@dnd-kit/core is a modern, modular drag-and-drop toolkit for React that provides low-level primitives for building highly customizable interactions. It supports complex layouts like grids, trees, and multi-container scenarios with built-in accessibility and performance optimizations. react-beautiful-dnd, created by Atlassian, is an opinionated library specifically designed for vertical and horizontal list reordering with polished animations and intuitive physics out of the box.
This comparison is crucial for frontend developers choosing a drag-and-drop solution in 2024 and beyond. @dnd-kit/core targets teams building complex, custom interactions who need flexibility and long-term maintenance guarantees. react-beautiful-dnd appeals to developers seeking quick implementation of simple list sorting with minimal configuration, though its archived status raises concerns for new projects. Understanding the trade-offs between flexibility and convenience is essential for architectural decisions.
For any new project starting in 2024 or beyond, @dnd-kit/core is the clear choice unless you have an extremely simple, one-time list sorting requirement. The archived status of react-beautiful-dnd makes it a liability for production applications that need long-term support, security updates, and compatibility with future React versions. While react-beautiful-dnd offers faster initial implementation for basic lists, this short-term convenience is outweighed by maintenance risks and the inability to extend functionality as requirements evolve.
@dnd-kit/core should be your default selection for drag-and-drop functionality in React applications. Its active maintenance, comprehensive feature set, and architectural flexibility justify the slightly higher learning curve. Even for simple list sorting, the additional setup time is minimal (typically 30-60 minutes more) and provides a foundation that won't require library migration when you inevitably need grid support, multi-container dragging, or custom interactions. The only scenario where react-beautiful-dnd remains viable is maintaining existing applications already using it, and even then, planning migration to @dnd-kit/core or a maintained fork is advisable.