Next.js Overview
How
Why
What
When
What is Next.js?
Nest is a meta-framework for building fast, scalable,
and production-ready web apps using React.
What
A meta-framework is built on top of another library (like React), and adds structure, features, and tools for building complete applications.
Other popular meta-frameworks in the React ecosystem
are Gatsby, Remix, TanStack Start, and Astro
Some meta-frameworks for frontend React alternatives:
Nuxt for Vue, SvelteKit for Svelte, SolidStart for Solid.js
Why Next?
Why
Next Features
Why
✅ Routing and Page Management
⚡ Rendering and Performance
🧠 Advanced React Development
🧩 Convenient Integration and Configuration
🌐 SEO and Accessibility
🎨 Image and Asset Optimization
🚀 Deployment & Hosting
🛠️ Developer Tools
📦 Ecosystem Integration
✅ Routing and Page Management
How
Dynamic routing – Supports dynamic paths
(e.g., /post/[id]).
Middleware – Allows you to run logic in the router before the request reaches the page (e.g., auth or redirects)
Nested layouts (App Router) – Enables complex page structures with state preservation between navigations.
File-based routing – Each file in the /app or /pages directory automatically creates a route.
⚡ Rendering and Performance
How
Static site generation (SSG) – Lets you pre-build static pages.
Streaming & Partial rendering (React Server Components) – Enables progressive loading of components.
Incremental static regeneration (ISR) –
Re-renders specific pages at runtime without rebuilding the whole site.
Server-side rendering (SSR) - Fast loading and SEO-friendly.
🌐 SEO and Accessibility
How
Internationalization (i18n) –
Built-in support for multiple languages
and routing by locale.
Head management –
Simple way to manage titles, meta tags, etc.
via <Head>.
🧩 Convenient Integration and Configuration
How
Built-in TypeScript support –
No need for extra setup.
Zero-config –
Works out of the box with minimal setup.
API routes –
Enables server-side code (backend) within your app.
🛠️ Developer Tools
How
Built-in ESLint – Static checks.
Hot Module Replacement (HMR) –
Instant refresh while coding.
SWC compiler – faster compilation.
Preview Mode – Preview ISR pages before publishing.
🧠 Advanced React Development
How
React Server Components –
Allows logic to run on the server without
sending JavaScript to the client.
Full support for React 19 –
Includes Server Actions, useFormState, and more.
🎨 Image and Asset Optimization
How
Next/Image – Smart component for optimized images with SEO and performance in mind.
Resizes images to multiple screen sizes.
Converts formats (AVIF, WebP, JPEG) based on browser support.
Responsive Images support
Built-in Lazy Loading
Built-in Lazy Loading
Priority loading is available with priority={true}
Blurred Placeholder - a low-res blur while images load
Optimized Caching
📦 Ecosystem Integration
How
MDX support – Combine Markdown with JSX.
Styling libraries and integrations
(CSS Modules, Sass, Styled Components, Tailwind, and others).
Easy integration with external CMS or eCommerce platforms – Using API routes and smart data fetching.
🚀 Deployment & Hosting
How
Optimized for Vercel – Automatic deployments and scalable infrastructure. Best integration.
Other vendors support Next.js as well
(Fly.io, Netlify, Render, aws, gcp, Azure).
Edge functions –
Run code at the network edge, closer to users.
(Vercel has the best support. Others have partial variations.
✅ Next.js Use Cases
When
🛍️ E-commerce websites
📰 Content-driven websites (blogs, news, docs)
🧑💼 Marketing sites / landing pages
🔐 Fullstack apps with authentication
🌍 International, region-based websites
💼 Enterprise apps or complex internal tools
✅ Vite.js Use Cases
When
⚙️ Frontend-only apps
🎛️ Design systems / Component libraries
🎮 Web games, creative tools, or canvas apps
🚀 Prototypes / MVPs where speed of iteration matters
🧪 Experimental or educational projects
🧭 use Next.js for
When
Public-facing + SEO
Fullstack with auth/data logic
Complex routing/layouts
🧭 use Vite.js for
Internal tool or SPA
UI library or component system
Fast prototyping / playground