React Vs Next JS: A Comprehensive Overview. 👨🏻‍💻

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12 min readDec 28, 2022

When it comes to ease and meeting project objectives, it is critical for developers to choose the correct framework or library. There are various fantastic Front-end frameworks available. However, when it comes to popularity and usage, React has been on top for nearly a decade. Although, in recent years, another Framework has emerged as a popular alternative to React, and that Framework is none other than NextJS. Well, in this article on Next JS vs React JS, we will discuss the tech in-depth.

Both React and Next.js are two of the most popular front-end web development tools nowadays. They’re enjoyable to work with and are responsible for defining our online experience as the standard tools used to create user interfaces (UI) all over the world. But the question is, which one should you pick?

Basically, when it comes to frameworks, developers tend to favor those that provide scalability as well as convenience. Because they do not always have the time to master new software libraries from the ground up. As a result, addressing a platform where the developer’s experience is comparable helps shorten the learning curve. Aside from that, there are several important criteria that are frequently evaluated, such as performance, learning curve, community support, and so on.

In this article, we will go over all of the important points as well as a full comparison of Next JS vs React JS. In addition, while writing this blog, I analyzed the developer experience of Next.js vs. React.

Before diving deep into the comparison, we will first start with some basic information about React and NextJS. After that, we will dig deep into the specifics.

What Is ReactJS?

Established by Facebook, ReactJS is one of the most popular front-end libraries. Furthermore, it is easily extensible and offers amazing features like routing as well as state management patterns using libraries such as Redux. Besides, it has a small footprint but can be suitable for any project.

React is a great solution that includes many important features such as routing and state management patterns. It is a huge, feature-rich library that can be used to develop complex applications. It is well-suited to large-scale projects.

Another characteristic that distinguishes React from other front-end technologies is JSX, which is a syntax and JavaScript extension. There is no need to create a new file for the template and then another file logic with JSX. Simply put, JSX enables a programmer to compose HTML in JavaScript.

You can check out the official React docs for more information on React in brief.

Features:

JSX
Components
One-way Data Binding
Virtual DOM
Simplicity
Performance

Due to such advantageous features, React is highly popular amongst developers as well as tech giants like Netflix, Instagram, Trello, Skype, Discord, etc.

Advantages:

One of the primary advantages of utilizing React JS is the ability to reuse components. It saves developers time because they don’t have to write many programs for the same functionalities. Furthermore, any modifications made to a specific portion of the application will not affect other parts of the application.

Apart from this, the following are some of the advantages that make ReactJS preferable over the frameworks.

It simplifies JavaScript coding.
Extremely capable
Excellent cross-platform compatibility
Takes care of dependents
Designing templates has never been easier
Provides fantastic developer tools
UI-centric designs
Simple to modify

When it comes to delivering the best performance, ReactJS is one of the best libraries for building web apps.

What Is NextJS?

Next.js was built on top of React in order to create a simple development framework. It was created by Vercel (previously Zeit) and incorporates many of React’s popular features. Next.js has pre-rendering, routing, code splitting, and Webpack compatibility out of the box.

In other words, NextJS allows you to work swiftly and easily with ReactJS. Furthermore, it has a large number of effective components and features. It seeks to make React application development simpler and more effective. Automatic code splitting, hot module reloading, and routing are examples of these. Next.js manage the React tooling and settings, as well as additional structure, functionality, and optimizations for your project.

With NextJS, Developers only need to create the page and include a link to the component in the header, resulting in less code, greater readability, and better project management. This specialty separates it from React JS.

It can be perfectly combined with headless CMSs, or eCommerce platforms to drive extraordinary performance and SEO results. Apart from this, several companies, including Starbucks, Nike, Uber, Twitch, and GitHub, are using it. Next.js gained prominence in the React community due to its ease of use and ability to create universal JavaScript applications.

Visit the official Next.js docs for more information.

Features:

Data Fetching
Built-in CSS
Adaptability and responsiveness
Image Optimization
TypeScript
Fast Refresh
Meta Tags
Routing

Advantages:

Increase your conversion and sales
Boost your marketing channels
Outperform your competition online
Serve clients with a much better user experience
Cut the maintenance costs
Scale your business easier
Speed optimization
SEO Ready

So, this was the brief of both ReactJS and NextJS. Now, we will break down the difference between ReactJS and NextJS. Although, it is necessary that you know what exactly triggered the popularity of NextJS.

