In today’s fast-paced web development world, Next.js is one framework that’s becoming popular among developers. It’s a powerful React-based solution that offers a lot more than just a traditional React and Node.js setup. What makes it so great? Let’s take a closer look.

What is Next.js?

Next.js is an open-source React framework created by Vercel. It’s meant to be a batteries-included approach to React and Node. Let’s take a closer look at some of its key features.

• Server-Side Rendering (SSR): Next.js can render React components on the server, which greatly improves initial page load times. This is the most powerful and dynamic difference between vanilla Node/React and Next.js.
• Static Site Generation (SSG): Static HTML is generated during the build. This is awesome for content-heavy pages.
• File-based Routing: Routing is based on file structure. It’s easy to decipher and add new routes as needed.
• API Routes: API routes can be written as needed within your app.
• Built-in CSS Support: CSS Modules and Sass are included and ready to go.
• Image Optimization: Images are automatically optimized with the Image component. Lazy loading is also built in out of the box.
• Code Splitting: Only necessary code is loaded for the current page or component.

Why Choose Next.js Over Vanilla React and Node?

While React and Node.js provide a great base for building web applications, Next.js has several advantages that can make the developer experience much smoother and faster. Let me walk you through some of the reasons.

• Simplified Setup: Pre-configured environments and routing make setup fast and easy.
• Performance Optimization: Features like automatic code splitting and server-side rendering make for an efficient and optimized web app.
• Improved SEO: Server-side rendering makes SEO a breeze and easier to index.
• Developer Experience: Next.js provides a smooth development experience with features like hot module replacement and error reporting.
• Scalability: Next.js’s architecture makes it easier to maintain and scale your application.

Next.js in the Wild

Now that’s we’ve reviewed what Next.js is and why you should consider using it in place of vanilla React and Node from a bird’s eye view, let’s take a more practical approach. I have used Next.js both professionally and personally, and I can definitely say that it is here to stay. It could even be the next iteration of React!

In one of my professional projects, we re-wrote a vanilla react app in Next.js, and the results were impressive. The rewrite went quickly, the process was smooth, and the configuration was a breeze. We spent less time fighting the framework and were freed up to spend more time fine-tuning and making architectural decisions.

I’ve also used Next.js quite heavily on a personal project of mine. I was still somewhat new to it when I decided to use it, and I really wanted to nail down some of the patterns and approaches to the framework. One aspect I was impressed by was how routing was handled. Routing has always been a pain point for me with vanilla React, but with Next.js, it’s intuitive and easy to use. Just add a new page to the file structure, and it is automatically a route.

Conclusion

What makes Next.js awesome is its ability to make developers more productive without sacrificing control. Next.js takes a streamlined approach that can save many hours of development time. Plus with its robust features and performance optimizations your app will run quickly and smoothly.

If you’re starting from scratch or looking to upgrade an existing React project, you should check out Next.js. Based on my experience with it on personal and professional projects, I highly recommend giving it a try! Its blend of power, easy setup, and scalability could be the key to taking your web development projects to the next level while saving time and money.

Deciding which frameworks to use can be challenging (no matter the project), and that’s a big reason why my team at Keyhole Software writes. We want to share our experiences (both successes and failures) and knowledge with you! Head to the Keyhole Dev Blog for more.