Why build your web app with Next.js?

Next.js is a React framework that provides a wide range of useful features for your web app, such as server-side rendering, automatic optimization, and API routes. It has become one of the industry-leading frameworks for building performant and scalable React-based web apps.

Next.js' server-side rendering means that data can be fetched ahead of time, and doesn't need to be loaded by the client. Unlike client-side rendered single-page applications (SPAs) like React and Angular, Next.js can generate static HTML pages that are easily indexable by search engines, helping improve your web app's discoverability.

The ability to easily spin up API routes also means that you may not need to set up a dedicated backend server for your web app. It's as easy as creating a file in the API folder, and exporting a function. It is syntactically similar to Express.js, which makes it accessible and intuitive for developers.

Next.js also is one of the first frameworks to implement React Server Components, which allows you to run React components on the server with a Node.js runtime. This means that expensive JavaScript operations can be run on the server, resulting in better UX and a smaller JavaScript bundle size.

Next.js has been the tool of choice for a wide range of organizations, including Netflix, Twitch, Reddit, GitHub, TikTok, Notion and more. See some great examples of Next.js apps at nextjs.org/showcase.

When it comes to building performant and scalable web apps, Next.js is a top choice. Its powerful features, including SSR, API routing, and React Server Components, along with its endorsement by industry giants, make it an awesome choice for your web app.

SERVER-SIDE RENDERING

Next.js provides automatic static optimisation to render your React application on the server to static HTML.

SEO FRIENDLY

Compared to a client-side rendered single page application (SPA), Next.js has much better SEO capabilities. Next.js can generate static HTML pages that are easily indexable by search engines.

API ROUTES

Next.js allows for the quick and easy creation of API routes via file-based routing to handle server-side logic. This allows for the fast creation of a backend API without the need for a separate backend server.

EDGE RUNTIME

Next.js APIs can optionally be deployed to the edge, meaning that API functionality can be run on a server close to the end-user, reducing latency.

REACT SERVER COMPONENTS

React Server Components means you can now run code with a Node.js runtime within your React components.

AUTOMATIC OPTIMISATION

Next.js features built-in automatic optimisation of images, fonts, and CSS, resulting in major performance improvements for users.

Have a look at SSW Rules to Better Next.js