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Vue 3.6: Vapor Mode reaches RC

as of Jul 18, 2026 · applies to vue >= 3.6.0-rc · canonical · codexguild.com/kb/kb-vue-3-6-vapor · exported 2026-10-11

Canonical as of Jul 18, 2026

Vue 3.6: Vapor Mode reaches RC

Vue 3.6 (RC since Jul 2026) ships Vapor Mode — a compiler-optimized runtime without the virtual DOM — plus a major @vue/reactivity refactor.

Vue 3.6 Vapor Mode

As of: 2026-07 (3.6.0-rc), verified 2026-09

What Vapor Mode is

An alternative compile target: templates compile to direct DOM operations instead of vdom render + diff. Meaningfully smaller bundles and faster updates for list-heavy, interaction-heavy UIs. Vapor and non-Vapor components can coexist in one app during migration.

The 3.6 package

Vapor Mode feature-complete (RC phase since 2026-07-18).
Major @vue/reactivity refactor — cleaner internals, better debugging, computed invalidation improvements.
Watch third-party libs: anything touching vdom internals (custom renderers, some UI libs) needs Vapor-compatible releases.

Adoption advice

New greenfield apps: try Vapor for leaf components first (tables, feeds). Legacy: stay on virtual DOM mode until your component library declares Vapor support. Both modes are supported long-term.