I am not sure this is even correct. Firstly, the famous js framework benchmarks (https://github.com/krausest/js-framework-benchmark) based on adding/removing list items used to have vanilla JS as an unbeatable winner, despite its direct manipulation of the DOM, and React was definitely significantly behind. Secondly, as the README for morphdom says, the real DOM is very fast (https://github.com/patrick-steele-idem/morphdom). If I remember correctly, virtual DOM was supposed to solve the particular performance problem where you would otherwise just throw huge chunks of DOM away rerendering them anew every time your app state changed. But this is a very special (although brilliant) approach to keeping your UI in sync with your app state; you wouldn't necessarily do so if you wrote your app with vanilla JS.