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Next js vs. React: A Detailed Comparison
2 min readJun 25, 2024
Introduction
React and Next.js are both popular tools for building web applications, but they serve different purposes. In this essay, we’ll explore their features, use cases, and how they differ.
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React: The Foundation
React, developed by Facebook, is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces. Here are its key points:
- Component-Based Architecture:
- React encourages a modular approach through reusable components.
- Developers create UI elements using JSX (JavaScript XML) syntax.
2. Virtual DOM:
- React uses a virtual representation of the DOM to optimize updates.
- Changes are batched and efficiently applied to the actual DOM.
3. Client-Side Rendering (CSR):
- React apps load in the browser, and the UI is rendered dynamically.
- Popular for single-page applications (SPAs).
Next.js: Beyond React
Next.js builds upon React’s foundation, providing additional features:
- Server-Side Rendering (SSR):