Next JS vs React: Which Framework to Choose for Front-End in 2024

Confused about whether to choose Next.js or React for your front-end projects in 2024? You're not alone!

When comparing React and Next.js, it's important to understand their unique strengths in order to choose the best tool for your project. In this article, we will explore the distinctive features, similarities, and optimal use cases for both technologies to assist you in determining the most suitable option for your development goals in 2024.

What Are React and Next.js: General Overview

Let’s start with the definitions. React is a JavaScript library, while Next.js is a framework. Both are used to create efficient and interactive user interfaces for web applications. They provide flexibility and templating tools for building front-end projects with complex logic. Although React and Next.js share many similarities, a closer look will reveal their distinct strengths and weaknesses.

What is React?

React is an open-source JavaScript library that was developed by Facebook. It was initially created to help manage the complex state management issues that arose during the development of Facebook’s ad platform. React quickly gained popularity due to its performance and ease of use. It is built around a component-based architecture, breaking down the user interface into reusable components, which makes the code more modular and easier to maintain.

Key Features of React:

• Component-Based Architecture: React allows developers to create reusable UI components, making it easier to organize code and avoid repetition.
• Virtual DOM: React efficiently updates the DOM by using a virtual DOM. This virtual representation helps React determine the smallest set of changes needed to update the UI, improving performance.
• One-Way Data Binding: React uses a one-way data flow model where data moves from parent to child components. This makes it easier to manage and debug applications.
• JSX Syntax: React uses JSX, a JavaScript syntax extension that allows developers to write code that looks like HTML within JavaScript. This makes it easier to organize UI elements.

What Makes React Stand Out: React is highly popular among developers because of its flexibility and the vast ecosystem surrounding it. Big players like Facebook, Instagram, and Airbnb use it, demonstrating its scalability and reliability for large-scale applications.

The widespread use of React makes it simple to find and hire experts, which is especially crucial for long-term projects. Furthermore, because the library is so widely used, finding unique solutions or resolving issues becomes much easier.

For businesses, this widespread adoption minimizes the risk of being dependent on specific developers. This means that if you hire one company to develop a web application and the collaboration ends for any reason, another team can easily take over the project and continue its development and optimization.

What is Next.js?

Next.js is a web framework for front-end development that allows developers to build web applications based on React with Server-Side Rendering (SSR) and Static Site Generation (SSG). Its additional pre-rendering features improve not only the performance of the applications but also the overall user experience.

The Next.js framework was created in 2016 by the company Vercel (previously known as Zeit). Its main purpose was to enable Server-Side Rendering (SSR) for applications written in React. Over the next few years, the project grew a lot, adding new features and making the development experience better. Even Google contributed to its development and optimization. Today, developers actively use it at major companies like Uber, Netflix, and GitHub.

Key Features of Next.js

Server-Side Rendering: One of the most powerful features of Next.js is Server-Side Rendering (SSR), which allows fully rendered pages to be delivered to the browser. This reduces load times and improves SEO. For public-facing web applications, SSR is crucial for improving search rankings and reaching a larger audience.

Next.js creates the initial content on the server, resulting in faster page load times. This benefits users with slower internet connections or mobile devices, improving their overall experience. Additionally, it positively impacts SEO by reducing bounce rates, increasing organic traffic, and boosting conversion rates for businesses.

Static Site Generation:  Next.js includes tools for static site generation (SSG) to improve web application performance. It pre-generates pages during the build process, ensuring faster page load times and optimal performance under high traffic.

This feature is very helpful for websites that have a lot of content that doesn't change often, like blogs, documentation sites, and product catalogs. Generating static pages in advance reduces the server load and hosting costs, which helps businesses grow. SSG improves performance and lowers infrastructure costs, leading to quicker load times and, ultimately, improved user engagement metrics and overall page interaction.

Scalability: The scalability of Next.js is another key feature. Its architecture allows developers to easily scale web applications while maintaining stable performance, even under increased load. This is vital for growing businesses and popular startups.

Next.js supports various scaling strategies, including horizontal scaling and the use of CDNs for static assets. This allows you to adapt your system to handle more traffic as your business grows, without having to completely rebuild your application. As a result, your site or app can handle a large amount of traffic while maintaining high performance and stability.

Rich Built-In Functionality: Next.js offers a wide range of built-in features necessary for developing applications of any complexity. For example, automatic code splitting, image optimization, TypeScript support, built-in CSS and Sass support, and many other useful tools.

What’s more, most of these features are available right out of the box, requiring no additional installation or configuration. This saves a lot of time and development costs because you don't have to integrate or configure third-party solutions. It also allows businesses to launch new features faster, which is a crucial competitive advantage. Of course, if necessary, Next.js functionality can be extended with third-party solutions, providing even more benefits during development.

Reliability and Ongoing Support: Next.js is actively developed and supported by Vercel, ensuring its ongoing improvement and adaptation to new technological trends. The framework has already been tested on many high-traffic sites, proving its reliability and effectiveness.

