Preact is a minimal, React-compatible JavaScript library for building user interfaces. It provides the same JSX syntax and hooks API as React but is only 3KB gzipped—95% smaller. Preact is ideal for applications where bundle size and performance are critical: mobile web, progressive web apps, embedded UIs, and applications with strict performance budgets. Preact includes a virtual DOM, components, hooks, and a router. It's designed to be simple and fast, reducing overhead while providing familiar React patterns. It can be used as a drop-in replacement for React in many applications.