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Vue Vapor Mode is an opt-in way to compile Vue Single-File Components (SFCs) so they update the DOM directly instead of rendering through Vue’s Virtual DOM. Vue’s stated goals are a smaller baseline bundle and improved performance, but neither benefit is guaranteed for every app. It is also a subset of Vue, so components that depend on certain APIs or behaviors cannot simply switch over.
As of October 7, 2026, Vapor Mode was available to evaluate in the Vue 3.6 release-candidate line, not in the latest stable release shown by Vue. That makes it an option to test selectively, rather than a settled default for production applications.
How Vapor Mode changes Vue rendering
In standard Vue, the compiler turns a template into a render function that produces Virtual DOM nodes. Vue compares those nodes and applies the necessary changes to the browser DOM. Vapor Mode uses another compilation path: Vapor components generate direct DOM update logic instead of relying on the Virtual DOM.
Vue describes Vapor Mode as a compilation mode for SFCs intended to reduce baseline bundle size and improve performance. Those are goals, not a promise of a particular saving or speedup. Removing Virtual DOM rendering does not by itself establish how much faster a given page will load or how responsive a particular interaction will feel.
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Is Vapor Mode stable and ready for production?
Vue’s release list showed Vue 3.6.0-rc.10, released September 30, 2026, as a prerelease; Vue 3.5.43, released September 17, 2026, was the latest stable release listed. Vue’s release guidance says prereleases are unstable and should not be used in production. See the Vue core releases and Vue release guidance.
In practical terms, teams can evaluate Vapor Mode against their own components and workloads in the 3.6 release-candidate line. Teams that require stable releases should wait for a stable release that includes it and confirm that the specific features and integrations they need are supported in that release.
How to opt in to a Vapor component
Vapor Mode is opt-in at the component level. Vue’s release material says it supports template-only SFCs and SFCs using <script setup>. To opt in with script setup, add the vapor attribute:
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// component logic
</script>
<template>
<button @click="count++">{{ count }}</button>
</template><script vapor> is shorthand for the same form. The Options API is not supported in Vapor components. Because adoption is opt-in, a team can assess a suitable component or small app area without changing every component at once.
Which Vue features and patterns are unsupported?
Before opting in, check both the component and anything it depends on. Vue core identifies these unsupported or inapplicable behaviors in Vapor components:
- The Options API.
app.config.globalProperties.getCurrentInstance()does not return the usual component instance; it returnsnull.- Per-element
@vue:xxxlifecycle events. v-memo.- Component template refs do not expose public-instance properties such as
$el,$props,$attrs,$slots, and$refs.
The broader compatibility boundary is behavior that relies on VNodes or Vue’s component public instance proxy. If a component, directive, library, or test expects those internals or properties, check its compatibility before opting in rather than assuming standard Vue behavior carries over.
Delegated events and propagation
Vapor Mode delegates eligible event handlers to document. Consequently, an ancestor that calls stopPropagation() before an event reaches document can prevent a delegated handler from running. If a component relies on propagation behavior, include that interaction in compatibility testing.
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What is still on the Vapor roadmap?
Vue core’s Vapor Roadmap, opened July 22, 2025, tracks work on SSR and hydration, async components, KeepAlive, Transition and TransitionGroup, and Teleport. It also lists work involving Suspense, forwarded slots, template-ref interoperability, VitePress, Vue Router, Pinia, Nuxt, DevTools, and Vue Test Utils.
The roadmap is a record of tracked work, not a compatibility guarantee: its author notes that items might be canceled after discussion, including if implementation harms performance or proves poorly designed. Check the relevant Vue release and versions of the integrations you use before planning around a roadmap item.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to tell whether Vapor Mode helps your app
Assess the measurements that match your goal. Vue distinguishes page-load performance—how soon content appears and becomes interactive on an initial visit—from update performance, or how quickly the interface responds to input. A lighter baseline bundle may matter to first visits; direct DOM updates may matter to interactions. Neither conclusion follows from the mode alone.
- Choose a representative component and workload. Use a page or interaction that matters to your users, such as filtering a real list or switching views, rather than a synthetic case that does not resemble the app.
- Check feature fit. Identify dependencies on the unsupported APIs, public-instance properties, event propagation behavior, and ecosystem integrations described above.
- Compare production builds. Measure the actual build and its initial JavaScript or bundle weight; dependency and build choices affect the result.
- Measure the user-facing outcome. For page-load behavior, tools such as PageSpeed Insights or WebPageTest can help assess production deployments. For update behavior, profile the representative interaction and compare its response under the same conditions.
- Record the setup. Note Vue and tool versions, the component and workload, the build and test environment, and the metric. This makes the comparison useful and repeatable as the release candidate changes.
There is no official Vapor Mode percentage saving or speedup established here. A result from one app, build, or benchmark should not be treated as a prediction for another workload.
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