Next.js
The reference React framework for modern websites and business apps: performance, SEO and DX in one tool.
Next.js has established itself as the reference React framework since 2020. For the vast majority of professional websites, business apps and modern e-commerce, it's my default proposal. It combines what the best JavaScript frameworks handled separately: server-side rendering (SSR), static generation (SSG), API routes, native image optimization, and a mature React ecosystem. For an SMB, this unification means fewer moving parts to orchestrate, fewer integration bugs, and automated deployment on Vercel or any Node runtime.
My take on Next.js: it's the tool I recommend by default as soon as your project has real application logic: complex forms, customer area, business dashboard, dynamic e-commerce.
Its versatility is a business asset: you start with a reasonable scope and you can extend without changing stack or rewriting everything. Conversely, for a purely editorial site of a few dozen pages, I prefer to point you to Astro: cheaper to host, simpler to maintain over time.
The decision criterion isn't technical, it's business: do you need your site to do something other than display content? If yes, Next.js is the right investment.
If not, something else will serve you better.
- →Marketing site or e-commerce with strong SEO and Core Web Vitals requirements
- →Business application with server-side logic (auth, API, database)
- →Project meant to evolve: start in SSG, move to SSR or hybrid without rewriting
- →Team already comfortable with React or willing to invest
- →Native multilingual and internationalization needs
- ×Purely editorial site of 10-20 pages: Astro is lighter and faster
- ×No server-side logic needed: a static build is enough
- ×Backend PHP team with no appetite for modern JavaScript: the gap is too steep
- ×Very tight hosting budget: Next.js requires Node.js, slightly more expensive than pure static
- →AstroPurely editorial sites where JS logic stays minimal: lighter, faster to serveView page
- →RemixPhilosophical fork of Next.js, more oriented toward web standards and native forms
- →SvelteKitIf you prefer Svelte to React: comparable framework in maturity, more concise syntax
- →Vite + React RouterFor more control, without the Next.js sugar: requires more assembly
- →NuxtFunctional equivalent on the Vue.js side: good choice if your team is Vue rather than React
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App Router by default for new projects: Pages Router is in maintenance mode
- 02
TypeScript by default: long-term velocity outweighs the initial overhead
- 03
Rendering strategy chosen page by page: SSG for content, SSR for dynamic, ISR for mixed
- 04
End-to-end tests (Playwright) on critical paths, unit tests (Vitest) for logic
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Vercel deployment to start, generic Node runtime as the project grows (Docker, VPS, Kubernetes)
Next.js or just React?
React alone is a library, not a framework: you're missing routing, SEO, performance optimizations, server rendering. In 2026, the React team itself explicitly recommends using a framework on top for any serious project. Next.js is the most mature and most deployed choice. Vite + React Router remains a valid alternative if you want more control, but it requires more manual assembly.How much does a Next.js site cost?
For a modern marketing site (10-30 pages, blog, forms), expect €2,000 to €6,000. For a business application with authentication and back-office, €6,000 to €25,000 depending on complexity. Hosting ranges from €0 (Vercel free for small projects) to €50-200/month (dedicated VPS or Vercel Pro).App Router or Pages Router?
App Router is the official path since 2023 and stable since 2024. All new projects should use it. Pages Router remains maintained for existing projects but no longer receives major new features. Migration isn't urgent but should be planned over 12-24 months for production apps.Do I have to deploy on Vercel?
No, this is the most widespread myth. Next.js runs on any Node.js runtime: classic VPS, Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, GCP, OVH. Vercel offers the best DX and smoothest deployment, but as the project grows, hosting on your own infrastructure becomes more economically relevant. For most SMBs, Vercel remains my default up to around 50,000 visitors per month.What about SEO with Next.js?
Excellent by default. Next.js was designed for SEO from day one: server rendering, static generation, flexible metadata, automatic sitemap. Google indexes Next.js without difficulty. Core Web Vitals are generally better than on standard WordPress or Shopify: often to the point of gaining positions in the SERPs after migration.
A project involving Next.js?
Describe your context: I'll suggest the right level of investment.
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