[untog]

I can't speak to Vue, but React is overkill for many sites. The virtual DOM etc is incredibly useful for sites that update the page very frequently, but if the only thing you're making is a static site and a contact form, you don't need React.

That said, I do like the React model of creating components (and suspect this is why so many people use it when it's unnecessary). I'm looking forward to browsers implementing custom elements so that we can all compinentise this way without the overhead of a large JS framework.

[dalailambda]

While the virtual DOM is a component in React's popularity, the main thing that I believe people use it for is the functional, one way data flow it allows you to use combined with the component model.

[spankalee]

Chrome, Safari, and Opera (because of Blink) have implemented Custom Elements and Shadow DOM. Firefox appears to be working on it, and for Edge it's high priority, so things are coming along nicely :)

edit: The polyfills are also very viable. I know sometimes people knock polyfills, but they're really just libraries that implement the component model and encapsulation that frameworks generally have to, but they go away over time.