Next.js vs. React – What are the Differences?

When developing the web application, selecting the framework is an even more herculean task. Two of the most common choices are Next.js and React in detail, with the help of which it is also possible to reveal their advantages and benefits. Thus, even though React is a rather popular and highly flexible library, Next.js goes a step further by incorporating features that include server-side rendering and improved SEO features. In this blog, we will make descriptions of the main differences between next js vs react to assist you in making the right choice of the framework for the next project.

Next.js vs. React – What are the Differences?

Next.js and react are two used frameworks which are used for developing the web applications. React is older and more popular as its history began in 2013, but Next’s history started relatively recently. The currently relatively young JS, which began its work in 2016, is gradually gaining popularity. Next.js is an open source framework which is available on Github and has more than 113k stars till 2023 and has forty to fifty million download per week. 

But this brings us to the second part of what is different between these two frameworks and when one should be used in preference to the other. It is thus about time that we examined the pros and cons of each form in detail and identify the most suitable form of investment for every country.

Rendering in Next.js

Displaying is the process by which a programmer converts code into visual for him or her or for the user. Next.js offers three types of rendering: As the name suggests, CSR where the web page rendering takes place on the client’s browser, SSR where the content is rendered on the server-side, and SSG where the webpage rendering is done at the time of build. All these methods help to optimize and improve your web app adaptability in accordance with your requirements.

Client-side Rendering

In the case of client-side rendering (CSR), all the rendering occurs on the user-end device, specifically the browser. This method is typical for such a framework as React, where HTML is compiled on the client side with the help of JavaScript. The disadvantages include the following: the user will have to wait for the content to be loaded, and this will be seen by the user.

Server-side Rendering

Server-side rendering (SSR) enables Next.js to construct HTML on the server and then send this to the client’s browser. In this way, the page loads faster, and the user does not have to wait for the script written in JavaScript to execute. SSR makes your web app faster and more SEO’ed in general.

Static Site Generation

One other feature that Next has is static site generation (SSG). js.  Here, HTML code is made at build time, thereby the loading time being faster for the users. This method is best suitable for websites that do not update content often, for example, blog sites or documentation sites.

Next.js Search Engine Optimization

One of Next. Two of JS’s most prominent features are its suitability for boosting SEO. Since Next.js can preload pages, search engines can index your website in a better way. It also makes you rank higher, making your site popular among visitors since everyone goes to the first pages of a search engine.

React, however, fails in SEO integration because it uses client-side rendering. This has implications for the fact that the search engine crawling and indexing of the content might be difficult to achieve. And if SEO is an important factor for your project, next. Thus, it is possible to conclude that, in comparison with jQuery, JS is more suitable for implementing the necessary functional.

Getting Started With Next.js

Getting started with Next.js is easy, provided you use the automatic setup. Next.js has a CLI tool known as create-next-app, which helps users create applications in a short span. TypeScript is already supported out of the box, which means your code will be production-ready with fewer error rates.

Once you’ve created your Next, If you are working on a JS project, you will find that it has a very predefined structure of directories and files. This is because consistency with a predefined structure is always maintained, hence decreasing chaos as a result of complexity in projects.

Next.js Routing and Pages

Routing in Next, is easy to learn. Js is easy to understand. No routing library like React Router is needed as the framework has borrowed the concept of the file system to define routes.

Page Routes

Page routes in Next.js are created by adding files to the pages directory. For example, if you add an about-us.tsx file in the pages folder, it will automatically create a route for the About Us page.

Nested Routes

Nested routing enables the creation of several layouts that may be used in different places. For instance, you may end up with a parent route that contains child routes beneath it which makes your application easily manageable.

Dynamic Routes

Dynamic routes should be used when one requires to create routes during runtime. For instance, in an e-commerce site, you might have a route for each of a given product. But with dynamic routing, at least, you can create a single route that encompasses all the products without having to configure a separate route each for each of the products.

Next.js Navigation

Next.js also employs a custom Link component for navigation, which is more efficient than traditional approaches. It is different from the conventional <a> HTML tag in that it is a Link component that loads data behind the scenes when the user mouses over it. This makes it easier and quicker for the users to navigate around the site something that also improves user experience.

For example, to link to an About Us page, you would use the following code:

import Link from 'next/link';

function HomePage() {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Welcome to Next.js!</h1>
      <p>
        Here’s our example <Link href="/about-us">About Us</Link> page
      </p>
    </div>
  );
}

export default AboutUs

This approach ensures that your app is both fast and efficient.

Supercharge Web Apps With Next.js

When deciding between Next.js and React, consider your project’s needs. Next.js is more opinionated and comes with features that make it easier to build advanced applications, particularly those requiring SEO and pre-rendering. Although there are a number of alternatives to React, it is still relevant for different kinds of projects such as user interfaces, back-end interfaces, and internal tools.

However, if you don’t mind having a framework that gives ready-made answers on how to route, how to render, and how to do SEO, then you can go for Next.js instead. It enables you to optimize your web applications and helps to be ahead than default React applications.

If you’re interested in mastering React, consider checking out this React JS Course. It offers comprehensive training that covers everything you need to know.

FAQs

Is Next.js better than ReactJS?
The structure of Next.js provides extensions such as server-side rendering and static site generation, as well as other features that make it a premium choice depending on the need of the application, especially if SEO and performance are valuable.

Can Next.js replace React?
Next.js does not eliminate React, but rather integrates with it. What’s even better, Next.js can be viewed as a framework that embraces goodness of React while being more powerful.

Is Next.js frontend or backend?
Next.js falls under the frontend reframe work but comes with basic backend features such as API routes. This makes it a full-stack solution for the building of web applications.

Is Next.js required for React?
Next.js does not necessarily mean it necessarily requires React. React can be used standalone, although adding Next.js to your project brings more features which can be helpful for some cases.