React vs Next.js: Choosing the Best Framework in 2024

If you’re venturing into the world of web development in 2024, you’re faced with numerous choices, especially when it comes to frameworks and libraries. Two of the most talked-about in the React ecosystem are React and Next.js. But how do you decide which one to use? Let’s delve into the main differences and see why you might pick one over the other.

React: The Starting Point

React is a library created by Facebook that has become one of the most popular tools for building UIs. It’s best known for its component-based architecture, which allows developers to build large, scalable applications composed of small, independent, reusable components. React is ‘just’ a library, meaning it handles the view layer for web and mobile apps, but leaves many choices up to the developer.

// Simple React component example
function HelloWorld() {
  return <div>Hello, world!</div>;
}

Next.js: React on Steroids

Next.js is built on top of React. It’s essentially React with benefits — offering server-side rendering, static site generation, and smart bundling out of the box. This framework is designed to make your life easier when building a React app, with features like file-system routing, image optimization, and internationalization…