React vs. Next.js: Which JS Framework Is Better?

Mar 4, 2024

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Quick answer

Refactor if the core structure still works. Rebuild if architecture, performance, and change-cost are already fighting growth. Not sure? Calculate the cost below first.

Signs your MVP is becoming a bottleneck

Every feature takes 3× longer

Your codebase has become too tightly coupled. Small product updates now create complexity across unrelated systems.

Medium → High

Developers avoid parts of the codebase

Some systems have become unstable enough that engineers no longer trust them. "Nobody wants to touch that module."

High

AI-generated code created inconsistent architecture

Duplicated logic, conflicting patterns, and over-engineered solutions with unnecessary dependencies throughout the codebase.

Medium → High

Onboarding new developers takes weeks

Business logic is scattered across the product. Different parts follow different conventions. Team velocity slows as headcount grows.

Medium

Small changes create unrelated bugs

A frontend adjustment should not break billing. The architecture has become too tightly coupled across the platform.

High

Testing is nearly impossible

Without reliable tests, deployments become stressful, refactoring becomes dangerous, and developers lose confidence.

High

Deployments feel risky every time

You no longer have a development-speed problem — you have a reliability problem. And it compounds aggressively as you scale.

Critical

Refactor vs. Rebuild vs. Incremental

Approach	Best for	Risk	Cost	Typical outcome
Refactor codebase	Maintainable but messy architecture	Lower	Medium	Faster iteration
Rebuild software	Fundamentally broken systems	High	High	Long-term reset
Incremental migration	Scaling post-MVP startups	Medium	Medium	Controlled modernization

Refactor codebase

Best forMaintainable but messy architecture

RiskLower

CostMedium

OutcomeFaster iteration

Rebuild software

Best forFundamentally broken systems

RiskHigh

CostHigh

OutcomeLong-term reset

Incremental migration

Best forScaling post-MVP startups

RiskMedium

CostMedium

OutcomeControlled modernization

Alongside HyperText Markup Language (HTML) and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), JavaScript (JS) is a central component of the World Wide Web. This programming language is high-level and used by 98.9% of websites on their client side.

There are 24 different frameworks which use JS code. However, of these 24, over 57% of JS usage by developers is attributed to React and Next.js.

These are two of the biggest players in the JS framework market. But despite both relying heavily on JS coding, they’re very different frameworks,

Read on to discover what sets them apart.

React

First released in 2013, React is a free JS framework, although it was only released in a stable format in June 2022. Developed by tech giant Meta, it was the second most-used JS framework behind Node.js in 2013. Over 40% of developers using a JS framework used React.

What Are React’s Key Features?

React works as an open-source, component-based library and is focussed on user interface (UI) design. Its use aims to improve UI on both web and mobile platforms.

Here are some of its key features:

JSX – React offers a JavaScript Syntax Extension (JSX) allowing developers to embed JS inside HTML. This makes codes easier to understand and is a simple to use feature for anyone with a basic knowledge of JS and HTML.
Virtual DOMS – The most important component of the web is Document Object Models (DOM). By using a virtual DOM, a copy of the actual DOM, websites and mobile applications can work faster.
Numerous extensions – React has several extensions such as Flux and Redux. These can be used to create mobile app UIs.
Conditional Statements – Since React includes a JSX, conditional statements can be written.
One-way Data – Data contained in code written with React only flows in one direction. Note that the direction can be set by the user.
Component-based – React is component-based, meaning it divided pages into separate components. Each of these has its own design and logic. As a result, the component logic is faster and can be reused.

Pros of Using React JS

With some useful features, there are many benefits of using a React JS framework:

The code is simple to write and understand. This is helped by the ability to use a JSX.
Because React uses a virtual DOM, the UI is much faster as traffic is diverted.
React’s code has a stable structure.
Rendering and Meta Tags can be used to enhance Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
The framework can be used for both web platforms and mobile applications.
Works for Android and iOS.
Simple to learn and use.
React framework is free to use.

