Next.js

React on its own is a library for interfaces and answers neither how a page is produced on the server nor what routing or data access look like. Next.js supplies exactly those answers, making it the shorter route for most React projects to an application that loads fast and is visible to search engines.

The real gain is server-side rendering. A browser-only application first delivers an empty page and builds the content afterwards - unproblematic for an internal tool, a disadvantage in load time and discoverability for anything with a public audience. Next.js renders the first view on the server and hands over to the browser after that.

Not every project needs this. For a largely content-driven site a lighter framework is often the better choice, because considerably less JavaScript reaches the visitor - this website runs on Astro for exactly that reason. Next.js plays to its strengths where interaction actually happens: dashboards, portals, applications behind a login.

In operation the most important decision is how tightly you bind yourself to a hosting platform. Next.js can run on your own infrastructure, but some convenience features are tailored to a particular environment. We make that decision deliberately at the start, because switching later costs more than choosing.