“React – Debuted in the market in 2013 and is the second most popular web framework.
Next JS – Debuted in 2016 and is now the 11th most popular web framework among developers. “
Beginners often misunderstand a rivalry between Next JS vs React while in reality both carry a parent child relationship. In other words, Next JS is built upon React and uses its library but with better tools & functionalities. But, there is constant chaos among developers on which are best, Nextjs vs react? The article is the answer.
The write-up is the best comparison between Next.js vs React and which is best for you! We will also cover the basic definition and advantages & disadvantages of both the frontend frameworks.
One of the most popular front-end libraries is React, which is developed by Facebook and enables developers to design reusable UI components. Alongside Redux and other libraries, React is an intuitive front-end toolkit that provides a number of helpful features for enclosing routing and state management patterns. A JavaScript package called React enables programmers to create user interfaces.
A user interface (UI) is a JavaScript and HTML combo that holds all the code required to display a small portion of a larger UI. In order to keep users on your website, user interface (UI) is essential and no matter what, you have to make sure it’s engaging & robust. You can hire a reactjs development company to assure an interactive UI based project.
“Did you know – React was the most wanted web framework in 2020”
React.js is currently in a good educational position since it has developed alongside its community over time and because this community has produced hundreds of reference materials. React.js is a worthwhile investment because of the abundance of tutorial videos and documentation.
With the help of the JavaScript syntax extension JSX, creating dynamic web applications with React.js is simplified. When JSX code is compiled to JavaScript, the Babel compiler will automatically apply performance optimizations on your code.
With the help of the robust JavaScript package React, programmers may design Reusable User Interfaces (UI). The ability to create Components—self-contained code units that can be reused across your app—is a fundamental feature of React.
React JS is used for building user interfaces and is known for its small size & better performance. The Javascript library uses server side rendering and thus is highly SEO friendly.
React.js applications are easy to test due to the component-based architecture that makes it easy to differentiate individual parts for testing. Further, there are several libraries available that make it effortless to do unit tests.
The rapid development of React.js has made it quite popular in the last several years. For developers, meanwhile, this has also resulted in certain drawbacks. One of the main issues is that React.js is evolving quickly, making it challenging to stay up to date on the most recent enhancements. This implies that developers must devote a significant amount of work to staying current with the React ecosystem, which may put off some people.
Furthermore, React applications may have occasional errors and instability due to the rapid speed of development.
The React documentation is crucial for understanding how to utilise the library, as any React developer is aware. But as the library gets bigger and more complicated, it gets harder to navigate the documentation.
Furthermore, a lot of the examples are out of date, and the functioning of the code is frequently not well explained.
Developers are consequently forced to invest a great deal of effort in finding the answers to their queries. The fact that React is always evolving and adding new features makes this issue worse.
Developers have to invest a lot of time reading the documentation to stay on top of the always-shifting terrain. As a result, learning how to use React documentation has become extremely difficult for novice developers.
React re-renders unnecessary times due to the life-cycle of its components. Each component that makes up a React web application is checked for changes by Reacts before rendering it; yet, because of the way JavaScript handles equality and comparisons, Reacts may encounter an unforeseen change. Such an inadvertent alteration may result in needless re-rendering.
Next, created by Vercel.js, is an open-source JavaScript framework that lets you utilise React to create quick, easy-to-use web apps and static webpages. In reality, it is built on top of Babel and Node.js, and it works with React to create Single Page Applications. This facilitates and simplifies server-side.
Next JS is a JavaScript framework that facilitates developers to leverage React and create incredibly fast and user-friendly static webpages and web applications. A lightweight, open-source web development framework for React applications is called Next JS. Developers can use it to create server-side rendering.
Many features are available with Next.js, including automatic building size optimization, preview mode, pre-rendering, faster compilation, and static export. I believe that what React has been lacking is the current Next.js version.
Server-side rendering and static site generation are supported by Next.js. Due to pre-rendered, cached, and CDN-served web application pages, static creation is incredibly quick in Next JS, making it a faster option.
Although these pages are already constructed on the server rather than the client, server-side rendering is as quick as the server processing the request.
The majority of Next.js’s functionalities are built-in and require no configuration. For instance, you may construct a route in your app without writing any code using the page routing feature.
You may easily design your own back-end features to drive your own front-end. Your client-side application’s size bundle is unaffected by this.
Next JS allows developers to include CSS stylesheets without the need to use any additional third party libraries. This works well for a small application where adding a CSS preprocessor creates unrequired complexities among developers.
Developing an application with Next.js necessitates a substantial initial investment. Not only do you require Nextjs-savvy developers, but you also need to commit continuous resources to the application’s upkeep.
Developers are essentially forced to follow their own standards and methods by using Next.js. Many developers simply don’t like Webpack, therefore Next.js forces you to utilise it without setting anything up.
The routing system provided by Next.js is useful but not free. Your pages get heavier and more difficult to maintain when your routing logic is firmly coupled to them. If you wish to reuse your routing logic in other areas of your application or if you need to alter your routes regularly, this could be a severe issue.
