I shipped skillcraft.ai !!!
Skillcraft helps you find the best learning resources tailored to your goals. Get a personalized roadmap with the best courses, books, and tutorials. Try it out, for free!
Archived
Published
4 min read

Trevor I. Lasn

Building tools for developers. Currently building skillcraft.ai and blamesteve.lol

Next.js — React Server-Side Rendering Done Right

We’re officially in the age of server-side rendered react apps

Next.js is a minimalistic framework for building React applications that are server-rendered. It was open-sourced on October 25, 2016, by a company called ZEIT, now known as Vercel.

Since then, Next.js has gained a strong reputation and is backed by a stable, active organization in the open-source world. This means that Next.js is here to stay.

Why Should You Care?

You might wonder, “Why should I care about Next.js? I already know how to build React apps.” That’s a valid question. But as developers, we should always be open to new tools and concepts. Learning new things is part of the job, and Next.js can make your life easier as a developer.

Think about it this way: When jQuery came out, it revolutionized web development because it made JavaScript easier to use. If you had ignored it, you would have missed out on significant improvements.

Innovation tends to win in the long run, so why not explore something new?

How Next.js Can Improve Your Life

Next.js offers several advantages right out of the box:

  1. Ease of Use: No need to set up Webpack, React Router, React, and React-DOM separately. It’s all included.
  2. Code Splitting: Automatically splits your code for better performance.
  3. First-Page Load Performance: Improves loading times for the first page your users see.
  4. SEO: Better search engine optimization, which is crucial for many applications.
  5. JavaScript Everything: Next.js builds on the “JavaScript everywhere” philosophy, but with better simplicity and performance than some earlier attempts, like Meteor.

Client-Side vs. Server-Side Rendering

When you use React traditionally, your browser downloads a basic HTML page, and JavaScript fills in the content. This is called client-side rendering.

With server-side rendering (SSR), the initial content is generated on the server. Your browser downloads a fully populated HTML page, making the site load faster and improving SEO.

The Downsides of Server-Side Rendering

Server-side rendering isn’t a silver bullet. It has some downsides:

  1. Server Load: SSR puts more work on your server, which could slow down response times, especially under heavy load.
  2. Increased HTML Size: The size of your HTML files will be larger, which could slow down downloads, especially for apps with large components.
  3. Complexity: Using SSR can make your application more complex, leaving you with less time to focus on other features.

When to Use Server-Side Rendering

SSR is a good choice when:

  1. You Need SEO: Especially for search engines like Google, DuckDuckGo, Bing, Yahoo, or Baidu.
  2. You Need Performance: If you have a working React app and want the best possible performance, and you’re willing to pay for extra server resources.

When to Avoid Server-Side Rendering

SSR might not be the best option when:

  1. Your App Isn’t Finished: If you’re still building your app, focus on getting it working first.
  2. Limited Server Resources: If you have a tight budget or scaling is an issue, SSR might not be the right choice.

Alternatives to Server-Side Rendering

If SSR doesn’t seem like the right fit, you have other options:

  1. Client-Side Rendering: Stick with the traditional approach and rely on Googlebot’s ability to crawl JavaScript for SEO. Your SEO might suffer on other search engines like Baidu, Bing, and Yahoo.
  2. Pre-Rendering Services: Use services like prerender to cache a static version of your pages, improving both SEO and performance without the complexity of SSR.

Conclusion

Next.js makes server-side rendering accessible and straightforward. It’s a powerful tool for improving performance and SEO, all while keeping your development process smooth and efficient. Whether you’re building a new app or improving an existing one, Next.js is worth a look.


Found this article helpful? You might enjoy my free newsletter. I share dev tips and insights to help you grow your coding skills and advance your tech career.


Check out these related articles that might be useful for you. They cover similar topics and provide additional insights.

Webdev
3 min read

NPQ: Open source CLI tool that audits and protects your npm installs from malicious packages

A CLI tool that checks packages for security issues and social engineering attacks before they hit your project

Jul 26, 2025
Read article
Webdev
13 min read

10 Essential Terminal Commands Every Developer Should Know

List of useful Unix terminal commands to boost your productivity. Here are some of my favorites.

Aug 21, 2024
Read article
Webdev
4 min read

Understanding Vue's Suspense

How the Suspense component manages async dependencies and improves loading states in Vue apps

Aug 23, 2024
Read article
Webdev
7 min read

How to Land Your First Tech Job

A developer's guide to tech interviews - from someone who sits on both sides of the table

Oct 24, 2024
Read article
Webdev
8 min read

Stop Using localStorage for Sensitive Data: Here's Why and What to Use Instead

Understanding the security risks of localStorage and what to use instead for tokens, secrets, and sensitive user data

Oct 28, 2024
Read article
Webdev
8 min read

Become a Web Developer in 180 Days

A comprehensive roadmap to becoming a proficient web developer

Oct 29, 2019
Read article
Webdev
3 min read

CVE-2025-29927 - Next.js Middleware Bypass Explained In Simple Terms

The vulnerability skips Next.js middleware security checks by adding a single HTTP header

Apr 6, 2025
Read article
Webdev
3 min read

align-content: The Simplest Way to Center Content with CSS

Finally, we can center things in block layouts without flexbox gymnastics

Dec 13, 2024
Read article
Webdev
4 min read

Speed Up Your Website With rel='preconnect' and increase PageSpeed Insights Score

Using link rel='preconnect' can improve your website's performance by reducing connection setup times to key external domains.

Sep 13, 2024
Read article

This article was originally published on https://www.trevorlasn.com/blog/next-js-react-server-side-rendering-done-right. It was written by a human and polished using grammar tools for clarity.