TanStack Start: A Different Take on Full-Stack React

Most modern “full-stack” React frameworks are converging on the same shape: server-first rendering, deep abstraction layers, and client behavior that becomes harder to reason about as applications grow. TanStack Start deliberately takes a different path. Built on TanStack Router, Start defines full-stack React from an SPA-first, client-first perspective, where the browser remains the primary runtime and the server is composed in only when needed. This model preserves the mental simplicity and ecosystem strengths of SPAs while enabling SSR, server functions, streaming, and API routes without hiding control or changing how you reason about your application. This talk explores the architectural decisions behind TanStack Start, with a focus on type safety by design, isomorphic execution, and explicit data flow. We will also cover the current state of the framework, what is production-ready today, what is still evolving, and where this approach is a strong fit or a poor one.