HTMX for Django Devs Who Miss React: A Game-Changer for Snappy UX

In 2021, I started an immersive bootcamp for full-stack developers where the curriculum focused heavily on employable skills. React was drilled into us, but before diving into frameworks, we first built a solid foundation in vanilla JavaScript and jQuery—learning event listeners and DOM manipulation to move beyond static, Craigslist-style apps. As I progressed, React’s snappy, reactive UX became second nature. SPAs felt modern and fluid, making traditional multi-page apps seem outdated.

By 2022, I landed a job that uses Django. I quickly grew to love Django’s developer experience, but the frontend felt archaic. Naturally, I searched for React-based Django solutions, but most felt clunky—like forcing a square peg into a round hole. Bootcamp training paid off, and I ended up relying on vanilla JavaScript to add interactivity—passing context from Django views to templates and manipulating the DOM via script tags. It worked, but it lacked elegance.

As I continued using Django for personal projects—like my news platform mitra.ink—snappiness became a priority. That’s when I gave HTMX a shot. I was skeptical at first, but everything developers were saying about HTMX + Django turned out to be true. Integration was dead simple. I just added a script tag from the HTMX CDN, and I was good to go:

<script src="https://unpkg.com/htmx.org@1.9.4"></script>

With HTMX, I refactored the comment system on mitra. Previously, submitting a comment triggered a full-page reload. Now, HTMX intercepts the request and updates only the comments section—no more unnecessary refreshes or scrolling. The UX improvement was immediate. HTMX feels like the natural evolution of vanilla JavaScript and jQuery for modern web development. It lets you access browser features straight from HTML, reducing JavaScript overhead while making interactivity effortless.

While I haven’t done anything wildly sophisticated with HTMX yet, the convenience of the refactor has me craving more. If you're a Django dev looking for React-like interactivity without the overhead, give HTMX a shot—it might just become your next obsession.