I want to note that Vue provides official instructions on how to use it without build tools [1], and lots of folks who have written posts on how to use React without tooling as well [2]. I agree that they're ultimately designed to be used with tooling, but it's not a blanket requirement.
- [1] https://vuejs.org/guide/quick-start.html#without-build-tools
- [2] https://blog.jim-nielsen.com/2020/react-without-build-tools/