Cons of Using React JS

As with all JS frameworks, using React does have some drawbacks:

React’s library is fast changing. With updates released several times a year, it can be difficult to keep up with them.
The instructions and use documents don’t get updated as often as the framework. Therefore, it can sometimes be hard to figure out how to solve any glitches which might occur.
Whilst React is SEO-enabled, it’s not always recognized by Google. To make sure a webpage or app is fully optimized for SEO, the code must be vetted by an expert.

Next.js

Next.js is a relatively new development framework. Despite an initial 2016 release, the stable release only came in January 2024. Developed by Vercel, who use Amazon Web’s infrastructure, Next.js is used by some big-name clients. Current users include Airbnb, Uber, and Ticketmaster, all of whom are web-based companies.

Another extremely popular JS framework, it accounted for over 16% of framework use by developers in 2023. Whilst this makes it less frequently used than React, it’s still firmly in the top 10 frameworks available.

With its recent stable release, it’s likely that usage of Next.js will increase rapidly. Since React launched as a stable framework in 2022, its usage figures have climbed by over 25%.

What Are Next.js’ Key Features?

Built on React framework, Next.js is an open-source library. This new framework was designed to improve upon React’s traditional features.

Page-based routing system – Page is created in a folder, with the routing provided by Next.js. This saves developers having to write the code.
Server-side rendering – By rendering outside of JS, users of Next.js don’t need to have access to JavaScript and can have it disabled.
CSS and Sass support – Next.js framework supports any CSS or Sass JS library.
Full stack – Backend code can easily be added which makes it easier to store data.
Component-based – like React, Next.js is component based. React components can also be imported into the framework.
Prefetching – The component which links pages enables automated prefetching of page resources. Even if the code has split and is missing, pages can still be loaded.

Pros of Using Next.js

Being used by many high-profile clients suggests that Next.js’ features are pretty useful. Here are some of the advantages to using this framework:

Development cycles are quick and frequent.
Automatic optimization tools make maintenance easy.
Code is organized logically, so the performance is typically good.
Cloud integration makes Next.js ideal for scaling.
Next.js represents a cost-effective solution as it is capable of being hosted without a server.
Sensitive information is kept secure with server-side coding.
Side server rendering enables SEO.

Cons of Using Next.js

As a newer contender in the framework playing field, there are some drawbacks to using Next.js:

It doesn’t provide many built-in front pages. Therefore, developers need to create the front-end layer.
Next.js is quite advanced, and while beneficial in many instances, it isn’t so easy to use. Therefore, a dedicated professional is required to manage and develop pages coded with Next.js. Sometimes, it can be too advanced for logical use.
There’s no inbuilt state manager. If one is required, a separate manager needs to be used. Redux is a good option.
It isn’t compatible with many plug-ins.
Data has to be loadable from both the client and the server for Next.js to work.
A file router is the only way to handle routing, meaning there is no control over how files are routed.

Which Is Best? React or Next.js

Both React and Next.js have some great features. Whilst they both provide open-source development framework, there are some key differences between the two.

React, whilst older, is still very much relevant. It is frequently updated and, with the bonus of a JSX, is comparatively simple to use. With the use of a virtual DOM, React makes the sites and apps it supports quick to load. Compatibility with extensions such as Redux make it a great choice for developing mobile applications, both on iOS and Android.

On the downside, React’s SEO is fiddly and not overly reliable. As it’s frequently updated, it can be difficult to keep up with the changes, especially as the documentation isn’t always up-to-date.

Next.js is a far newer framework but is already popular with many well-known clients. It offers the highest levels of security by working off a side server, which also improves SEO. Next.js’ framework is easy to integrate with clouds and can be hosted server-free, making it fast and cost-effective.

However, Next.js is a much more complex framework than React. Using it requires deeper knowledge and understanding of JS. A lack of front pages means the page development process is lengthy. With less extensions available, a separate site manager is needed.

React and Next.js: Which JS Framework to Use

Both are clearly excellent JS frameworks, and each has their place in the web-development world. Considering the pros and cons of both frameworks, Next.js comes out on top overall. Having been built on React’s framework, it is the next-step up, a more modern version with the ability to overcome some of the drawbacks of React. However, due to its comparative complexity, when developing a simple app or website, React is often the better option.

When considering which JS framework to use, it is important to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of each framework. These are often relative to the project in hand, with each framework being better suited to different tasks.