Why wouldn't you use Effect in frontend?
Matt Pocock recently tweeted this questions about Effect thread on twitter
https://x.com/mattpocockuk/status/1936831112887628228
Some people asked should you use Effect in backend / frontend, and he responded with "don't use it in frontend"
But I don't get it, I mean I don't get Effect in general. I've been trying to understand it since the past year but always give up halfway
Also Effect docs has this little section of Vite + React https://effect.website/docs/getting-started/installation/#vite--react
I tried create-effect-app and looked at http server example and I also don't get it...
I'm probably wrong but it feels like overengineering? Or the benefits of effect just won't be felt in smaller scale apps?
So basically:
1. Why does it make sense to use Effect in backend but not frontend?
2. What are the differences and advantages of using Effect compared to, let's say, a simple express server
3. Is it beneficial to use Effect in smaller projects?
Sorry for asking so many questions. I genuinely want to use Effect but I can't wrap my head around
https://x.com/mattpocockuk/status/1936831112887628228
Some people asked should you use Effect in backend / frontend, and he responded with "don't use it in frontend"
But I don't get it, I mean I don't get Effect in general. I've been trying to understand it since the past year but always give up halfway
Also Effect docs has this little section of Vite + React https://effect.website/docs/getting-started/installation/#vite--react
I tried create-effect-app and looked at http server example and I also don't get it...
I'm probably wrong but it feels like overengineering? Or the benefits of effect just won't be felt in smaller scale apps?
So basically:
1. Why does it make sense to use Effect in backend but not frontend?
2. What are the differences and advantages of using Effect compared to, let's say, a simple express server
3. Is it beneficial to use Effect in smaller projects?
Sorry for asking so many questions. I genuinely want to use Effect but I can't wrap my head around
Matt Pocock (@mattpocockuk)
What questions do you have about Effect that are not answered by:
1. Effect is to TS what TS is to JS
2. Use it for high-stakes backend projects
3. Turns your code into a huge ball of best practices
4. The education buy-in is huge, but worth it
1. Effect is to TS what TS is to JS
2. Use it for high-stakes backend projects
3. Turns your code into a huge ball of best practices
4. The education buy-in is huge, but worth it
X
•6/22/25, 4:58 PM
Effect Documentation
Set up a new Effect project across different platforms like Node.js, Deno, Bun, and Vite + React with step-by-step installation guides.
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