React Project Structures

React is one of the most popular JavaScript libraries for building user interfaces. But if you’ve worked on more than one React app, you’ve probably noticed this: the way you organize your files and folders can make or break your project.

A small app with a few files might work fine with a flat setup. But once you start adding more features, components, and business logic, things can quickly become messy. That’s why choosing the right project structure is so important.

In this blog, we will go step by step through different types of React project structures, their pros and cons, and which one works best for real-world projects. By the end, you will also see a recommended structure that balances scalability, maintainability, and developer experience.

Why Project Structure Matters

Think of your React project like building a house. If the foundation and layout are weak, you’ll struggle every time you add a new room or repair. The same goes for React apps.

Here’s why a clean project structure matters:

Keeps code modular and reusable → You don’t want to rewrite the same button or hook five times.
Onboards new developers faster → A new team member should know “where things go” without asking too many questions.
Simplifies debugging and testing → When issues happen, you can quickly find the right file.

Supports adding new features easily → You can grow your app without creating chaos.

If your project grows without structure, you’ll spend more time searching for files and fixing spaghetti code than actually building features.

Common Types of React Project Structures

Now, let’s go through the most common approaches developers use when structuring React apps.

1. Flat Structure (Best for Small Apps)

This is the simplest setup and is often used by beginners or small teams working on quick projects.

src/  
├── App.js  
├── index.js  
├── components/  
├── assets/  
├── styles/

Pros:

Easy to understand, even for beginners.
Minimal setup required.
Perfect for small apps, prototypes, or experiments.

Cons:

Quickly becomes messy as your app grows.
Hard to manage when you add many features.
File names can get confusing.

Example Use Case: A simple To-Do list app or a demo project for learning React.

2. Feature-Based Structure (Highly Recommended)

In this structure, your app is divided by features, not file types. Each feature has its own folder that contains its components, services, hooks, and tests.

src/  
├── features/  
│   ├── auth/  
│   │   ├── components/  
│   │   ├── hooks/  
│   │   ├── authSlice.js  
│   │   └── AuthPage.jsx  
│   └── dashboard/  
├── shared/  
│   ├── components/  
│   ├── hooks/  
│   └── utils/  
├── App.js  
├── index.js

Pros:

Each feature is independent (auth, dashboard, profile, etc.).
Encourages modular, reusable code.
Easy to scale — just add a new feature folder.

Helps with testing because everything related to one feature is in one place.

Cons:

Slightly more setup in the beginning.
It may feel like extra work for very small apps.

Example Use Case: Most real-world apps (e-commerce, dashboards, SaaS platforms).

Why it’s recommended: This is the most balanced approach. You don’t sacrifice scalability, and it’s easy for both small and large teams to follow.

3. Domain-Driven Structure

This approach follows Domain-Driven Design (DDD). Instead of thinking in terms of features, you think in terms of business domains (like orders, payments, users).

src/  
├── domain/  
│   ├── orders/  
│   ├── payments/  
│   ├── users/  
├── infrastructure/  
│   ├── api/  
│   └── database/  
├── presentation/  
│   └── components/  
├── App.js

Pros:

Great for large, enterprise-level projects.
Clean separation between business logic (domain) and infrastructure (API, DB).
Helps align code with business rules.

Cons:

Overkill for small to medium apps.
Steeper learning curve for new developers.

Example Use Case: Large-scale enterprise systems with multiple domains (banking, healthcare, insurance apps).

4. Layered Structure (MVC-Style)

This is inspired by traditional MVC (Model-View-Controller) structures. Files are grouped by technical responsibility:

src/  
├── components/  
├── services/  
├── views/  
├── utils/  
├── App.js

Pros:

Familiar with developers who’ve worked with MVC frameworks like .NET, Spring, or Django.
Easy to explain to traditional backend developers.

Cons:

Tight coupling between views and services.
Becomes harder to manage as features grow.
Not the best choice for highly interactive UIs.

Example Use Case: Small-to-mid projects with developers coming from a strong MVC background.

5. Monorepo (For Multiple Apps)

When your organization manages multiple apps or shared libraries in one repo, a monorepo setup is useful. This often requires tools like Turborepo or Nx.

apps/  
  ├── admin-dashboard/  
  └── landing-page/  

packages/  
  ├── ui/  
  ├── auth/  
  └── api/

Pros:

Easy code sharing between apps (e.g., shared UI components).
Single CI/CD pipeline.
Keeps everything in one place.

Cons:

Setup is more complex.
Requires additional tools (Nx, Turborepo).

Example Use Case: A company with multiple products but shared components, like Shopify, Uber, or Airbnb.

Most Recommended: Feature-Based Structure

For most teams, especially those working on medium to large-scale apps, the Feature-Based Structure is the best choice.

It balances:

Modularity (everything per feature)
Scalability (easy to add more features)
Developer onboarding (new devs instantly see where things belong)

Here’s an enhanced version of the recommended structure:

src/  
├── features/  
│   ├── user/  
│   │   ├── components/  
│   │   ├── pages/  
│   │   ├── services/  
│   │   └── userSlice.ts  
│   └── product/  
├── shared/  
│   ├── components/  
│   ├── hooks/  
│   └── utils/  
├── routes/  
├── store/  
├── types/  
├── assets/  
├── App.tsx  
├── main.tsx

Bonus Best Practices

No matter which structure you choose, here are some tips to keep your app clean and scalable:

Use TypeScript → It helps with scalability and catches bugs early.
Isolate shared logic → Keep common hooks, utils, and components inside a shared/ folder.
Centralize API logic → Store API calls inside services/ instead of scattering them in components.

Split pages and components → Components = small building blocks, Pages = screen-level views.

Maintain a routes/ folder → Keep all your routing in one place for clarity.

Final Thoughts

There’s no one perfect project structure for every React app. The right choice depends on:

App size and complexity
Team size and experience
Expected growth in features

Reusability of code

But for most real-world apps, the Feature-Based Structure is the most reliable and scalable approach. It keeps things modular, encourages clean code, and makes onboarding new team members much easier.

At Sparkle Web, we don’t just build React apps — we build them with the right architecture so they last and scale. Whether it’s React, .NET, Flutter, or cloud-native apps, we ensure your project is organized for long-term success.

Looking to structure your React project the smart way? Contact us today and let’s make your app future-ready.

Contact Us : +91 90331 80795

Blog Details

3