Next JS Vs React JS: Breakdown

Well, we will now dig deep into the comparison: React vs Next JS. If you use Next JS and React for your development project, you will notice that there are many benefits and cons to using these for React/JavaScript projects. These, however, are the critical front-end development tools that provide a smooth and engaging online development experience. Although, both have different learning curves, despite the fact that they are both simple to learn.

Now let’s break it down in depth.

Next is a framework for react which is built upon react library. React is a library, not a framework.
Next is famous for Server-side rendering and static generation of websites. React on the other side doesn’t support Server-side rendering.
Next can be difficult for someone to learn without prior ReactJS knowledge. React can be easier to learn as compared to NextJS.
The web apps built using NextJS are very fast. The web apps built using ReactJS are slow as compared to NextJS.
Next doesn’t require offline support. ReactJS requires offline support.
With NextJS, we can build an entire web application. ReactJS helps in building the beautiful UI of a web application.
The cost of developing an app using NextJS is low. The cost of developing an app using ReactJS is also low.
In the NextJs public folder, there is no index.html file as an HTML file will be made in Next js according to the type of need. In React js single HTML file index.html is present in a public folder that manages the whole react app.

What Caused Need for NextJS?

Quite some time ago, React overwhelmed the JS world and turned into its undisputed leader. Now every React development company suggests utilizing a receptive methodology and functional programming paradigm that makes ReactJs more of a library and less of a framework.

Indeed, React is a great addition to any project, and it can also scale if given the opportunity. React is more versatile than Next.js only because it is a library; it is up to the engineer to determine its implementation.

React’s UI library is staggeringly robust, but with great power comes great responsibility, and you have to configure Babel, Webpack, ESLint, and a server –and that at the very least. Such extensive tooling is daunting to everyone, especially beginners and developers who want a more straightforward approach. That’s where NextJS comes into the picture.

Next.js takes less code than React and other frameworks that work with React. This is an important point when comparing Next.js vs React. Developers need only build the site and link to the element in the header, resulting in less code, higher readability, and better project management. Also, in terms of speed NextJS outshines ReactJS.

Now, let’s check the usage scenario i.e. when to use React & NextJS…!!

When To Use ReactJS?

React is one such technology that has been used by nearly every firm. As discussed, the advantages above, it is indeed the best front-end library in current times. As a front-end library, it enables developers to swiftly construct complicated, robust products and iterate on them.

You gain the benefits of integrating Isomorphic JavaScript with React, which allows you to utilize the same code for both the client and server sides of the dashboard app. As a result, when a webpage is loaded, React may still generate the modules and display the content.

But when exactly should you use React in your projects?

Well, if you’re creating a front-end UI that requires a lot of user interaction, you should use React. It’s a hassle to code every single interactive element that ties time to the underlying business logic. Because React handles the lower-level algorithm, you’ll just need to focus on the interface’s view model.

If your current code base is becoming unwieldy, you should consider switching to React. Patience is required when writing hundreds of lines of code for UI. Otherwise, it’s only a matter of time before the codebase becomes too complex to perform basic troubleshooting. Now, let’s check the cases where React is helpful.

Social Media Platforms

Social networking apps are another prominent use case for which Reactjs as a UI toolkit is ideal. While constructing a social network as a dynamic website may appear to be a viable option on paper, even development specialists would say that the technique has drawbacks such as long-term upkeep and the never-ending curse of DOM manipulation.

For example, Facebook began as a standard dynamic website and progressively transitioned to a single-page base.

Ecommerce Apps

Apart from social media, you should consider ReactJS while working on an eCommerce App. Because Reactjs may be simply integrated as a UI library in eCommerce-based web apps.

Well, React makes it easy to create reusable components using ideas such as atomic design. The gist is that each element of your React-based eCommerce app should be independent of one another. So, even if your web app has one point of failure, your programmer can still get it up and running because other functions may still remain operational.

