What is Next.js?

React Framework:

Next.js is a full-stack framework built on top of React (a popular JavaScript UI library). It provides additional structure, features, and optimizations that enhance the core React experience, especially for creating web applications.

Created by Vercel:

Next.js is developed and maintained by Vercel, a company specializing in making the frontend development and deployment experience seamless.

Key Features of Next.js

Hybrid Rendering: Next.js gives you the flexibility to choose between the following: Server-Side Rendering (SSR): Pages are rendered on the server for each request, ideal for SEO and fast initial page loads. Static Site Generation (SSG): Pages are pre-rendered at build time, offering excellent performance and scaling. File-based Routing: Your application's routing is automatically created based on your file structure within the pages directory, making setup easy. Image Optimization: Provides a built-in Image component for automatic image optimization, responsive sizing, and lazy loading. Data Fetching Flexibility: Supports multiple data fetching strategies (getStaticProps, getServerSideProps, getInitialProps) to tailor how data is loaded. API Routes: Lets you easily create API endpoints directly within your Next.js project. Hot Module Replacement (HMR): Provides rapid feedback during development as changes are updated in the browser almost instantly.

Why choose Next.js?

Performance: Next.js prioritizes performance with SSR, SSG, and optimizations that lead to fast-loading web applications. Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Server-side rendering makes your web content easily indexable by search engines. Developer Experience: Simplifies React development processes and provides a well-structured, easy-to-learn approach. Scalability: Handles large, production-level applications well. Strong Backing: Vercel's support and the active Next.js community ensure continuous improvement and assistance.