Meta donates React to new Linux Foundation-backed body

The Linux Foundation has created the React Foundation. Meta has contributed the React project to the Linux Foundation, placing stewardship of React and React Native under a new governance structure.

The move establishes a dedicated body for long-term governance and operational support of React, widely used in front-end development. The React Foundation sits within the Linux Foundation's projects organisation, with React hosted by LF Projects under what the group describes as neutral governance.

React began as an internal Meta project before becoming an open source framework used across consumer and enterprise software. React Native extends the approach to mobile development, and a large ecosystem of libraries, tools, and service providers has grown around both projects.

Membership base

Initial Platinum members include Amazon, Callstack, Expo, Huawei, Meta, Microsoft, Software Mansion, and Vercel. The group brings together large cloud and device companies with firms focused on developer tooling and mobile frameworks.

React is now a common dependency for many product teams, often raising questions about how the project is governed and funded over time. As open source projects gain broad adoption, they increasingly move into foundations that provide formal governance processes and shared decision-making among multiple stakeholders.

Seth Webster, Executive Director of the React Foundation, framed the new body as a mechanism for long-term stewardship. "React has become critical digital infrastructure for the modern web and beyond," Webster said. "By establishing the React Foundation under the Linux Foundation, we are ensuring a strong, vibrant React for decades to come - guided by open governance and shared stewardship from the global community that builds with it every day."

The Linux Foundation has used similar models for other widely used open source projects, where a neutral home and defined governance aim to reduce the risk of a single vendor controlling the project's direction. In practice, these foundations typically formalise technical oversight, provide administrative support, and set rules for how changes are proposed and approved.

Industry voices

Amazon said its participation reflects a focus on keeping React and React Native open and community-led. "As a founding member of the React Foundation, we're committed to working alongside our industry partners to ensure React and React Native remain open, community-driven, and positioned for long-term success. The strength of this technology lies not just in its technical capabilities, but in the vibrant developer community that surrounds it. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with this community and to help support the future of React through the Linux Foundation," said Tapas Roy, VP Software and Services, Amazon Devices.

Microsoft tied the announcement to its internal use of React across Azure. "React is a core part of our front-end architecture across Azure, powering the Azure Portal and enabling our teams to build performant, accessible, and scalable user experiences at cloud scale. We've invested deeply in React's component model, extensibility, and ecosystem to deliver consistent UX across complex, multi-surface applications. The formation of the React Foundation ensures React's evolution remains open, community-driven, and aligned with the needs of the global developer community. We're proud to support this next chapter and to continue contributing to the future of React," said Ruhiyyih Mahalati, Vice President of Azure Experiences and Ecosystem, Microsoft.

Meta described the shift as a step towards a more neutral model. "React's journey from a small internal project at Meta to a foundational piece of the world's digital infrastructure is a testament to the power of open source collaboration. This transition to a neutral, open governance model ensures that the ecosystem's future is shaped by the very people and companies that rely on it every day. Meta remains deeply invested in React's success, and we are excited to work alongside the React Foundation to foster a new era driven by the community," said Eli White.

Software Mansion highlighted its long-standing involvement in React Native. "Software Mansion's involvement in React Native goes back to when the project was first open sourced. Over the years, that involvement has grown into something we're genuinely proud of: core libraries used across the ecosystem, meaningful contributions to React Native alongside Meta, and engineers who treat open source as a real part of their job, not an afterthought. The React Foundation is the right structure for what React has become: a technology that belongs to the community. We're proud to be founding members, and glad to see our commitment reflected in something built to last," said Krzysztof Magiera.

Governance shift

Open governance can shape how technical roadmaps are set and how the project balances competing priorities such as new features, stability, and backwards compatibility. It can also affect how corporate contributors coordinate with independent maintainers and smaller companies that depend on the software.

Huawei's OpenHarmony project group described the React Foundation as part of a push for closer interoperability. "We are delighted to see the React community move towards open governance and firmly believe that this will build a more sustainable React ecosystem. OpenHarmony is committed to building the digital foundation for the era of All-Scenario Intelligence. By joining the React Foundation as a platinum founding member, we aim to deepen our synergy with the world's most vibrant front-end ecosystem, fostering seamless and native interoperability between OpenHarmony and React technologies. This strategic alignment empowers global developers with a high-performance cross-platform experience as we collaborate with the international open source community," said Gong Ti.

Vercel, closely associated with modern web development tooling, also backed the decision.

"React transformed what's possible on the web and opened the door for a generation of developers to build things that once felt out of reach. The React Foundation ensures that legacy continues, governed by the community, for the community. We're proud to stand as a founding Platinum Member alongside some of the best builders in the industry," said Tom Occhino.

The React Foundation will support React, React Native, and related components. Participating members are expected to contribute through governance and technical collaboration as the roadmap develops under the new structure.