Single Page Applications i.e., SPA

ReactJS can be very helpful in creating a single-page application (SPA) for any industry. A single-page app differs from the typical multi-page app seen everywhere. When a user scrolls on a SPA, he will continue interacting on the same page rather than switching to a new page.

Instead, web pages are often loaded inline within a single page. Trello is the best example of Single Page Application. Routing is a technique that can be used to achieve this form of navigation. Which React Provides…!!

Mobile Apps

Well, ReactJS comes with a bonus: React Native, which you can use to create cross-platform apps for Android and iOS. It gives a clean, fluid, and responsive interface for users while lowering load time dramatically.

It is also significantly faster and less expensive to develop applications in React Native versus native apps, without sacrificing quality or functionality. Typically, you must program your mobile app in Java for Android, and Swift/Objective C for iOS.

React Native can help you avoid these restrictions by allowing you to create fully functional apps for Android and iOS platforms in a considerably shorter amount of time utilizing a single code base.

Apart from this, the following are further cases where you can consider using ReactJS.

Business websites
Portfolios
Forums
Rating websites
Membership sites
eLearning modules
Galleries and much more

When To Use NextJS?

NextJS allows you to create a server-side rendering and static web applications with React. It’s an excellent tool for creating your future website. It includes a lot of fantastic features and benefits that can make Next.js your first choice for constructing your next online application.

Basically, it is ideal for creating an optimized landing page, the home page, or any other page that relies on organic search traffic. The built-in support for SSR to increase performance and SEO is Next.js’ key advantage. Server-side rendering works by altering the React application’s request flow so that all components except the client transmit data to the server.

With all of the data on the server, the user can see a preview of the HTML code for the page. Rather than accessing each component separately with client-side rendering, the client can send a single request to the servers and receive a full HTML page.

Now, let’s check the cases where NextJS is helpful.

SEO Optimized Site

If SEO is the top priority for your website and when it needs SSR (server-side rendering) to ensure SEO-friendly pages, then you should go for Next.js. As SSR brings the advantage of an out-of-the-box, indexable, and crawlable website, which is vital for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) because client-side JavaScript is not required to view the page content.

Marketing Website

Because your application will be presented on the server, the load time should be as short as possible, and Next.js achieves just that. The eCommerce store includes a sophisticated e-commerce starter kit that allows developers to create Google-friendly, high-performance online storefronts. Especially in cases where visitors are using slower devices.

eCommerce Websites

Recently Next JS released a powerful e-commerce starter kit that allows you to build high-performance, Google-friendly, and user-friendly online stores. Next.js’ architecture enables websites to integrate their online stores with other third-party systems such as CMS, PIM, and ERP.

Landing Pages

If you have a simple landing page requirement, Next.js can handle it with simplicity, and the marketing team will be delighted to use the landing page developed by Next.js.

Apart from this, the following are further cases where you can consider using NextJS.

Web Portals
Single web pages
Static websites
SaaS products

Final thoughts on Next js vs React

In my opinion, questions like “Is Next JS Better” or “Is ReactJS Better?” are inappropriate. The question should be whether Next.js is a good choice for developing your React application. It all boils down to the type and goals of the project, whether you’re operating as a developer or a CTO.

As previously stated, choosing a framework or library is entirely dependent on the needs of your project. React and Next.js is growing and useful tools for your application, but only for specific purposes. However, the best technology or library to use is determined by your project requirements and commercial objectives.

With regard to the developer experience, the initial scaffolding process is pretty straightforward for both Next.js and React. React, however, does require you to add libraries like React Router for routing, whereas Next.js offers that functionality out of the box with the Link component.

NextJS, on the other hand, provides the greatest server-side rendering and static website-building solutions. It also makes project management simple with a variety of tools and capabilities. React, on the other hand, is well-suited to creating user interfaces for single-page applications. It allows you to design visually enriched, responsive, and intuitive apps because it works on top of mobile and web apps.

Well, both React and Next JS have their own advantages and features. Here, I have tried my best to present a comprehensive overview of Next JS vs React JS here. In the end, it depends on the individual choice. Therefore, it is advisable to do research on your project requirements and needs. So, prioritize the requirements first and it will help you pick the right tech for you.

I hope you find this article helpful.