TanStack Start Adds Official Rsbuild v2 Support

This article is translated from the official TanStack blog, author: Manuel Schiller. Original: https://tanstack.com/blog/start-adds-rsbuild-support

TanStack Start now supports both Vite and Rsbuild v2, allowing users to choose between the two officially supported build tool options.

Different teams have different preferences: some favor Vite, while others prefer Rsbuild because it is built on Rspack, which feels familiar to teams with webpack experience and integrates more easily with existing frontend infrastructure. The new adapter in Start makes this choice clearer by exposing both tools through the plugin system.

The adapter was co‑developed with the Rspack team, and work on it also contributed improvements to Rspack and Rsbuild themselves.

// rsbuild.config.ts
import { defineConfig } from '@rsbuild/core';
import { pluginReact } from '@rsbuild/plugin-react';
import { tanstackStart } from '@tanstack/react-start/plugin/rsbuild';

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [pluginReact(), tanstackStart()],
});

Both React and Solid are currently supported. Because the Rsbuild implementation lives in Start’s shared build layer, future framework adapters can reuse the same integration approach.

Rsbuild handles the build process, while the framework plugin deals with React or Solid, and the tanstackStart() call wires the client and server builds. If you have used the Vite version of Start, this pattern will feel familiar, as the build‑tool plugin is designed to blend naturally with the chosen toolchain.

Providing a Start Integration Path for Rsbuild Teams

Some teams want to pair Start with Rsbuild because they prefer the underlying Rspack, a development model close to webpack, or need a build tool that aligns better with their existing tech stack.

This is also important for migrating existing applications. When moving to Start, teams can retain much of their original build configuration without having to switch both the framework and the build tool. A large company has already adopted this adapter to migrate multiple applications from a webpack‑based build to a Start setup powered by Rsbuild.

The integration path includes the full set of Start features: React and Solid apps, Server Functions, SSR and streaming SSR, HMR, import protection, and React Server Components in React applications.

Dual‑Adapter Pattern

At TanStack we repeatedly observe a pattern: the first adapter proves a solution works, and the second adapter reveals which parts truly belong to the core capability.

TanStack Router and TanStack Start have already undergone such a process at the UI‑framework layer. Adding Solid exposed React‑specific assumptions, improving the shared core. Adding Rsbuild similarly clarifies the boundaries of the build layer.

Because the first build adapter for Start was Vite, many build‑logic pieces naturally revolve around Vite’s plugin lifecycle. Introducing Rsbuild makes the boundaries clearer: shared Start build behavior resides in one place, while tool‑specific logic lives in the respective Vite and Rsbuild adapters.

Choose Your Own Build Tool

Choosing Start should not force a team to abandon its preferred build tool. With both Vite and Rsbuild supported, teams can continue using the toolchain that best fits their stack while building comparable Start applications.

For teams that favor Rsbuild or already work within the webpack/Rspack ecosystem, native Start integration is now available through Rsbuild’s plugin system.

The Rsbuild adapter is now available. You can try it in a new Rsbuild project or add it to an existing codebase that is migrating to TanStack Start.

Usage guide: https://tanstack.com/start/latest/docs/framework/react/build-from-scratch