The latest articles on DEV Community by Salman Faris (@salmanfaris). https://dev.to/salmanfaris https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F2061429%2F76426d86-fbe3-41ea-81a0-3d5026522785.gif https://dev.to/salmanfaris en Salman Faris Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:04:32 +0000 https://dev.to/salmanfaris/i-built-a-nextjs-inspired-web-framework-in-go-meet-nexgo-55ib https://dev.to/salmanfaris/i-built-a-nextjs-inspired-web-framework-in-go-meet-nexgo-55ib <p>Modern web development is dominated by tools like Next.js, but most of them rely heavily on Node.js, npm, and complex build systems.</p> <p>I wanted something simpler. Faster. More efficient.</p> <p>So I built <strong>NexGo</strong> — a Go-powered web framework inspired by Next.js.</p> <h2> ⚡ What is NexGo? </h2> <p>NexGo brings the <strong>developer experience of Next.js</strong> into the <strong>Go ecosystem</strong>.</p> <p>It allows you to build full-stack web applications using:</p> <ul> <li>File-based routing</li> <li>Server-side rendering (SSR)</li> <li>API routes</li> <li>Hot reload</li> <li>Static site generation</li> </ul> <p>All compiled into a <strong>single binary</strong> — no runtime dependencies, no Node.js.</p> <h2> 🔥 Why NexGo? </h2> <p>Most modern frameworks come with overhead:</p> <ul> <li>❌ Node.js runtime</li> <li>❌ Heavy dependencies</li> <li>❌ Complex build pipelines</li> </ul> <p>With NexGo:</p> <ul> <li>✅ No Node.js</li> <li>✅ No npm</li> <li>✅ Zero dependencies</li> <li>✅ Blazing fast performance (~50K req/sec)</li> <li>✅ Simple deployment (just one binary)</li> </ul> <h2> 🧠 How It Works </h2> <p>NexGo uses a <strong>file-based routing system</strong>, similar to Next.js.</p> <p>Example:<br> </p> <div class="highlight js-code-highlight"> <pre class="highlight plaintext"><code>pages/ ├── index.html → / ├── about.html → /about ├── blog/ │ └── [slug].html → /blog/post-1 </code></pre> </div> <p>Just create files — NexGo automatically turns them into routes.</p> <h2> 🚀 Getting Started </h2> <p>Install NexGo:<br> </p> <div class="highlight js-code-highlight"> <pre class="highlight shell"><code>go <span class="nb">install </span>github.com/salmanfaris22/nexgo/cmd/nexgo@latest </code></pre> </div> <p>Create a project:<br> </p> <div class="highlight js-code-highlight"> <pre class="highlight shell"><code>nexgo create my-app <span class="nb">cd </span>my-app nexgo dev </code></pre> </div> <p>Now open:</p> <p>👉 <a href="http://localhost:3000" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://localhost:3000</a></p> <p>Your app is live with hot reload ⚡</p> <h2> ⚡ Built for Performance </h2> <p>Because NexGo is written in Go:</p> <ul> <li>It handles <strong>thousands of requests efficiently</strong> </li> <li>Compiles into a <strong>small binary (~10MB)</strong> </li> <li>Uses <strong>no external runtime</strong> </li> </ul> <h2> 🌐 Live Demo </h2> <p>Check out NexGo in action:</p> <p>👉 <a href="https://nexgo.up.railway.app/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://nexgo.up.railway.app/</a></p> <p>💡 This entire website is built using NexGo itself.</p> <h2> 🧩 Key Features </h2> <ul> <li>File-based routing</li> <li>Layouts and reusable components</li> <li>API routes using Go</li> <li>Built-in middleware (CORS, logging, gzip)</li> <li>Static asset support</li> <li>Hot reload (HMR)</li> <li>DevTools panel</li> </ul> <h2> ⚖️ NexGo vs Next.js </h2> <div class="table-wrapper-paragraph"><table> <thead> <tr> <th>Feature</th> <th>NexGo</th> <th>Next.js</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>Language</td> <td>Go</td> <td>JavaScript</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Runtime</td> <td>None</td> <td>Node.js</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Deployment</td> <td>Single binary</td> <td>Server / Vercel</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Performance</td> <td>⚡ Very high</td> <td>High</td> </tr> </tbody> </table></div> <h2> 💡 Why I Built This </h2> <p>I wanted a framework that:</p> <ul> <li>Combines <strong>simplicity + performance</strong> </li> <li>Removes unnecessary complexity</li> <li>Feels modern like Next.js</li> <li>Runs entirely on Go</li> </ul> <p>NexGo is my attempt to bring that vision to life.</p> <h2> 🚀 What’s Next? </h2> <p>I’m actively improving NexGo and exploring:</p> <ul> <li>Better developer tools</li> <li>Plugin ecosystem</li> <li>More advanced routing features</li> </ul> <h2> 💬 Feedback Welcome </h2> <p>This is an open-source project, and I’d love your feedback.</p> <p>👉 GitHub: <a href="https://github.com/salmanfaris22/nexgo" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://github.com/salmanfaris22/nexgo</a><br> 👉 Try it: <a href="https://nexgo.up.railway.app/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://nexgo.up.railway.app/</a></p> <h2> ⭐ Support the Project </h2> <p>If you find NexGo interesting:</p> <ul> <li>Give it a ⭐ on GitHub</li> <li>Share it with other developers</li> <li>Try building something with it</li> </ul> <h3> 🚀 Built with Go. Inspired by Next.js. Powered by simplicity. </h3> nexgo nextjs react go