Let me response to @Onepower answer as these are common claims found on the internet. In terms of performance, the virtual DOM doesn’t have real advantages over direct DOM manipulation. At the end of the day, it’s the direct DOM updates that are happening.

1.  Batch Updates: The virtual DOM can batch updates, but this primarily occurs at the virtual DOM level. Actual updates to the real DOM aren’t always batched. If you want precise control over batch updates, vanilla JavaScript offers finer control. You can update multiple components in a single operation, though you may need to reattach event listeners if they are affected.
2.  Avoiding Unnecessary Re-renders and DOM Manipulations: This feature mainly benefits novice programmers. With good programming practices, you likely don’t need this optimization.
3.  Efficient Diffing Algorithm: The virtual DOM uses an efficient diffing algorithm to identify precise changes, reducing computational costs and improving performance. With direct DOM manipulation, however, diffing isn’t necessary since you code exactly what needs to be updated, eliminating this computational cost entirely.
4.  See Point 1.
5.  Rendering Optimization: The virtual DOM optimizes rendering by scheduling updates at appropriate times, which reduces visual glitches and keeps the UI responsive. Achieving this with vanilla JavaScript would require more sophisticated hand-coding.
6.  Server-Side Rendering Compatibility: React’s virtual DOM works with server-side rendering, enhancing performance and SEO. However, server-side rendering can improve performance and SEO regardless of whether a virtual DOM is used.

In short, if you practice good coding, the virtual DOM may not offer significant efficiency gains over vanilla JavaScript. The primary reason for using a virtual DOM is to simplify development, particularly in complex applications.