Next.js is an open-source front-end framework that helps in creating fast and responsive web apps. And thanks to Next.js SSR and SSG (Server-Side Rendering and Static Site Generation), websites can be made SEO and user-friendly.
Also, since Next.js automatically splits the code, the page load time is reduced. There are also some great templates and components available in next.js that speed up development time. It can also deploy serverless platforms, including AWS and Google Cloud Functions.
If you need to update your content frequently go for Next.js. It also includes features like XSS prevention and CSP for web app security. You can update static pages easily with the help of ISR (Incremental Static Regeneration) in Next.js. What’s even better? Changes made to the app can be seen without page reload. Routing has become simplified. As files in the ‘pages’ directory automatically become routes. Apart from all this, Next.js also has built-in CSS support. And certainly, these were all the advantages that bigger companies like Hulu, TikTok, and Twitch opted for Next.js for their web.
However, there are some downsides to using Next.js. First and foremost, there aren’t many plugins in Next.js. If you want some specific features in the app, you have to build them yourself. It doesn’t have built-in state management. You have to use external state managers
Now, there’s another open-source React.js framework called Gatsby that has some great advantages. It was launched before Next.js in 2015 by Gatsby Inc., And like Next.js, it can be used to make fast, high-performing SEO-friendly static sites. It’s also faster and lighter than Next.js because of its advanced static rendering approach. It has a large library of plugins that can be used to add various features to your web app. Also, to make your web app fast, you don’t need to add extensions. Web pages created with Gatsby are fast by default. It also contains data sources from multiple websites, including WordPress sites with APIs. But then again, like any other technology, Gatsby also has drawbacks. For instance, low-quality plugins and numerous default configurations make troubleshooting slightly challenging. Contrary to Next.js, the changes you make on web apps also take a minute to reflect.
Now, having given you an overview of all this, when should you choose Next.js, and when Gatsby? Well, if you want a more responsive, scalable web app that loads faster and updates quickly, opt for Next.js. But if you want to build large, customizable web apps that quickly load, choose Gatsby
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