Since Facebook (now Meta) first released React in 2013, it's been a go-to choice for building web applications. But recently, a challenger has emerged – NextJS! Developed by Vercel, NextJS is a powerful React-based framework that comes packed with awesome features to make your web applications highly scalable. Ready for nine reasons why NextJS leaves React in the dust for creating scalable web apps with exceptional user experiences, lightning-fast load times, and killer SEO features? Let's dive in!
1. SEO Magic Out of the Box
NextJS is a superhero when it comes to Search Engine Optimization (SEO). It's got features like server-side rendering (SSR) and static site generation (SSG) in its arsenal, helping your web app rank higher and score more organic traffic. Plus, NextJS makes managing the head tag, meta tags, and structured data a breeze! React does support SEO, but you'll need third-party libraries and extra configs to get the job done.
2. SSR: Your Web App's Secret Weapon
NextJS has built-in support for server-side rendering (SSR), a game-changer that lets web applications render pages on the server before sending them to the client. This slashes the initial load times and boosts SEO performance. Meanwhile, React apps by default render the HTML pages client-side, which can lead to longer load times and subpar SEO.
3. SSG: The Need for Speed
Static Site Generation (SSG) is where NextJS really shines. With SSG, your web pages are pre-rendered as static HTML files, giving you blazingly fast load times, which results in better SEO performance. React also has SSG support with 3rd party tools, but it's just not as smooth and integrated as it is in NextJS!
4. ISG: Keep Your Content Fresh
Incremental Site Generation (ISG) is a unique NextJS feature that lets you update static pages incrementally, so you don't have to rebuild your entire site. It's a game-changer for big web apps with frequently updated content, cutting down on build times and ensuring users see the latest and greatest. Sadly, React doesn't have a built-in ISG solution.
5. Auto Code Splitting for the Win
NextJS automatically breaks your app's code into smaller chunks, so only the necessary code is loaded for each page. This means faster page loads and happier users! React supports code splitting too, but you'll have to set it up manually – and who has time for that?
6. TypeScript Support: No Sweat
NextJS is all about making life easier with first-class TypeScript support. Just a minimal config, and you're ready to enjoy TypeScript's benefits like better code quality and refactoring. React supports TypeScript too, but it requires extra setup.
7. File-System Based Routing: Easy Peasy
NextJS's file-system based routing system is a breeze, automatically generating routes based on your app's file structure. With React, you'll need third-party libraries like React Router to handle routing – adding complexity to your development process.
8. Auto Performance Optimization: Just Works
NextJS auto-optimizes your web app's performance using techniques like prefetching, inlining critical CSS, and lazy loading images. This means a smoother user experience, faster loads, and less resource consumption. React has some performance optimization features, but they're not as comprehensive or automatic as NextJS.
9. Experimental Features? More Like Cutting-Edge
NextJS has a faster release cycle than React, which means experimental features often become stable sooner. That's great news for developers who want to stay ahead of the curve and keep their web apps fresh and competitive. React does release new features, but its slower release cycle can be a bit of a downer for devs who crave the latest and greatest.
Still not Convinced?
If you are still not convinced by the points mentioned above, React themselves list NextJS as the no. #1 choice for creating new React applications. Recently, the team at React replaced the notorious create-react-app with NextJS, Remix, Gatsby and Expo as options for creating a brand new React app on the Start a New React Project page!
The Verdict: NextJS Takes the Crown
There's no denying it – NextJS is the takes the crown when it comes to building scalable web applications. With its impressive arsenal of features, including built-in SSR, automatic code splitting, SSG, ISG, TypeScript support, file-system based routing, automatic performance optimization, rapid adoption of experimental features, and out-of-the-box SEO support. NextJS makes creating cutting-edge web apps a breeze. So if you're considering developing a scalable, high-performance, react-based web application, it's time to give NextJS a shot – you won't be disappointed!
If there are any points I missed that make NextJS a compelling and go-to framework to use for production applications, please do mention them in the comments.
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Thanks again for taking you time to read this article, see you next time :)
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