>}
  pullDownToRefresh
  pullDownToRefreshThreshold={50}
  refreshFunction={refreshList}
  pullDownToRefreshContent={
    <h3 style={{ textAlign: 'center' }}>&#8595; Pull down to refresh</h3>
  }
  releaseToRefreshContent={
    <h3 style={{ textAlign: 'center' }}>&#8593; Release to refresh</h3>
  }
>
  {items.map((item) => (
    <div key={item.id}>{item.name}</div>
  ))}
</InfiniteScroll>

useInfiniteScroll hook

For when you need full control over your markup. Place the sentinelRef div at the end of your list, the hook fires next() when it enters the viewport.

import { useState } from 'react';
import { useInfiniteScroll } from 'react-infinite-scroll-component';

type Item = { id: number; name: string };

function CustomFeed() {
  const [items, setItems] = useState<Item[]>(initialItems);
  const [hasMore, setHasMore] = useState(true);

  const { sentinelRef, isLoading } = useInfiniteScroll({
    next: async () => {
      const more = await api.getItems({ offset: items.length });
      if (more.length === 0) {
        setHasMore(false);
        return;
      }
      setItems((prev) => [...prev, ...more]);
    },
    hasMore,
    dataLength: items.length,
  });

  return (
    <ul>
      {items.map((item) => (
        <li key={item.id}>{item.name}</li>
      ))}
      <li ref={sentinelRef} aria-hidden="true" />
      {isLoading && <li>Loading...</li>}
      {!hasMore && <li>All items loaded.</li>}
    </ul>
  );
}

Framework recipes

Next.js App Router

InfiniteScroll is a client component. Fetch initial data in a Server Component, pass it down.

// app/feed/page.tsx, Server Component
import { FeedClient } from './feed-client';
import { db } from '@/lib/db';

export default async function FeedPage() {
  const initialItems = await db.items.findMany({
    take: 20,
    orderBy: { id: 'desc' },
  });
  return <FeedClient initialItems={initialItems} />;
}
// app/feed/feed-client.tsx, Client Component
'use client';

import { useState } from 'react';
import InfiniteScroll from 'react-infinite-scroll-component';

type Item = { id: string; title: string };

export function FeedClient({ initialItems }: { initialItems: Item[] }) {
  const [items, setItems] = useState(initialItems);
  const [hasMore, setHasMore] = useState(true);

  const fetchMore = async () => {
    const res = await fetch(`/api/items?cursor=${items[items.length - 1].id}`);
    const next: Item[] = await res.json();
    if (next.length === 0) {
      setHasMore(false);
      return;
    }
    setItems((prev) => [...prev, ...next]);
  };

  return (
    <InfiniteScroll
      dataLength={items.length}
      next={fetchMore}
      hasMore={hasMore}
      loader={<p>Loading...</p>}
      endMessage={<p>You have seen everything.</p>}
    >
      {items.map((item) => (
        <article key={item.id}>{item.title}</article>
      ))}
    </InfiniteScroll>
  );
}

With TanStack Query

import { useInfiniteQuery } from '@tanstack/react-query';
import InfiniteScroll from 'react-infinite-scroll-component';

function PostFeed() {
  const { data, fetchNextPage, hasNextPage, isFetchingNextPage } =
    useInfiniteQuery({
      queryKey: ['posts'],
      queryFn: ({ pageParam = 0 }) => fetchPosts(pageParam),
      getNextPageParam: (lastPage, pages) =>
        lastPage.length === 20 ? pages.length : undefined,
    });

  const posts = data?.pages.flat() ?? [];

  return (
    <InfiniteScroll
      dataLength={posts.length}
      next={fetchNextPage}
      hasMore={!!hasNextPage}
      loader={isFetchingNextPage ? <p>Loading...</p> : null}
      endMessage={<p>All posts loaded.</p>}
    >
      {posts.map((post) => (
        <article key={post.id}>{post.title}</article>
      ))}
    </InfiniteScroll>
  );
}

With SWR

import useSWRInfinite from 'swr/infinite';
import InfiniteScroll from 'react-infinite-scroll-component';

const PAGE_SIZE = 20;

function PostList() {
  const { data, size, setSize } = useSWRInfinite(
    (index) => `/api/posts?page=${index}&limit=${PAGE_SIZE}`,
    fetcher
  );

  const posts = data ? data.flat() : [];
  const hasMore = data ? data[data.length - 1].length === PAGE_SIZE : true;

  return (
    <InfiniteScroll
      dataLength={posts.length}
      next={() => setSize(size + 1)}
      hasMore={hasMore}
      loader={<p>Loading...</p>}
    >
      {posts.map((post) => (
        <div key={post.id}>{post.title}</div>
      ))}
    </InfiniteScroll>
  );
}

Three scroll modes

ModeHow to useUse case
Window scrollOmit height and scrollableTargetSocial feeds, blogs, product listings
Fixed-height containerPass height propEmbedded lists, sidebars
Custom scrollable parentPass scrollableTarget (element or id)Existing overflow containers

