October 10, 2020
Webpack 5 released
Webpack 5.0 shipped on October 10, 2020 with persistent caching, module federation, and improved tree-shaking.
What it was for
Webpack 5's module federation let micro-frontends share dependencies at runtime — a pattern adopted by large enterprises. Persistent caching sped CI builds; better tree-shaking reduced bundle sizes for ReactA JavaScript library for building UIs — component trees and declarative rendering for the web. and Vue apps still on webpack before ViteA fast front-end build tool — instant dev server and optimized production bundling.'s rise.
Why it's here
Webpack 5 module federation changed how teams composed large frontends.
Why it mattered
Runtime sharing of modules enabled independent deployable micro-frontends.
What it solved
Monolithic frontends could not be split into independently deployed apps without duplicate bundles.
Media
- ImageWebpack
OpenJS Foundation, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Related
- webpack first releasedMarch 10, 2012
- Vite 2.0 releasedFebruary 16, 2021