Both are packages built with Bootstrap-based components for React.  As developers, we can use either of them. However, it is important to remember that we should keep consistent.

What is Bootstrap?

Bootstrap is the most popular CSS Framework for developing responsive and mobile-first websites. Bootstrap 5 is the newest version of Bootstrap as of writing this post. Bootstrap 5 supports all major browsers except Internet Explorer 11 and down. If you require support for IE9 or IE8, you must use Bootstrap 3.

Bootstrap is a giant collection of handy, reusable bits of code written in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It’s also a front-end development framework that enables developers and designers to quickly build fully responsive websites. Essentially, Bootstrap saves you from writing lots of CSS code, giving you more time to spend on designing web pages.

It’s also FREE! It’s currently hosted on GitHub and can be downloaded easily from the official site.

Some similarities

Import Bootstrap CSS in the src/index.js file:

import 'bootstrap/dist/css/bootstrap.css';

When using any Bootstrap components, import the required reactstrap or react-bootstrap components within src/App.js file or your custom component files:

import {Button, Container} from "reactstrap";

function BootstrapGridTest() {
    return (
        <Container>
            <h1>Fluid Grid!</h1>
            <p>
                This is a modified fluid which
                stretches the whole horizontal space.
            </p>
            <Button color="primary">
                Submit
            </Button>
            <Button color="danger">Danger!</Button>
        </Container>
    );
}

export  default BootstrapGridTest;

The snippet above is aimed to test with reactstrap package.

What is reactstrap?

It is the package of the Bootstrap components built with React.

The packages to be installed after creating a React App: npm install --save bootrap reactstrap . We suppose that the React App has been created after the command npx create-react-app demo-bootstrap-react completed.

GitHub: https://github.com/reactstrap/reactstrap

Documentation: https://reactstrap.github.io/?path=/story/home-installation–page

What is react-bootstrap?

It is the package of the stateless React Components for Bootstrap.

The packages to be installed after creating a React App: npm install --save bootrap react-bootstrap . We suppose that the React App has been created after the command npx create-react-app demo-bootstrap-react completed.

GitHub: https://github.com/react-bootstrap/react-bootstrap

Documentation: https://react-bootstrap.netlify.app/

Notes

Please take more caution when using older versions of Bootstrap. You need to install the required package exactly compatible with the version of Bootstrap. Otherwise, your application throws compiling errors.

Key Takeaways

Reactstrap makes use of class components whereas React-bootstrap makes use of functions and hooks.  Both the codes produce similar output and the only difference is the use of the components. We can use either reactstrap or react-bootstrap in your React code. Remember, we cannot mess up both of them into a single project.

References

[1] Reactstrap vs. React-bootstrap, https://hackernoon.com/reactstrap-vs-react-bootstrap, accessed on Dec 31st, 2023

[2] reactstrap vs. react-bootstrap, https://dev.to/aisharajput/reactstrap-vs-react-bootstrap-18h4, accessed on Jan 1st, 2024