Choosing the right library or framework for each project is one of the most important decisions, as it directly impacts the project success. The smoother the code-writing process, the better the result. But unfortunately, software developers sometimes have trouble choosing the right technology stack for their projects.
Next.js is a React framework that is sure to make developers’ lives easier. It can be used to abstract common and redundant tasks (such as routing) into relatively simpler and more powerful APIs. This way, developers can focus on writing applications instead of reinventing the wheel.
Next.js applications take full advantage of the React library and simply add extra functionality:
- Server Side Rendering. With SSR, the page is fully sent back to the browser and rendered immediately.
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization). SSR helps your site rank higher on search engine results pages. SSR makes websites rank higher for SEO because they load faster, and more website content can be crawled with SEO trackers.
- The <head> tag.js also allows you to edit the site’s <head> tag, which you can’t do in React. The <head> tag is the main part of the metadata of a web page and helps to improve the SEO ranking of the site.
One of the core strengths of Next.js is that it supports website models with multiple pages. In addition, the development with Next.js is low code and zero configuration to simplify the work for front-end developers. If you need Next.js development services, don’t hesitate to contact Axon!
Why use Next.js?
The main advantage of Next.js is the built-in support for SSR to improve performance and SEO. With all the information on the server, the client can get a preview of the page’s HTML code. The client can send a single request to the server and get a full HTML page instead of requesting each component individually with client-side rendering.
Next.js is quick and transparent. It only updates the code within this file at a time. Everything else is not re-rendered. If the edited file has exports that are not React components, Fast Refresh will render both that file and the ones they import. For example, if Button.js and Modal.js both import theme.js, editing theme.js will both rerender.
The disadvantages of Next.js
Still, Next.js has some disadvantages:
- No ready support for dynamic routing: Unlike React, Next.js needs Node.js to set it up.
- Time-consuming process for large website development: Next.js is not very fast when it comes to website building. Although there are alternative ways, some developers might be put off by this fact.
- Chance of being locked in: Getting started with Next.js without basic knowledge can get you locked in – with no ability to change the framework if such a need arises.
Is Next.js better than React.js?
The differences between React.js and Next.js described above lead us to conclude that there is no right answer as to which is better. The choice depends entirely on your project needs.
Some tasks like SSR, static export, pre-rendering, automatic build size optimization and advanced development compilation are easier to accomplish with Next.js, while things like social media, online chats, or marketplaces are better built with the help of React.js should be.
Is Next.js a good option for your software project?
NextJS promises big things with its slogan, The React Framework for Production! In fact, NextJS offers numerous advantages compared to a normal React application, which is especially important in production.
As with many frameworks and technologies, you must be clear about your use cases and the application area beforehand. In addition to the frontend-facing functions, NextJS also offers a wide range of options, such as connecting to a database. Here you have to decide, based on the size and complexity of the application, whether using another technology is not more suitable.