Props, InfiniteScroll

PropTypeRequiredDefaultDescription
dataLengthnumberyes-Current count of rendered items. The component resets its load guard each time this value changes, which allows next() to fire again on the next scroll.
next() => voidyes-Called once when the sentinel enters the viewport. Append new items to your list state inside this callback; do not replace the existing items.
hasMorebooleanyes-When false, the observer is disconnected and next() will not be called again. Set it to false when your data source has no more pages.
loaderReactNodeyes-Rendered below the list while the next page is loading. Displayed between the last item and the bottom sentinel.
endMessageReactNodeno-Rendered below the list when hasMore is false. Use it for an "all caught up" or "no more items" message.
heightnumber | stringno-Creates a fixed-height scroll container wrapping the list. Accepts a pixel number or any CSS length string. Omit this prop to scroll the window instead.
scrollableTargetHTMLElement | string | nullno-The scrollable ancestor that already provides overflow scrollbars. Pass the element's id string or a direct HTMLElement reference. Required when the scroll container is neither the window nor the height wrapper.
scrollThresholdnumber | stringno0.8How close to the bottom the user must scroll before next() is called. A fraction like 0.8 means 80% scrolled; a string like "200px" means within 200 px of the bottom edge.
inversebooleannofalseReverse scroll direction for chat or messaging UIs. The sentinel moves to the top of the list. Use together with flexDirection: column-reverse on the scroll container.
pullDownToRefreshbooleannofalseEnable pull-to-refresh gesture on touch and mouse. Requires refreshFunction to also be set.
refreshFunction() => voidno-Called once when the user pulls down past pullDownToRefreshThreshold pixels and releases. Only active when pullDownToRefresh is true.
pullDownToRefreshThresholdnumberno100How many pixels the user must pull down before refreshFunction is triggered on release.
pullDownToRefreshContentReactNodeno-Content shown inside the pull-to-refresh area while the user is pulling but has not yet reached the threshold.
releaseToRefreshContentReactNodeno-Content shown inside the pull-to-refresh area once the threshold is passed and the user can release to trigger a refresh.
onScroll(e: UIEvent) => voidno-Callback fired on every scroll event on the container. Receives the native UIEvent. Useful for syncing UI state with scroll position.
classNamestringno''CSS class name applied to the inner scroll container div.
styleCSSPropertiesno-Inline style object applied to the inner scroll container div. Merged with the component's default layout styles.
hasChildrenbooleanno-Set to true when children is a single element or a fragment rather than an array. Helps the component detect whether visible content exists to determine scroll state.
initialScrollYnumberno-Scrolls the window to this Y offset on mount. Useful for restoring a user's scroll position when navigating back to a page.

Props, useInfiniteScroll

PropTypeRequiredDefaultDescription
dataLengthnumberyes-Current count of rendered items. The hook resets its load guard whenever this value changes, allowing next() to fire again on the next intersection.
next() => voidyes-Called once when the sentinel enters the viewport. Append new items to your list state inside this callback; do not replace the existing items.
hasMorebooleanyes-When false, the IntersectionObserver is disconnected and next() will not be called again. Set it to false when your data source has no more pages.
scrollThresholdnumber | stringno0.8How close to the edge the sentinel must be before next() fires. A fraction like 0.8 means 80% scrolled; a string like "200px" means within 200 px of the edge.
scrollableTargetHTMLElement | string | nullno-The scrollable ancestor to use as the observer root. Pass a DOM id string or an HTMLElement reference. When omitted, the observer uses the browser viewport.
inversebooleannofalseWhen true, the rootMargin is applied to the top edge instead of the bottom. Place the sentinel at the top of your list and use flexDirection: column-reverse for chat UIs.

Returns { sentinelRef, isLoading }.


What's new in v7

  • IntersectionObserver-based triggering, next() fires once when the sentinel enters the viewport, not on every scroll tick. No missed triggers, better performance.
  • useInfiniteScroll hook, low-level hook for building fully custom UIs.
  • Zero runtime dependencies, throttle-debounce removed.
  • scrollableTarget accepts HTMLElement, pass a ref value directly, not just a string id.
  • Function component rewrite, same public API, no migration needed.
  • React 17, 18, 19 compatible.

live examples

  • infinite scroll (never ending), window scroll
    • Edit yk7637p62z
  • infinite scroll till 500 elements, window scroll
    • Edit 439v8rmqm0
  • infinite scroll in an element (height 400px)
    • Edit w3w89k7x8
  • infinite scroll with scrollableTarget
    • Edit r7rp40n0zm

Contributors ✨

Thanks goes to these wonderful people (emoji key):

Ankeet Maini
Ankeet Maini

💬 📖 💻 👀 🚧
Darsh Shah
Darsh Shah

🚇 💻 👀 🚧
Eliya Cohen
Eliya Cohen

💻
Nitin Kukreja
Nitin Kukreja

💻
Bruno Sabetta
Bruno Sabetta

💻 📖
Osmar Pérez Bautista
Osmar Pérez Bautista

💻
Shreya Dahal
Shreya Dahal

💻
Vlad Harahan
Vlad Harahan

💻 📖
Daniel Caldas
Daniel Caldas

💻
Alaeddine Douagi
Alaeddine Douagi

💻
Carlos
Carlos

💻
Championrunner
Championrunner

📖
Daniel Sogl
Daniel Sogl

💻
Darren Oster
Darren Oster

💻
Illia Panasenko
Illia Panasenko

💻
Kiko Beats
Kiko Beats

💻
Matt Trussler
Matt Trussler

💻
Nimit Suwannagate
Nimit Suwannagate

💻
Rajat
Rajat

💻
Rich
Rich

💻
Ritesh Goyal
Ritesh Goyal

💻
babycannotsay
babycannotsay

💻
cesco
cesco

💻
Harry
Harry

💻
ludwig404
ludwig404

💻
Karl Johansson
Karl Johansson

💻
Geoffrey Teng
Geoffrey Teng

💻

This project follows the all-contributors specification. Contributions of any kind are welcome!

LICENSE

MIT