Next.js vs. React: Which is the Best for Your Project

In this story, we are going to talk about React.js and Next.js to find out which one we should use in our projects to get the most benefit.

The purpose of this story is not to compare Next with React. Instead, it is meant to help you understand both so that you can decide whether or not to use Next in your projects.

Let’s first take a deeper look at React.js and Next.js separately.

So, let's get started!

React.js

React is a JavaScript library that is used to create user interfaces with the help of UI components. Components are small, independent, and reusable pieces of code that make a large application easy to manage. It is a free and open-source front-end JavaScript library that is maintained by Meta.

ReactJS is more popular than any other front-end development library; you should learn it if you want to be a front-end developer. There are many opportunities for developers who are proficient in ReactJS because of the rising demand for ReactJS developers.

I've written a story explaining ReactJS and its fundamental concepts to give beginners a quick overview.

Check it out here.

Next.js

Next.js is a JavaScript framework that is built by Vercel, Facebook, and Google and is based on Node.js and Babel.

This may seem strange since many React websites are built on Next.js. React websites are typically built on Next.js to simplify server-side rendering since Next.js offers all the functionality you need to create a website that works right out of the box. Next.js has comprehensive documentation. I believe that documentation is one of the reasons it has become more popular.

ReactJS vs NEXT.js

Let's take a look at two of them and then decide which one to use:

Workflow

Because React is a library, you need to create your own workflow. Next is essentially a workflow that became a framework because of its usefulness. Next is built on React and is intended to make development simpler and faster. In a React project, Next is often preferred because of its speed.

Performance

Next.js supports automatic server-side rendering. Websites built with Next.js are very fast because of the server-side rendering. React would require another library for server-side rendering since it only supports client-side rendering.

Check out the article below I wrote on React State Management Libraries: What is React State Management

Beginners Friendly

Next.js is a great option for developers who are just getting started with React.

It's saving developers the time and effort of setting up and customizing their toolset. With this, you don’t have to build applications from scratch. You can use the pre-built templates for different application categories or create your own from scratch.

To begin, simply enter the command npx create-next-app@latest into the terminal.

Note: This create-next-app only creates the front end of your application.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Websites built with Next.js are search engine-optimized. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) improves your website’s ranking on Google. It is more likely that a website built with Next.js will rank on Google than one built with React.

Community Support

Even though there are very few tutorials and support resources available for Next, it is true that the community and project members are very active in open-source projects. So, Next can almost compete with React when it comes to suppsupporting## No Next.js without React
You cannot use Next.js without React.js, just as you cannot use React without JavaScript.

Conclusion

If you need to utilize a lot of APIs for some functionality, then Next.js is the right choice for you. In the case of simple static websites, React would be sufficient.

Hopefully, this will help you understand Next.js and help you decide whether or not to use it.

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