Compare
Next.js vs React
Next.js adds routing, data fetching and server-side rendering on top of React
Which to pick
Pick Next.js if you want…
- Full-stack React apps with built-in optimizations
- Integrations with React, Turbopack or Vercel (on Next.js' list, not React's)
Pick React if you want…
- Component-based UI development
- Integrations with JavaScript, JSX or React Native (on React's list, not Next.js')
Side by side
- What it is
- Next.js:Next.js is a full-stack React framework for building high-performance web applications.
- React:React is a JavaScript library for building web and native user interfaces with reusable components.
- Best for
- Next.js:Full-stack React apps with built-in optimizations
- React:Component-based UI development
- Who it’s for
- Next.js:Frontend and full-stack developers using React.
- React:Front-end developers building interactive UI for web or mobile.
- Pricing
- Next.js:Open source
- React:Open source
- Open source
- Next.js:Yes, 142,969 GitHub stars
- React:Yes
- Works with
- Next.js:React, Turbopack, Vercel, Tailwind CSS, CSS Modules
- React:JavaScript, JSX, React Native, Next.js, React Router, Expo
Next.js features
- Automatic Optimizations. Optimizes images, fonts and scripts to improve Core Web Vitals.
- Data Fetching. Supports server-side and client-side data fetching with async React components.
- Server Actions. Run server code directly from components, skipping separate API routes.
- Advanced Routing & Layouts. File-system routing with nested layouts and custom routing patterns.
- Dynamic HTML Streaming. Streams UI from the server using the App Router and React Suspense.
- React Server Components. Render components on the server without sending extra JavaScript to the client.
- Incremental Static Regeneration. Regenerates static pages per-page after deployment for fresh content.
- CSS Support. Integrates with CSS Modules, Tailwind CSS and other popular styling tools.
React features
- Component model. Create reusable UI pieces as JavaScript functions or classes and compose them into screens.
- JSX syntax. Write markup directly in JavaScript using JSX, keeping rendering logic close to UI.
- State & interactivity. Use hooks like useState to manage local state and update the UI on user actions.
- Cross-platform support. Build both web apps and native apps (React Native, Expo) with the same React skills.
- Server-side rendering. Stream HTML from the server while data is fetched, improving initial load performance.
- Ecosystem & tooling. Integrates with frameworks such as Next.js, React Router, and a large component library ecosystem.
Next.js vs React FAQ
Is Next.js or React free?+
Yes, both are free and open source.
Is Next.js or React open source?+
Yes, both are open source: Next.js (vercel/next.js on GitHub, MIT license) and React (facebook/react on GitHub).
Do Next.js and React integrate with the same tools?+
Their integration lists don't overlap: Next.js lists React, Turbopack, Vercel, Tailwind CSS and 1 more; React lists JavaScript, JSX, React Native, Next.js and 2 more.
On DevHunt
Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.