What do you mean by traditional?

For example, having some Django or RoR render forms and handle submit with a full reload, or another case where client would query some endpoints via JS fetch API and handle the responses that way.

TLDR: htmx can give you the UX of the later with the simplicity of the former.

I would recommend reading the essays on the htmx website for more in-depth discussion:

https://htmx.org/essays