Next.js

Next.js is the framework that turns React into a full production tool. Where React only provides the interface layer, Next.js adds server-side rendering, routing, image optimization, and code splitting, with no configuration to assemble yourself.

What is Next.js used for?

Next.js renders pages using whichever strategy fits: static at build time, on the server per request, or on the client. Its App Router organizes routes by folders and enables React Server Components, which run part of the code on the server to lighten the browser's load. The result: fast, well-indexed pages without juggling several libraries.

Next.js or another framework?

Compared to SvelteKit or Remix, Next.js leads on ecosystem size and integration with Vercel's hosting, its own publisher. That closeness is also its recurring criticism: some optimizations are built with Vercel in mind, and self-hosting takes more effort. The framework runs on Node.js and works well in VS Code.

What are Next.js's limitations?

The learning curve has grown steeper with the App Router and Server Components, which trip up even experienced React developers. The framework moves fast, at the cost of occasional breaking changes between major versions. For a simple showcase site, it can be overkill.