They are almost literally the exact same API. Prior to the “automatic JSX transform”, they were basically identical. That’s how both libraries support JSX, which isn’t always exactly a mapping to h but is almost totally in both React and Vue (and Preact, and even in Solid if you ignore recommendations to use its custom JSX transform). The API you’re criticizing is specifically good because it enables what you prefer in React.

What do you mean by a component that takes an arbitrary node to render?

Do you mean a component that renders out to a node?

Or a component that takes in a node external to the component so it can render to that external node (as opposed to or in conjunction with a node inside the component)?

If the first, isn't this just the job of the component's <template> or jsx?

If the second, isn't this what slots are for?

Yikes. That does not look sane to me. Duplicate vnodes doesnt work, so you HAVE to use some function to generate it instead?

> Duplicate vnodes doesnt work, so you HAVE to use some function to generate it instead?

Yes. Mutable vnodes is a huge mistake that I've done long time ago when I've tried to figure out how to write efficient diffing algorithm (2014-2015), and a lot of libraries copied that terrible idea without deep understanding why I've done it in the first place.