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ExpressJS vs Next.js: What are the differences?
ExpressJS and Next.js are popular frameworks for building web applications, but they have distinct differences in their approach and functionality. Let's explore the key differences between them:
Architecture: ExpressJS is a minimalistic framework. It follows a middleware-based architecture, allowing developers to add custom functionality at each step of the request-response cycle. Next.js, on the other hand, is a higher-level framework built on top of React. It provides a more opinionated architecture with built-in support for server-side rendering, automatic routing, and other advanced features.
Server-side Rendering: ExpressJS primarily focuses on client-side rendering, where the server sends static HTML files to the client, and the client-side JavaScript takes over to handle interactivity. Next.js, on the other hand, excels at server-side rendering (SSR) and offers built-in support for it. SSR enables faster initial page load times, improved SEO, and better user experience.
Routing: ExpressJS offers manual route handling, where developers define routes and associated middleware manually. It provides flexibility but requires explicit route definitions. In contrast, Next.js offers automatic routing based on file structure. Developers can create pages by simply creating corresponding files in the pages directory, and Next.js handles the routing automatically.
Data Fetching: ExpressJS does not provide specific tools or conventions for data fetching. Developers have the freedom to choose their preferred data fetching libraries or approaches. Next.js, however, offers built-in support for data fetching through. These functions allow developers to fetch data during the server-side rendering process and pass it as props to the corresponding components.
Ecosystem and Community: ExpressJS has a mature and extensive ecosystem with a wide range of middleware and libraries available. It has been around for a long time and has a large and active community that contributes to its development and provides support. Next.js, while relatively newer, has gained significant popularity and has a growing ecosystem. It benefits from the robust React ecosystem and community support.
In summary, ExpressJS is a lightweight and flexible framework suitable for building custom APIs and microservices, while Next.js is a higher-level framework that excels at server-side rendering, automatic routing, and data fetching.
Next.js is probably the most enjoyable React framework our team could have picked. The development is an extremely smooth process, the file structure is beautiful and organized, and the speed is no joke. Our work with Next.js comes out much faster than if it was built on pure React or frameworks alike. We were previously developing all of our projects in Meteor before making the switch. We left Meteor due to the slow compiler and website speed. We deploy all of our Next.js projects on Vercel.
Hey guys,
My backend set up is Prisma / GraphQL-Yoga at the moment, and I love it. It's so intuitive to learn and is really neat on the frontend too, however, there were a few gotchas when I was learning! Especially around understanding how it all pieces together (the stack). There isn't a great deal of information out there on exactly how to put into production my set up, which is a backend set up on a Digital Ocean droplet with Prisma/GraphQL Yoga in a Docker Container using Next & Apollo Client on the frontend somewhere else. It's such a niche subject, so I bet only a few hundred people have got a website with this stack in production. Anyway, I wrote a blog post to help those who might need help understanding it. Here it is, hope it helps!
Pros of ExpressJS
- Simple381
- Node.js336
- Javascript244
- High performance193
- Robust routing152
- Middlewares73
- Open source72
- Great community59
- Hybrid web applications37
- Well documented16
- Sinatra inspired9
- Rapid development9
- Isomorphic js.. superfast and easy7
- Socket connection7
- Light weight5
- Npm4
- Resource available for learning4
- Callbacks3
- Event loop3
- Data stream2
- Easy to use1
Pros of Next.js
- Automatic server rendering and code splitting51
- Built with React44
- Easy setup34
- TypeScript26
- Universal JavaScript24
- Zero setup22
- Static site generator21
- Just JavaScript12
- Simple deployment12
- Incremental static regeneration12
- Filesystem as an API10
- Frictionless development10
- Everything is a function9
- Well Documented9
- Has many examples and integrations8
- Testing8
- Isomorphic React applications7
- File based routing + hooks built in4
- Deployment2
- SEO1
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Cons of ExpressJS
- Not python27
- Overrated17
- No multithreading14
- Javascript9
- Not fast5
- Easily Insecure for Novices3
Cons of Next.js
- Structure is weak compared to Angular(2+)9