Frequent updates guarantee continuous improvements in performance, security, and functionality. As a result, you can generally rely on the chosen technology to stay relevant for a long time, reducing the need to switch to another platform.

Key Differences and Similarities Between React and Next.js

While React and Next.js are closely related, there are several key differences and similarities that you should consider when choosing between them.

Library vs. Framework

One of the main differences between React and Next.js is their architecture: React is a JavaScript library, while Next.js is a full-fledged framework.

As a library, React is focused on building user interfaces and updating them dynamically based on user interactions. It primarily deals with the view layer of an application. However, React does not dictate how to manage other important aspects such as routing, data fetching, API handling, or testing.

In contrast, Next.js offers a comprehensive solution for building fully functional applications. It directly handles important features like routing, server-side rendering, static site generation, and image optimization. This integrated approach helps developers build applications more efficiently and effectively.

Popularity

Both React and Next.js rank among the most popular solutions for developing web applications.

In terms of numbers, React takes the lead in popularity. As of 2024, over 12.8 million websites are built using React, making it one of the most widely adopted JavaScript libraries globally. In contrast, Next.js, a framework built on top of React, powers around 219,000 live websites. While this number is smaller, Next.js has been experiencing rapid growth.

Development and New Versions of React and Next.js

Both React and Next.js are dynamic and evolving tools, frequently updated to enhance development processes and improve user experience. These updates bring new features, optimizing performance and providing developers with the tools to build more efficient applications.

Below, we discuss recent updates and possible developments. However, it's important to note that these are projections based on current trends, and there have been no official announcements about the features or release schedules of future versions.

React Updates

React does not adhere to a rigid release schedule and often introduces new versions at a slower pace, typically releasing updates less than once a year. Consequently, there is no guarantee that a major version, such as React 20, will be released specifically in 2025.

• React 19 Enhancements: The most recent updates in React 19 have refined server components and concurrent rendering, providing developers with more robust tools for building scalable and high-performance applications.
• Potential in React 20:
  • Improved server-side rendering (SSR) workflows with streamlined configurations.
  • Expanded React Compiler capabilities, making optimized coding practices more accessible and reducing the need for manual performance tweaking.

While React remains steadfast in its mission as a flexible UI library, its updates focus on developer-friendly tools and core performance improvements, allowing tailored solutions for diverse application needs.

Next.js Updates

Next.js typically releases updates annually, with major enhancements driven by user feedback and industry trends. However, any projections for 2025 remain speculative, as no official roadmap has been confirmed.

• Next.js 16 Possibilities:
  • Deeper integration with React Server Components to enhance hybrid rendering (combining CSR, SSR, and SSG).
  • Continued optimization of Turbopack (introduced in version 13), further reducing build times and enhancing hot reloading for larger projects.
  • Advanced support for AI-powered functionalities and edge computing to handle real-time interactions and dynamic workloads more efficiently.

The above descriptions are projections based on trends and recent features rather than confirmed updates. As of now, there have been no official announcements regarding the next versions of React or Next.js. For now, these projections serve as a guide to help you prepare for potential innovations in the React and Next.js ecosystems.

We’ve discussed the strengths and weaknesses of both technologies. Now, let’s explore where, in our opinion, it’s better to use React or Next.js.

When to Choose React

React can be used to create products of any size. Many developers choose React for its strong features and large community. React is popular for developing complex, scalable apps and helps build user interfaces that can efficiently handle large amounts of data and features. Many of the world's largest web applications, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Uber, rely on React.

Here are some situations where React is the better choice:

1. Single-Page Applications (SPAs)

React is great for creating fast and interactive user experiences when building single-page applications. If your project doesn't heavily rely on SEO or server-side data fetching, React's client-side rendering is usually sufficient.

2. Client-Side Only Applications

If your project only needs client-side rendering (CSR), React is the simpler and more lightweight option. You can easily create an app using Create React App or your preferred bundler (like Vite or Webpack). Unlike Next.js, which includes server-side rendering (SSR) and static site generation (SSG) by default, React may be a better fit for applications that are purely client-side rendered. This helps to avoid unnecessary complexity.

Examples of client-side-only applications include simple social media apps, personal blogs and portfolios, interactive forms such as financial calculators, basic e-learning platforms, and progressive web apps like to-do list apps.

3. Low Complexity Projects or Prototypes

React is a good choice for building simple projects or prototypes where you don't need SSR/SSG and API routes. React's easy setup and wide range of tools make it quick and simple to get started. Compared to Next.js, React provides a lightweight and more straightforward option.

4. Highly Interactive User Interfaces

React is great at handling complex user interfaces with many interactive elements, like dynamic forms, pop-up windows, or interactive visualizations. It updates the user interface quickly, making it a good choice for applications where users interact with many elements at the same time.

