React vs. Next.js: Choosing the Right Technology for Your Web Projects

1. This is not just a straightforward blog that is going to compare some of the key features of React and Next. In fact, It is going to be a case study as I am going to share my own experience concerning all the corresponding elements of both technologies.
2. Most of you know React better than me, In fact, you love to work with React, while some of you perform pleasingly with Next, but today I am taking all the aspects of both libraries, which one is better and Why? based on my own experience and understanding.
3. Here are the key points that I will be discussing in this blog.

But before that, we have to take an overview of both technologies 👇.

React Js

React is an open-source JavaScript library used for building user interfaces (UIs) and front-end applications. Developed and maintained by Facebook, it has gained immense popularity in the web development community due to its efficiency, reusability, and simplicity. React allows developers to create reusable UI components and efficiently manage the state of the application, making it easier to build interactive and dynamic user interfaces.

Next Js

Next.js is an open-source framework for building server-side rendered (SSR) and statically generated (SSG) React applications. It is built on top of React (you heard it right 😮🥸) and provides additional features and capabilities to enhance the development experience and improve performance, particularly in the context of server-side rendering and static site generation.

Community

Image Source:- Google Trends

If you talk about the community worldwide, especially in the past year, then you will find that React is way ahead of the Next Js. But slowly, developers are showing interest in Next Js as it rises from 28 to 43 (as of 30 July 2023), while React may have some ups and downs (currently at 74 (as of 30 July 2023)).

Rendering & Performance

Here are several differences regarding the way react and next renders the data, that heavily affect the speed of the app.

1. Client-Side Rendering (React Js): React offers client-side rendering which is the default rendering method, where the entire application is rendered in the browser. Every time the user makes a request, the backend responds with the data entirely on the browser.

1. Server-Side Rendering (SSR) (Next Js): SSR is one of the key features that next js has and holds a strong advantage over React. SSR allows the developer to pre-render the data on the server before being sent to the client's browser. If your data is huge and constantly changing, then this can affect the speed of your app and can make the app slower which no developer wants.

1. Access to server-side data: React doesn't have this kind of functionality and features which allows you to access the server-side data, but in Next Js, you can easily access the data with the help of getServerSideProps which is a built-in function that allows you to get the data. You can, in fact, build a custom server in Next Js which can be really helpful in decreasing the loading time of each web page.

1. Static Side Generation (SSG) (Next Js): When you are building a small web app, like a portfolio of any agency, business, or any other kind of industry. SSG is going to be the king in that case as the data is fixed and generated on build time, which cannot be changed later which really improves the SEO(Search Engine Optimization) and ranking in the Google search engine. This approach eliminates the need for server-side rendering for each request, leading to faster loading times and lower server overhead for certain types of content.

1. Performance: So, in terms of performance, Next Js is a clear Winner!

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

1. Now, it's time to talk about SEO which is very important for every business and agency, so that they can rank higher in Google searches and make profits in their own industry.
2. As we have already discussed in the above section that Next Js offers SSR and SSG that helps in Search Engine Optimization, whereas React faces a number of challenges In improving the SEO (when dealing with Google crawling and indexing).

1. My Example: The website on which you are currently reading this blog, is built on top of Next Js in which I have SSR as well as SSG enabled. As you can see in the image below👇, performance is marked as 100, accessibility as 95 and the most important SEO as 100 😊😉.

SEO in Next Js

1. Here's another image from my code that shows how I worked on metadata in Next Js to improve SEO and search ranking at its best.
2. Next Js provides an optimized head tag which makes it very easy for you to work on metadata.

SEO Best Practices In NextJs

Documentation

1. As any React developer knows, React documentation is essential for learning how to use the library. However, as the library grows in size and complexity, the documentation has become increasingly difficult to navigate.
2. When using Next.js, the documentation is easy to navigate and read. This enables developers to understand the entire framework and how the application will function.
3. The guide also includes comprehensive documentation on sitemap.xml and robots.txt, which are crucial elements to understand in order to boost Google rankings.

Routing and Features

Routing in Next.js and React.js shares some similarities, but Next.js provides additional features and simplifications to handle routing in server-side rendered and statically generated applications.

1. React.js Routing: React.js itself does not include built-in routing capabilities. Instead, developers typically use third-party routing libraries like React Router to handle client-side routing. React Router provides a declarative way to define routes and map them to specific components, enabling seamless navigation within a single-page application (SPA).
2. React Router allows defining routes using <Route> components and the <Switch> component to ensure only one route is matched.
3. React Router uses the History API to manage browser history and enable navigation without full page reloads.

1. Next.js Routing: Next.js simplifies routing by providing built-in routing capabilities out of the box. It introduces a file-based routing system, where pages are automatically mapped based on the files in the "pages" directory.
2. Next.js uses file-based routing, where each file inside the "pages" directory becomes a route automatically. For example, a file named about.js inside the "pages" directory will create a route for the "/about" page.
3. Image Tag: Next Js offers an image tag (<Image>). With this feature images automatically resize themselves according to the screen resolution even at the remote location.

In summary, React.js is more versatile and can be used in various routing scenarios within single-page applications, while Next.js offers a more streamlined and powerful routing solution, particularly for projects that require server-side rendering and static site generation capabilities.

My Opinion

By the way, we all have different perspectives and experiences. Some of you may value React Js while some of you find it easy to work with Next Js. It's all upon you which one you prefer more after reading this blog.

As you have seen in the images above, regarding the performance & SEO of the portfolio. I personally love Next Js (❤️❤️❤️).

Thank you for reading my latest blog post! I hope you found valuable insights to help you select your own technology. If you enjoyed the content or have any thoughts to share, I'd love to hear from you! Please feel free to like this post and leave a comment below. Your feedback means a lot to me and helps me continue delivering valuable content. Happy reading!"