For web apps that don’t need to be crawled by search engines (such as those that are hidden behind a login wall), React is a great option. Using React, you can create:
Next.js should be used on any publicly accessible website that you anticipate seeing a high volume of new visitors and that you would like Google to send you search traffic. The following situations are when Next.js shines:
| Parameters | Next JS | React JS |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | It is an open-source web development framework. | It is an open-source front-end JavaScript library. |
| Cross Platform Apps | Next.js is mainly meant for the web | React native is based on the React.js library |
| Server-side Rendering (SSR) | It supports different types of SSR and incremental Static Generation. | It offers no support for SSR out-of-the-box. |
| Image Optimization | Makes pictures adaptable in small viewports | It isn’t built but can be achieved using third-party libraries |
| Learning Curve | Prior knowledge of React JS is a must to learn Next JS. | It is easier to learn. |
| Configurability | Everything can be configured with ease. | Basic adjustments are needed for configurations. |
| Performance | Apps have slow loading times | Apps are faster as compared to React |
| Community | Small and evolving. | Large and growing. |
| Developers | Finding experienced Next JS developers is relatively harder. | Finding experienced React JS developers is easy. |
| Use Case | It can be used to build Uls, SPAs, etc. | used to build static websites, applications, etc. |
| SEO | Non-Friendly | Friendly |
| Learning Curve | Steeper Learning Curve | Easy to Learn |
| Development Cost | Low | Low |
| Top Features | Server-side rendering, static site generation, automatic routing, build size optimization, fast refresh/reload | React is pretty much extensible and some of these features can be enabled |
| Third Party APIs | It is possible to have third-party API using API routes | React is mainly focused on building UI |
Next JS offers better performance than React as the former offers automatic server side rendering and code splitting. Another reason for Next JS applications being faster is static destinations making them a better choice where speed is required. In comparison, React JS offers client side rendering which is not that ideal for high performance apps.
Good documentation allows users to understand the tool, how to use it, which libraries to use, and many more things required for development. Although tutorials & articles are available on the internet but the one released officially by the framework plays a major role. Here, both frameworks carry similar design and provide a set of tutorials to go through. However, Next JS documentation is much easier to navigate & learn.
React uses client side rendering while Next JS uses server side rendering. In comparison, server side rendering is better for high performing applications than client side. Although React doesn’t automatically provide SSR, you can enable it easily.
Developers’ active community plays an important role whenever someone faces an issue in the framework. React JS is an established JS library and thus has a vast active developer’s community. In comparison, Next JS also has active community but the presence is scattered & available more in the open source world. Developers provide solutions in the form of blogs, articles, videos, and Q & As. You can find the number of React documents and active members on Stack Overflow.
React supports typescripts for CRA (Create React App) with the following – “npx create-reach-app my-app – template typescript”.
In comparison, Next JS supports typescript configuration with – “touch tsconfig.json”.
Next JS offers a better configuration setup than React making it a viable option for people who are looking for utter control in their project. You can configure almost everything on Next JS using templates while you have to build features from scratch on React or integrate from third-party libraries. This makes React time consuming and is complex for your project.
So these were the differences between Next JS vs React. Note that it is not wise to choose a winner among both of them as it depends upon the project’s requirements and needs. In the end, we leave it to you!
It is not wise to choose one between Next JS vs React. Selecting a library or framework depends upon the project requirements & needs. For instance, Next JS provides the best development solutions for static websites and allows managing projects effortlessly with the help of tools & robust functionalities.
On the other hand, React is a library & not framework making it versatile and an ideal choice to build a single page. Thus, the choice of choosing between React or Next JS depends upon the individual & project requirements, making both of them a clear winner.
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So, this was the best comparison between next.js & react. Clearly, there is no one winner but both of them. It just depends upon your & project’s needs. In this guide, we have also covered the basics of both the frameworks, including meaning and pros & cons. We hope that the guide was able to resolve your query and provide you with the correct information about React vs Next JS. You can easily choose the best frontend frameworks. However, if you are still not sure and have doubts, then you can consult the top website development companies in India, like Konstant Infosolutions. We are always happy to help users and offer the best services.
It totally depends upon the individual requirements & needs of the project. React is usually a good choice for large scale apps that require heavy data driven components & complex routing. In comparison, Next JS is better for building static sites or JAMstack applications.
Next JS is better to build high performing, faster, and SEO friendly sites. However, React works best on building complex, large scale applications that demand complex routing & high data driven components.
Next JS is a framework built upon React while React is a Javascript library. Next JS has built in features such as automatic code splitting & server side rendering while React is best for developing user interfaces.
Yes, Next JS is faster than React JS due to server side rendering in the former making it an SEO as well as high performing applications. In comparison, React JS supports client side rendering.
No, React can work independently and doesn’t need Next JS for building applications. However, Next JS has many built in features that can make the development process easier.
Manish Jain is the co-founder and Managing Director at Konstant Infosolutions. He is responsible for the overall operations of the company and has played a major role in bringing Konstant up from its humble beginnings and, with his immense energy and drive, transforming it into a globally trusted name in IT solutions.
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