Vite 7.0 Migration Guide: Upgrade to Rolldown Bundler

Vite 7.0 represents the most significant update to the build tool since its initial release, introducing the experimental Rolldown bundler powered by Rust, dropping Node.js 18 support, and implementing smarter browser targeting. Released on June 24, 2025, this version delivers substantial performance improvements while maintaining backward compatibility for most projects.

This comprehensive guide walks you through migrating your existing Vite project to version 7.0, from basic setup to advanced optimization techniques. You'll learn how to leverage the new Rolldown bundler, configure the updated browser targets, and troubleshoot common migration issues.

Link to section: Prerequisites and System RequirementsPrerequisites and System Requirements

Before starting your migration, ensure your development environment meets the new requirements. Vite 7.0 mandates Node.js 20.19+ or 22.12+, as Node.js 18 reached end-of-life in April 2025.

Check your current Node.js version:

node --version

If you're running Node.js 18 or earlier, upgrade using your preferred method:

# Using nvm (recommended)
nvm install 22.12.0
nvm use 22.12.0
 
# Using official installer
# Download from nodejs.org
 
# Verify installation
node --version
npm --version

Next, audit your current Vite setup by examining your package.json dependencies:

npm list vite

Make note of your current version and any Vite-related plugins. Common plugins that may require updates include @vitejs/plugin-react, @vitejs/plugin-vue, and vite-plugin-eslint.

Link to section: Basic Migration StepsBasic Migration Steps

Start by creating a backup of your project or committing your current changes to version control. This ensures you can revert if issues arise during migration.

Update Vite to version 7.0 and its associated plugins:

npm install vite@^7.0.0 --save-dev
npm install @vitejs/plugin-react@^5.0.0 --save-dev

For Vue projects, update the Vue plugin:

npm install @vitejs/plugin-vue@^6.0.0 --save-dev

After installation, run your development server to identify immediate compatibility issues:

npm run dev

You'll likely encounter warnings about browser targets and potentially some deprecated configuration options. The most common warning relates to the new default browser targeting system.

Link to section: Configuring Browser TargetsConfiguring Browser Targets

Vite 7.0 replaces the previous "modules" target with "baseline-widely-available", which supports browser features stable across Chrome 107+, Edge 107+, Firefox 104+, and Safari 16+. This change eliminates compatibility guesswork while ensuring broader device support.

Update your vite.config.js to explicitly configure browser targets:

import { defineConfig } from 'vite'
import react from '@vitejs/plugin-react'
 
export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [react()],
  build: {
    target: 'baseline-widely-available',
    // Optional: Specify custom targets if needed
    // target: ['chrome107', 'firefox104', 'safari16', 'edge107']
  }
})

For projects requiring broader browser support, you can override the default:

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [react()],
  build: {
    target: ['es2020', 'chrome80', 'firefox78', 'safari14'],
    cssTarget: 'chrome80'
  }
})

Test your build with the new targets:

npm run build

The console output should confirm the updated browser targets and show improved bundle analysis metrics.

Link to section: Implementing Rolldown BundlerImplementing Rolldown Bundler

The most significant feature in Vite 7.0 is the experimental Rolldown bundler, offering substantial performance improvements over traditional Rollup. While still experimental, early benchmarks show 4x to 16x faster build times for complex projects.

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Install the Rolldown package:

npm install rolldown-vite --save-dev

Enable Rolldown in your Vite configuration:

import { defineConfig } from 'vite'
import react from '@vitejs/plugin-react'
 
export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [react()],
  build: {
    bundler: 'rolldown'
  },
  experimental: {
    rolldown: true
  }
})

Run a build to test Rolldown integration:

npm run build

Monitor the console output for build time improvements. Most projects see immediate performance gains, particularly those with large dependency trees or complex asset processing.

