When building a web app, developers often face a critical decision: Should I use React or Next.js? Both are powerful, but they serve different purposes.
React: The Foundation
React is a library for building UI components. It’s flexible, component-driven, and widely used. However, it lacks built-in routing, server-side rendering (SSR), and SEO optimizations, requiring additional libraries like react-router.
Next.js: The Enhanced Framework
Next.js is a framework built on top of React. It includes file-based routing, SSR, static site generation (SSG), and built-in API routes, making it more suitable for SEO-friendly and high-performance applications.
Key Differences: A Quick Comparison
| Feature | React | Next.js |
|---|---|---|
| Routing | Manual (react-router) |
Automatic (File-based) |
| SEO | Client-Side Rendering (CSR) | SSR, SSG, CSR support |
| Performance | Needs optimization | Optimized out of the box |
| API Handling | External backend required | Built-in API routes |
| Deployment | Requires configuration | Optimized for Vercel, easy to deploy |
👉 So, which one should you choose? If you need a custom setup with full control, go for React. If you want better SEO, performance, and built-in features, Next.js is the way to go.
🚀 Continue reading for a deep dive:
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