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Shariq Ahmed
Shariq Ahmed

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Next.js Vs React — Basic Differences

Next.js was introduced in 2016 as an open-source project. It’s actually a React framework that’s used to create full-stack web apps. Further, it was built on top of React. That’s why developers who already know React can learn it really quickly. One selling point of Next.js is that it gives an out-of-the-box solution for SSR. Another great thing about Next.js is that its documentation is not only comprehensive but also excellent.

On the contrary, React is an open source library. It was created by Facebook in 2013. Further, it supports functional programming and has a reactive approach. But what is React used for? Well, in social media and online video streaming platforms, React is used more often.

Now, let’s see the difference between these two: React and Next.js.

1. Performance
Thanks to static destinations, and SSR, not only can you speed up for work, but app performance can also be improved when you use Next.js. But React only supports client-side rendering — which isn’t enough to improve app performance.

2. Server-side Rendering (SSR)

SSR has many benefits including fast load times, improved performance and SEO. Next.js supports SSR. But React doesn’t allow SSR. Sure, developers can integrate SSR. But it will take a lot of their time.

3. Community

Being alone at home is better than being in the community ( you may or may not echo this). But in programming, the opposite is always preferred. Because you see at times you may face difficulties while programming or debugging. So, at such times, developer communities can help a lot. Good news is both React and Next.js has big and helpful community,

4. Configuration

In Next.js, you will find everything configurable. But, unfortunately, that’s not the case with React. The support for configuration isn’t good in React.

For your ease, I’m mentioning all these differences along with others in the image below.

Image description

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