For development mode, Rolldown can also improve hot module replacement (HMR) performance:

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [react()],
  server: {
    hmr: {
      bundler: 'rolldown'
    }
  },
  experimental: {
    rolldown: true
  }
})

Link to section: Updating Plugin ConfigurationsUpdating Plugin Configurations

Many Vite plugins require updates for version 7.0 compatibility. Start by updating core plugins to their latest versions:

npm install @vitejs/plugin-react@latest --save-dev
npm install @vitejs/plugin-vue@latest --save-dev
npm install vite-plugin-eslint@latest --save-dev

ESLint integration may require configuration changes. Update your ESLint plugin setup:

import { defineConfig } from 'vite'
import react from '@vitejs/plugin-react'
import eslint from 'vite-plugin-eslint'
 
export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [
    react(),
    eslint({
      cache: false,
      include: ['src/**/*.{js,jsx,ts,tsx}'],
      exclude: ['node_modules']
    })
  ]
})

For TypeScript projects, ensure your tsconfig.json aligns with the new browser targets:

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "target": "ES2022",
    "lib": ["ES2022", "DOM", "DOM.Iterable"],
    "module": "ESNext",
    "moduleResolution": "bundler",
    "allowImportingTsExtensions": true,
    "strict": true,
    "noEmit": true,
    "jsx": "react-jsx"
  },
  "include": ["src"]
}

Link to section: Optimizing Build PerformanceOptimizing Build Performance

Vite 7.0 introduces several performance optimizations beyond Rolldown. Configure these settings to maximize build efficiency:

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [react()],
  build: {
    target: 'baseline-widely-available',
    bundler: 'rolldown',
    rollupOptions: {
      output: {
        manualChunks: {
          vendor: ['react', 'react-dom'],
          utils: ['lodash', 'date-fns']
        }
      }
    },
    minify: 'terser',
    terserOptions: {
      compress: {
        drop_console: true,
        drop_debugger: true
      }
    }
  },
  experimental: {
    rolldown: true
  }
})

Enable build analysis to monitor improvements:

npm run build -- --analyze

This generates a detailed report showing bundle composition, chunk sizes, and dependency relationships. Compare these metrics to your pre-migration baseline to quantify performance gains.

For large projects, consider enabling parallel processing:

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [react()],
  build: {
    bundler: rolldown,
    rollupOptions: {
      maxParallelFileOps: 4
    }
  },
  experimental: {
    rolldown: true
  }
})

Link to section: Troubleshooting Common IssuesTroubleshooting Common Issues

Several issues commonly arise during Vite 7.0 migration. Here are solutions for the most frequent problems:

Node.js version conflicts often manifest as cryptic error messages during installation. Ensure you're using Node.js 20.19+ and clear your npm cache:

npm cache clean --force
rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json
npm install

Plugin compatibility issues typically show as build failures or missing functionality. Check each plugin's GitHub repository for Vite 7.0 compatibility and update to compatible versions:

npm ls --depth=0 | grep vite
npm outdated

Rolldown experimental warnings are expected and don't indicate problems. However, if builds fail with Rolldown enabled, temporarily disable it while troubleshooting other issues:

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [react()],
  build: {
    bundler: 'rollup' // Fallback to stable Rollup
  }
})

CSS handling changes may affect styling in some projects. Vite 7.0 improves CSS processing, but existing workarounds might conflict. Check your CSS imports and PostCSS configuration:

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [react()],
  css: {
    postcss: {
      plugins: [
        require('autoprefixer'),
        require('cssnano')
      ]
    }
  }
})

Import path resolution occasionally fails with the new module resolution. Update relative imports to use explicit file extensions:

// Before
import utils from './utils'
 
// After
import utils from './utils.js'

Link to section: Advanced Configuration PatternsAdvanced Configuration Patterns

Once basic migration completes successfully, explore advanced Vite 7.0 features to maximize performance and developer experience.

Configure environment-specific optimizations:

export default defineConfig(({ command, mode }) => {
  const isProduction = mode === 'production'
  
  return {
    plugins: [react()],
    build: {
      bundler: 'rolldown',
      minify: isProduction ? 'terser' : false,
      sourcemap: !isProduction,
      rollupOptions: {
        external: isProduction ? [] : ['react', 'react-dom']
      }
    },
    server: {
      hmr: {
        bundler: command === 'serve' ? 'rolldown' : 'rollup'
      }
    },
    experimental: {
      rolldown: true
    }
  }
})

Implement custom asset optimization:

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [react()],
  build: {
    bundler: 'rolldown',
    assetsDir: 'assets',
    rollupOptions: {
      output: {
        assetFileNames: (assetInfo) => {
          const info = assetInfo.name.split('.')
          const extType = info[info.length - 1]
          if (/png|jpe?g|svg|gif|tiff|bmp|ico/i.test(extType)) {
            return `images/[name]-[hash][extname]`
          }
          if (/css/i.test(extType)) {
            return `styles/[name]-[hash][extname]`
          }
          return `assets/[name]-[hash][extname]`
        }
      }
    }
  },
  experimental: {
    rolldown: true
  }
})

Link to section: Testing and ValidationTesting and Validation

After completing your migration, thoroughly test your application across different environments and browsers. The new browser targeting system may affect feature availability on older devices.

Run your test suite to ensure functionality remains intact:

npm run test
npm run test:e2e

Performance testing becomes particularly important with Rolldown integration. Use browser developer tools to analyze bundle loading:

1. Open DevTools Network tab
2. Perform a hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R)
3. Analyze JavaScript bundle sizes and load times
4. Compare metrics to pre-migration measurements

The modern development workflow setup can help streamline your testing process with automated performance monitoring and validation scripts.

For production deployment, consider gradual rollout strategies:

# Build for staging
npm run build
npm run preview
 
# Deploy to staging environment
# Monitor performance metrics
# Gradually increase traffic allocation

Link to section: Performance Monitoring and OptimizationPerformance Monitoring and Optimization

Vite 7.0's performance improvements are most apparent in large-scale applications. Implement monitoring to track and optimize these gains over time.

Add build timing to your development workflow:

// vite.config.js
import { defineConfig } from 'vite'
 
export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [
    react(),
    {
      name: 'build-timer',
      buildStart() {
        this.startTime = Date.now()
      },
      buildEnd() {
        console.log(`Build completed in ${Date.now() - this.startTime}ms`)
      }
    }
  ],
  build: {
    bundler: 'rolldown'
  },
  experimental: {
    rolldown: true
  }
})

Monitor bundle size changes with automated reporting:

{
  "scripts": {
    "build:analyze": "npm run build && npx vite-bundle-analyzer dist",
    "build:compare": "npm run build && node scripts/compare-bundle-size.js"
  }
}

Create a simple bundle size comparison script:

// scripts/compare-bundle-size.js
const fs = require('fs')
const path = require('path')
 
const distDir = path.join(__dirname, '../dist/assets')
const files = fs.readdirSync(distDir)
 
const jsFiles = files.filter(f => f.endsWith('.js'))
const cssFiles = files.filter(f => f.endsWith('.css'))
 
let totalSize = 0
jsFiles.forEach(file => {
  const size = fs.statSync(path.join(distDir, file)).size
  totalSize += size
  console.log(`${file}: ${(size / 1024).toFixed(2)} KB`)
})
 
console.log(`Total JS bundle size: ${(totalSize / 1024).toFixed(2)} KB`)

Link to section: Future Considerations and RoadmapFuture Considerations and Roadmap

Vite 7.0 positions your project for upcoming developments in the build tool ecosystem. The Rolldown bundler will eventually become the default, eliminating the need for the experimental flag and separate package installation.

Plan for these upcoming changes:

Rolldown stabilization is expected in Vite 8.0, removing the experimental status and potentially changing configuration syntax. Monitor the official Vite roadmap for timeline updates.

Enhanced Rust integration will expand beyond bundling to include additional build pipeline steps. This may affect plugin architecture and custom build scripts.

Improved TypeScript support is planned with better integration between Vite and TypeScript compilation, potentially affecting build times and type checking performance.

Keep your migration current by subscribing to Vite release notes and testing pre-release versions in development environments:

npm install vite@beta --save-dev

The migration to Vite 7.0 represents a significant step forward in build tool performance and developer experience. By following this guide, you've implemented the latest improvements while maintaining application stability and compatibility. The performance gains from Rolldown, combined with smarter browser targeting, position your project for continued success as web development tools continue evolving toward Rust-powered infrastructure.

Regular monitoring of build performance and staying current with Vite updates ensures you'll continue benefiting from ongoing improvements in the ecosystem. The foundation established with this migration supports future updates and maintains your competitive advantage in modern web development.