React is a powerful open-source frontend JavaScript library that offers development companies excellent features for developing exclusive interfaces and experiences for high-performance solutions.
Its scalability, adaptability, and flexibility help React developers streamline the frontend development process to offer reliable React development services.
Two popular frameworks have been leveraged for React JS development – Next JS vs Gatsby.
These technologies are apt for creating versatile and robust React websites with salient features like static site generation and server-side rendering.
Both have a lot in common, yet they have differences worth reading.
Before we compare the Gatsby and Nextjs in detail, let’s understand them individually.
What is Next js?
Used by some of the world’s largest companies, Next.js enables you to create full-stack Web applications by extending the latest React features and integrating powerful Rust-based JavaScript tooling for the fastest builds.
Next js is an open-source and free React-based framework apt for creating server-side rendered websites and apps with nearly zero configuration.
The HTML gets directly generated via the server when there is a new request.
It enhances the site’s performance and provides a better user experience when creating landing pages, dynamic websites, and enterprise web apps.
Created by Vercel, Next js collaborates well with other well-known languages, tools, libraries, etc.
There is an augmented user experience with salient features such as routing, data fetching, overall configuration, image optimization, code splitting, etc.
It is like an all-in-one modern application-building solution. It offers a great developer experience for creating frontend applications with ease and efficacy.
Some of its salient features are:
Hot Reload
Prefetching
Automatic routing
Code splitting
What is Gatsby?
Gatsby is a React-based open-source framework with performance, scalability, and security built-in. Collaborate, build, and deploy 1000x faster with Gatsby Cloud. Gatsby has joined Netlify! Together Gatsby and Netlify are accelerating growth and bringing composable architectures to the modern web.
Gatsby is a free, open-source React framework that can build high-quality and performing apps and websites. It offers a variety of plug-ins, APIs, starters, and themes that can be extendable and generate static HTML pages. Sites in Gatsby can be hosted anywhere, making it one of the most accessible frameworks. It makes use of prerendering pages for better performance and SEO results.
It facilitates the creation of complicated websites and web apps and offers much more than just outputting static HTML files. With its increasing plug-in and starter ecosystem, it develops static and dynamic applications. It provides support for serverless functions and has a server rendering feature. It is the best fit for creating blogs, websites, landing pages, and product pages.
Some of its salient features are:
Simple learning curve
Loading data from anywhere
Optimized for performance.
Less hosting cost
Next js vs. Gatsby – Pros and Cons
Pros of Next js:
Inbuilt CSS support
Easy customization and deployment
Incremental static generation
Lightweight and highly scalable
Automated compilation
Faster creation of MVP
High-end data security
Better user and developer experience
Faster refresh
Extensive partner ecosystem
Cons of Next js:
Poor plug-in library ecosystem
Opinionated API routing
Lacks inbuilt state manager
Pros of Gatsby:
Speedy and exceptional performance
Modernized standards and workflow
Multiple data sources
Extensive community support
SEO friendly
Large partner and plug-in ecosystem
Comprehensive documentation
Enhanced static website performance
Low hosting and maintenance cost
Fast page loading speed
Cons of Gatsby:
Scaling trouble with larger apps
It needs to be rebuilt for updates
Not easily scalable
Next.js vs. Gatsby – Organizations Using Them
Companies Using Next.js:
Docker, Netflix, Uber, Magic Leap, Invision, IGN, TikTok, Hulu, Twitch, Starbucks, Loom, Plex, The Washington Post, Mr Beast, basement, Hashnode, Binance, Ticket Master, Devlieroo, AT&T, etc.
Companies Using Gatsby:
Nike, Figma, Digital Ocean, Hasura, Send Grid, Airbnb Engineering, Braun Canada, Snapchat, Tinder, Revoult, CIA, National Geographic UK, Cloudflare, Riot Games, Calendly, Little Caesars, etc.
