Next.js vs React: How to Choose the Right Framework?

Choosing the right framework is crucial for building modern web applications. Next.js and React, both based on JavaScript, are popular options, but they cater to different needs. This guide will equip you to understand the key distinctions between Next.js and React, helping you decide which framework best suits your project for optimal performance, user experience, and SEO.

>> Read more:

• Top 12 Best Javascript Frameworks for Your Projects
• Next.js vs Angular: What Are The Differences?

What is Next.js?

The cloud hosting platform Vercel developed the Next.js framework as an enhancement to React. The issue with websites constructed using React is that they rely on client-side rendering (CSR) to transition between various “pages” or views of the application. In contrast, Next.js is capable of server-side rendering (SSR).

Next.js improves initial page load times and facilitates search engine crawling and indexing by pre-rendering pages on the server and serving solely static HTML files. This results in superior SEO performance.

Code Example: 4 Steps to Develop A Basic App in Next.js

Step 1: Initiate a Next.js app with the following command:

npx create-next-app my-next-project

Choose the subsequent options during creation:

TypeScript → Yes

ESLint → Yes

Tailwind CSS → Yes

src/directory → No

App Router → Yes

import alias → No

Step 2: Next, navigate to the folder my-next-project.

cd my-next-project

Step 3: Inside the app folder, open page.tsx and input the following code:

'use client'
import {useState} from 'react'

export default function Home() {
  const [numState,setNumState] = useState<any>(0)
  const increment = () => {
    setNumState(numState + 1 )
  }
  const decrement = () =>{
    setNumState(numState-1)
  }
  return (
    <div className='h-screen w-screen flex flex-col justify-center items-center text-[80px]'>
      <p className='test-[50px]'>My Counter App Next.js</p>
      <p className='font-bold'>{numState}</p>
      <div className='flex flex-row gap-20'>
        <button onClick={increment}>+</button>
        <button onClick={decrement}>-</button>
      </div>
    </div>
  )
}

Step 4: Finally, execute the app.

npm run dev

The output can be viewed at localhost, specifically at localhost:3000, in your web browser.

What is React?

React is a JavaScript library for front-end development that was initially developed by Facebook to tackle issues they faced in constructing and maintaining intricate user interfaces. Since its open-source release, React has gained significant traction among developers due to its efficient state management and reusable UI components. React’s virtual DOM enhances rendering speed by only updating the parts of the user interface that have changed, resulting in quicker and smoother interactions.

>> Read more about React coding:

• Mastering React Higher-Order Components (HOCs)
• Mastering React Hooks: Fundamentals for Beginners
• The Best React Design Patterns with Code Examples
• Mastering React Query: Simplify Your React Data Flow

Code Example: 4 Steps to Build A Basic Counter Application Using React

Step 1: Construct a React application with the following command:

npx create-react-app counter

Step 2: Navigate to the “counter” directory:

cd counter

Step 3: Input the following code into the App.js file located within the src directory:

import React, { useState } from "react";

import "./App.css";

const App = () => {

const [counter, setCounter] = useState(0)

const increment = () => {
    setCounter(counter + 1)
}

const decrement = () => {
    setCounter(counter - 1)
}

return (
    <div style={{
    display: 'flex',
    flexDirection: 'column',
    alignItems: 'center',
    justifyContent: 'center',
    fontSize: '300%',
    position: 'absolute',
    width: '100%',
    height: '100%',
    top: '-15%',
    }}>
    React App
    <div style={{
        fontSize: '120%',
        position: 'relative',
        top: '10vh',
    }}>
        {counter}
    </div>
    <div className="buttons">
        <button style={{
        fontSize: '60%',
        position: 'relative',
        top: '20vh',
        marginRight: '5px',
        backgroundColor: 'green',
        borderRadius: '8%',
        color: 'white',
        }}
        onClick={increment}>Increment</button>
        <button style={{
        fontSize: '60%',
        position: 'relative',
        top: '20vh',
        marginLeft: '5px',
        backgroundColor: 'red',
        borderRadius: '8%',
        color: 'white',
        }}
        onClick={decrement}>Decrement</button>
    </div>
    </div>
)
}

export default App

Step 4: Execute the preceding code with the following command:

npm start

The output can be viewed at localhost, specifically at localhost:3000, in your web browser.

What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of React?

