Vertex.js

Vertex.js is a ~1kloc JavaScript SPA framework that somehow combines the best parts of React, Ractive-Load, and jQuery into a single, dependency-free file with no build step — which is either a miracle or unhinged, and honestly probably both. The benchmarks floating around the internet showing it beating React in raw performance are wild enough that I'm low-key obsessed, even if Facebook's engineers would probably like a word. If you've been looking for something that ships fast, stays simple, and doesn't require you to npm install your entire social life, this is genuinely worth a look — and the fact that it's basically a one-person operation makes the whole thing even more of a dark horse.