Next vs. Gatsby – The Similarities
As you compare the two popular frontend frameworks Next js vs. Gatsby, certain similarities come across; here are they:
React-based frontend frameworks
Supports Static Site Generation, Server-Side Rendering, and Client-Side Rendering
Extensive documentation and tutorials
Inbuilt performance and caching
Creation of high-performance websites
Dynamic web development
Hot Reloading feature
Incremental build model
SEO-friendly with optimization
Inbuilt routing, code splitting, and optimization
Faster page loading speed
Code splitting and bundling
Page caching, internationalization
Image optimization
TypeScript support
Testing library compatibility
Following JS vs Gatsby: A Vivid Comparison
Parameters
Next.js
Gatsby
Overview
A server-side rendering tool that lets users decide everything. It uses customizing extension plug-ins for an enhanced experience.
It is an opinionated tool that tells you how to manage data. It uses themes, extensions, and plug-ins to offer an enhanced experience.
Application Size
Medium, large, or enterprise-sized applications wherein data is updated often
Small or personal-sized applications where data is not updated often
Use Cases
eCommerce/Finance web applications, Web apps/portals with personalization, applications with user authentication and interactions, client-side rendered applications, large multi-user websites, SaaS and B2B websites
Static content websites, blog websites, marketing websites, company websites, static landing pages, progressive web applications, secure websites, portfolio websites, documentation websites, headless CMS-compatible websites
Deferred Rending
Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR)
Deferred Static Generation (DSG)
Data Handling
Data may be obtained using any medium, developers can manage data how they want, and a backend is needed to provide data.
It uses GraphQL to get data, allows developers to fetch the data they need with a rich collection of plug-ins, and depends on APIs and third parties for data.
Content Management System
Fetching data from CMS is a little tricky since it does not have a well-developed plug-in ecosystem.
Easy connect, update, and edit to CMS through a variety of plug-ins
Plug-in Ecosystem
No
Yes
Support for Rendering
Supports static and dynamic rendering, renders pages via SSR usage
Supports static rendering, generates HTML pages during the build time with SSG
File Storage
Requires server deployment
Makes use of CDN
Generates HTML/JS/CSS at runtime
Generates HTML/JS/CSS at build time
Requirement of Server
It needs a server for its functioning
It can run even in the absence of a server
Extensibility
Features tools and libraries with various features such as page routing, code splitting, and image optimization.
It has a comprehensive set of tools and plug-ins that can be used to extend functionalities with pre-configured themes, TypeScript compilers, compressed images, etc.
Scalability
A perfect framework for enterprise use
Perfect for static web pages and small-sized apps
Data Security
need to set servers up with databases, maintenance, etc., for infrastructure
Assists developers to create fast web apps by simply prerendering on a build and using a CDN
GraphQL Support
Next doesn’t push GraphQL, so developers have a bit more flexibility
Since Gatsby is built on GraphQL, data fetching happens through GraphQL queries
Gatsby vs Next – When to Use What?
Choose Gatsby when –
There is a need for only static rendering
You need a quick website with plug-ins
You are already well-versed in React
It would be best if you had a broader range of plug-ins and resources
You plan to create a website with static content
There is a need to work with different data sources and plug-ins
You want to work on a smaller project that is stable and easy to setup
There is a small application to be developed with less development time
Choose Next js when –
There is a need for both static and dynamic rendering
It would be best if you chose server-side rendering
You need a scalable website that can be installed in a serverless environment.
You need to use more JavaScript and its features
You plan to create a scalable website with dynamic content
There is a need for a weight API surface for dynamic and static content
You want to create a large-scale app for managing lots of content and data
The project needs to handle lots of content that is growing incrementally
Choosing Between Gatsby vs. Next js – Summing It Up
Both frameworks, Next JS and Gatsby, are exceptional tools for creating React-based applications. When choosing between the two, other parameters are essential – project requirements, project deadlines and timelines, estimated budget requirements, available skilled resources, and time for a learning curve.
Both offer a great deal of benefits for developers and involved stakeholders.
Whatever you select, it will be a good option because of its salient features and connectivity with your chosen databases and libraries, allowing you to offer a high-performance site/application.
Go on and decide – it will be a lucrative choice!
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