For as long as we can remember, every business has needed a good website in order to prosper, but now, it also needs an app. And, of course, in today’s world, there is more than one application that can help you achieve that, namely React and Next JS. But which one should you use? Which one is better? That is the question, isn’t it? Well, to answer that question….it’s complicated. While one is old, tried and tested, the other is new and developing. While one is a frontend developer the other is a backend developer. However, to tell you the truth, the best way to choose between them is to choose them based on your need. That’s where an application development company will come in handy, tell them about your needs and they should be able to help you with the right application for you.
What are React and Next JS?
React is a JavaScript library used to make dynamic user interfaces. Next JS is a framework that builds on and uses React to make web applications. React needs a framework to develop web applications, and Next JS is one such framework, albeit the most popular one. As a result, they differ in a number of other ways too:
Development
As compared to Next JS, React is much older and easier to learn. A sound knowledge of JavaScript is all you need to use React. Consequentially, software developers who use React are comparatively easier to find than those who use Next JS. At the same time, because Next JS is newer and constantly developing, it is more difficult to learn. It not only requires the user to be familiar with React but also to stay up to date with the changes and developments. Therefore, Next JS developers are not as easy to find.
Process
Once you have the right developer and the code sorted out, you need to focus on the way that code is processed. React uses a process called Client Side Rendering to process its web pages which makes the rendering process slow, meaning that a web application developed using React takes longer to load. On the other hand, Next JS uses Server Side Rendering which makes the rendering process shorter and the Next JS web applications load faster than those developed using React.
Simultaneously, React comes with no built-in features which makes the coding process in React a tedious one where every single component has to be coded from scratch. But this also means that its ability to expand is virtually limitless through the incorporation of other similar libraries. And although the built-in features of Next JS allow for a seamless coding experience, they also limit Next JS’s ability to expand to a certain extent, essentially limiting its ability to be customized in order to incorporate all of your needs.
Also Read: Front-End Application Development using React and Vite
Support
Since React has been around longer than Next JS, finding support or help for issues like debugging etc. is much easier due to the vast number of people who use React. Meanwhile, its tried and tested nature leaves little to no room for errors. Whereas, in the case of Next JS, the much smaller community of Next JS users makes that support hard to find. But it also leaves room for exploration and experimentation. In addition to that, unlike React, Next JS supports Search Engine Optimization which allows for your webpage to appear higher up in the list of Google search results, making your website one of the top choices for any user.
Maintenance
Since both these applications are open source, the cost of development and maintenance is low in both their cases. However, the constantly developing nature of Next JS requires the user to stay up to date, pushing the maintenance cost higher than that of React. At the same time, because every bit of code in React is painstakingly written, making changes to these existing lines of code, as and when required, is much easier when compared to Next JS. Consecutively, as an older application, React is frequently susceptible to becoming outdated and requires code updates more often than Next JS.
Uses
While React is a more common choice among frontend programmers, Next JS is regularly used by backend programmers. React helps develop dynamic User Interfaces that can easily be customized based on user preference or need. Therefore, it is used in making apps like Facebook, Netflix etc., that need to be personalized for each individual user. Next JS, on the other hand, is useful in making static webpages, website landing pages etc., which attract the user or customer and keep them engaged but do not provide individual or personalized interaction.
In a Nutshell
In conclusion, since Next JS both builds on React – admittedly making it better in many ways – and cannot exist without it, it is difficult to say which is better, Next JS or React. Both have their advantages and limitations. The only way to make the right choice is to figure out your needs and requirements and then choose the right option for yourself. Else, when in doubt, you can always consult a software development company that will not only support you in choosing the option that is right for you, but also help in developing the said software based on your needs.
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