What Are the Distinctions Between Next.js and React?

Next.js and React are both popular tools in the world of web development, but they serve different purposes and have some key differences:

Nature

React is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces, while Next.js is a production framework for React. This means that Next.js is used on top of React, extending its capabilities and streamlining the development process.

// React
import React from 'react';

function App() {
  return (
    <div>
      Hello, world!
    </div>
  );
}

export default App;

In Next.js, you would use the same React component syntax, but within the context of a Next.js application:

// Next.js
import React from 'react';

export default function Home() {
  return (
    <div>
      Hello, world!
    </div>
  );
}

Features

Everything we can do in React we can also do in Next.js, but Next.js comes with additional features like routing, API calls, and authentication. These features are not built into React, and you would need to install external libraries and dependencies to use them.

// Next.js
import useSWR from 'swr';

function Profile() {
  const { data, error } = useSWR('/api/user', fetch);

  if (error) return <div>Failed to load</div>
  if (!data) return <div>Loading...</div>

  return <div>Hello {data.name}!</div>
}

Rendering

React typically uses client-side rendering, where the application loads and generates the output on the browser dynamically. On the other hand, Next.js uses server-side rendering, where the user interface is generated on the server. This can improve performance and SEO because the server pre-renders the pages and then sends the final HTML to the client.

// Next.js
export async function getServerSideProps(context) {
  const res = await fetch(`https://.../data`)
  const data = await res.json()

  if (!data) {
    return {
      notFound: true,
    }
  }

  return {
    props: { data }, // will be passed to the page component as props
  }
}

Here is the table summarizing typical differences between Next.js and React:

When to Use Next.js?

For any public-facing website that you anticipate will attract a large number of new users and that you want to receive search traffic from Google, Next.js should be your go-to. Next.js is particularly effective in the following situations:

• Content-focused websites and blogs, where search engine optimization (SEO) and initial page load speed are key.
• E-commerce websites where SEO, performance, and dynamic content are of significant importance.
• Websites that blend static and dynamic content, taking advantage of Next.js’s server-side rendering (SSR) capabilities

When to Use React?

React is a great option for web applications that don’t need to be crawled by search engines (for instance, those that are behind a login screen). With React, you can develop:

• Single-page applications (SPAs) that offer dynamic and interactive user experiences.
• Complex web applications rich in features, with an emphasis on reusability and maintainability.
• Mobile applications using React Native, which enables developers to utilize React for creating mobile applications for iOS and Android.
• User interface components that can be integrated into larger ecosystems or frameworks.

What is the Connection Between the Next.js App Router and Server Components?

With the introduction of Next.js 13 and beyond, the App Router has been enhanced with new features, conventions, and support for React Server Components. By default, components in the app directory are React Server Components, which encourages automatic adoption and boosts performance.

React Server Components offer advantages such as utilizing server infrastructure and keeping large dependencies on the server-side. This leads to improved performance and a decrease in client-side bundle size.

The Next.js App Router merges server rendering and client-side interactivity, progressively augmenting the application for a smooth user experience. Client Components can be incorporated to introduce client-side interactivity, a feature similar to the functionality in Next.js 12 and previous versions.

The “use client” directive is employed to designate components as Client Components. Components without the “use client” directive are automatically rendered as Server Components if they are not imported by another Client Component.

Server and Client Components can be intermixed in the same component tree, with React managing the integration of both environments. As a result of adopting React Server Components and the App directory, Next.js users have gradually started to notice performance enhancements in production.

>> Read more: React vs Angular: A Comprehensive Side-by-Side Comparision

Next.js vs React: Deciding on the Ideal Framework

The pivotal question here is: Which framework should you choose?

Both React and Next.js are robust frameworks, and the optimal choice largely depends on your specific needs. React is the preferred choice for developing complex user interfaces or interactive single-page applications that are either not publicly accessible or, if they are, search engine ranking is not a concern. It provides comprehensive control over rendering and component state, offering a flexible and efficient method to manage UI components.

If your focus is on SEO and initial loading speed for content-centric, public-facing websites like blogs or e-commerce platforms, then Next.js, which is built on React, is your ideal framework.

In essence, both React.js and Next.js are potent tools for front-end development. React excels in creating dynamic and interactive user interfaces, while Next.js enhances React’s capabilities by providing server-side rendering for improved performance.