5. Real-Time Data Streaming Apps

React’s fast DOM updates are great for real-time applications where data is constantly changing, such as live chat applications or stock market dashboards.

6. Highly Customizable Applications

React gives developers flexibility and freedom. It allows them to choose the tools and libraries they need because it doesn't enforce a specific structure. This gives full control over the app's structure and architecture, making it an ideal choice for projects that require unique features or performance optimizations that don’t fit into predefined frameworks.

If your project needs a custom setup with complex state management or performance optimization, React might be a better fit.

7. Existing React Projects

If your project is already built with React, rewriting it in another framework like Next.js may not be worth the effort, especially if the project is large-scale or if your budget and timeline are limited. Migrating a fully developed React application can require significant time, resources, and testing to ensure compatibility and maintain functionality.

React's flexibility allows you to scale and optimize an existing project without the need for a complete overhaul. This makes React an excellent choice for maintaining and evolving established applications.

8. Developer Control

Developers who prefer having complete control over the configuration and architecture of the project may opt for React, as it allows for maximum flexibility in setting up tools like routing, state management, rendering, testing, and deployment.

When to Choose Next.js

When it comes to building more advanced websites that need to be fast, easy to find on search engines, and able to handle a lot of users, Next.js is a great choice. Here are some situations where Next.js really stands out:

1. SEO-Driven Projects

For any project that requires search engine visibility, Next.js is the clear winner. It uses server-side rendering (SSR) and static site generation (SSG) to ensure that your content is fully displayed before reaching the user. This makes it easier for search engines to find and list your content.

2. Dynamic content Websites

Next.js’s SSR capabilities allow the server to pre-render pages with up-to-date data on each request. This is particularly useful for applications that require dynamic content to be fresh and up-to-date when loading, such as news websites, e-commerce platforms, social media feeds, and travel booking services.

3. Performance-Centric Applications

Next.js significantly improves your application's performance with its server-side rendering and static site generation capabilities. If your projects prioritize fast load times and better performance, Next.js is the more suitable framework for you.

4. Multilingual Websites

Next.js includes built-in support for internationalization (i18n), making it simple to serve your website in multiple languages, while React requires additional libraries like react-i18next to manage internationalization, making Next.js a more straightforward solution for creating multilingual sites.

5. Image-Heavy Websites

Next.js comes with automatic image optimization using the <Image> component. This feature ensures that images are delivered in optimized formats like WebP and handles responsive loading by default. It's especially helpful for websites with lots of images, such as photography portfolios and e-commerce platforms with high-resolution product images.

6. Better Developer Experience

Next.js includes many useful developer tools such as easy file-based routing, built-in API routes that eliminate the need for an extra backend server, hot module reloading, TypeScript support, improved error reporting, and effortless deployment to Vercel - all out of the box. These tools reduce setup time and make development easier. While React’s ecosystem also offers these features, they require manual setup, which adds to the configuration time and complexity.

Which is Better for 2024?

The answer to the question "Which is better, React.js or Next.js?" depends on the project you're working on. Both are excellent tools for web development, but they serve different purposes.

React is a great option for projects that are either very simple or highly complex and require extensive customization beyond what Next.js offers. React's flexibility allows developers to build intricate systems without being limited by preset frameworks or tools. However, when using React alone, you will need to manually configure many aspects such as routing, optimization, and deployment, which can often be time-consuming.

On the other hand, Next.js is typically the go-to option for most full-fledged projects. It comes with built-in routing, supports both server and client components, and offers multiple rendering options (CSR, SSG, SSR). It also makes SEO setup easy and includes API routes, middleware, image optimization, and effortless deployment to platforms like Vercel. These features, already pre-configured in Next.js, would require significant effort to be implemented manually in a React-only project.

For these reasons, unless your project has highly specific needs, Next.js is often the more convenient and efficient choice for 2024.

Our experience/expertise

Stubbs has extensive experience in developing web applications using React and Next.js, and we are prepared to help you create modern and effective software solutions. With over 100 successfully completed projects using these technologies, we have honed our skills in building scalable, high-performance applications for a wide range of industries and use cases.

We use the latest versions of React and Next.js for our projects. This ensures that your project benefits from new features and best practices. Whether you need to migrate your application from a previous framework to Next.js or React, rewrite and modernize an existing system, or build a new application from the ground up, we are here to assist you at every step.

Our approach is fully customized, taking into account key factors such as:

• Product characteristics: We adjust the stack to fit your project's unique needs and goals.
• Industry standards: We make sure to follow best practices and trends in your industry.
• Future growth: We design solutions to be scalable so they can grow with your project.
• Existing infrastructure: We integrate smoothly with your current systems and workflows.
• Team availability: We consider the skills and resources your team has when planning.

If you’re ready to start your next project or optimize your current one, reach out to Stubbs, and we’ll guide you through the entire development cycle with expertise and care.