Next.js experts: What problems did you face using Zod with Orval in enterprise applications?

Sasindu Bnadara — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 07:01:00 +0000

Next.js experts: What problems did you face using Zod with Orval in enterprise applications?
Hi everyone,

I’d like to hear from experienced Next.js developers who have used Orval + Zod for validation in enterprise level applications.

What kind of real world issues or limitations did you face while implementing this setup? For example:

• Performance or bundle size concerns

• Difficulties maintaining large OpenAPI schemas

• Type mismatches between backend and frontend

• Problems with runtime validation vs compile time types

• Team adoption or DX challenges
Based on your experience, would you still recommend Orval + Zod for large scale Next.js projects, or would you choose a different approach today?

Thanks for sharing your insights.

Is using Orval + Zod for validation in Next.js a good industry practice?

Sasindu Bnadara — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 06:59:51 +0000

I’m a beginner in Next.js development and I’m learning about API validation. I came across Orval (for generating API clients from OpenAPI specs) and Zod (for schema validation).

I was wondering, in a professional/industry setting, is it considered a good practice to combine Orval + Zod to automate validations? Or are there better approaches commonly used in the industry for handling validation in Next.js apps?

Any advice, experiences, or examples would be really helpful!

Thanks in advance.

DEV Community: Sasindu Bnadara

Next.js experts: What problems did you face using Zod with Orval in enterprise applications?

Is using Orval + Zod for validation in Next.js a good industry practice?