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I was under the impression that Next.js was the successor to React? Is that not the case?

by taeric 2y ago

rco8786 2y ago
Not really. Next.js is still React. It's more like a wrapper/sidecar/framework around React that brings in some opinions on how to build apps and provides some niceties if you buy in.
k__ 2y ago
Next.js is a framework built on the React UI library. Similar to SvelteKit, that's built on Svelte, and Nuxt that's built on Vue.
robertlagrant 2y ago
No, React is purely a library for rendering HTML elements on a screen. NextJS uses React for that, but it's more comprehensive. E.g. it provides routing out of the box, and server-side/client-side rendering bits, and it can run your code as a web application.
yodon 2y ago
> I was under the impression that Next.js was the successor to React? Is that not the case? You should probably read the article before posting.
- taeric 2y ago
  Apologies, I worded my question wrong. I should have asked if that "Was not that the case?" My memory was that the hello world, "starter" project, was to create a "Next.js" application at some point. I see, now, that they have https://react.dev/blog/2025/02/14/sunsetting-create-react-app https://react.dev/blog/2025/02/14/sunsetting-create-react-ap... documenting that they don't recommend any "starter" path. That somewhat surprises me, but I couldn't say it shocks me.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
owebmaster 2y ago
Kind of. Vercel found a way to destroy React to its own benefit and profit.
toddmorey 2y ago
I could totally see how you'd arrive there. Backstory: create-react was a starter boilerplate for React built and maintained by Facebook. This was when webpack was the standard and just getting a local development environment to "hello world" for React could be challenging.[1] That project was depreciated and the popularity of the Next.js site framework for react projects (plus I certainly assume heavy lobbying from Vercel) pushed the react docs to officially suggest create-next as the new starting point.[2] Note that there are many other ways to start a react project and there are also many react projects that don't use or need Nextjs. (I use react quite a bit but I pair it with Astro.js, for example.) I would say that a lightweight Vite template is really all you need for a lot of early success with a local environment for learning / building with React. [1] https://github.com/facebook/create-react-app https://github.com/facebook/create-react-app [2] https://react.dev/learn/creating-a-react-app https://react.dev/learn/creating-a-react-app
- taeric 2y ago
  Yeah, this is what I was remembering. Glad to see I didn't flat out hallucinate the idea that "create-next" as the starting spot for creating a React site.
- owebmaster 2y ago
  > That project was depreciated and the popularity of the Next.js site framework for react projects (plus I certainly assume heavy lobbying from Vercel) pushed the react docs to officially suggest create-next as the new starting point.[2] This is a very generous take.
- qudat 2y ago
  > That project was depreciated and the popularity of the Next.js site framework for react projects (plus I certainly assume heavy lobbying from Vercel) pushed the react docs to officially suggest create-next as the new starting point. It seems like Vercel had enough money and hype to lure react devs away from facebook to work for them. I see this as the biggest reason why react is pushing users towards vercel. Further, Vercel was able to work very closely with the react dev team when developing react server components, giving vercel a first-to-market advantage and a headstart on vendor lock-in.
o_m 2y ago
You're not entirely wrong. React is maintained by Meta and Vercel. There is also a divide in React at the moment, like Python 2 and 3, between server first and client first. Next.js is the "official" way to do server first React.
cruffle_duffle 2y ago
Don’t know why you are gray as when I was researching my front end platform choice “the universe” certainly seemed to frame it that way. It was framed as you were seemingly either using next.js or writing some kind of “legacy app” in boring old react. Which turns out isn’t true. I didn’t need SSR and my research suggested that next.js might be overkill so I landed on react + vite. So far so good.

I was under the impression that Next.js was the successor to React? Is that not the case?

by taeric 2y ago

I was under the impression that Next.js was the successor to React? Is that not the case?

Not really. Next.js is still React. It's more like a wrapper/sidecar/framework around React that brings in some opinions on how to build apps and provides some niceties if you buy in.

k__ 2y ago

Next.js is a framework built on the React UI library. Similar to SvelteKit, that's built on Svelte, and Nuxt that's built on Vue.

robertlagrant 2y ago

No, React is purely a library for rendering HTML elements on a screen. NextJS uses React for that, but it's more comprehensive. E.g. it provides routing out of the box, and server-side/client-side rendering bits, and it can run your code as a web application.

yodon 2y ago

> I was under the impression that Next.js was the successor to React? Is that not the case? You should probably read the article before posting.

taeric 2y ago
Apologies, I worded my question wrong. I should have asked if that "Was not that the case?" My memory was that the hello world, "starter" project, was to create a "Next.js" application at some point. I see, now, that they have https://react.dev/blog/2025/02/14/sunsetting-create-react-app https://react.dev/blog/2025/02/14/sunsetting-create-react-ap... documenting that they don't recommend any "starter" path. That somewhat surprises me, but I couldn't say it shocks me.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

owebmaster 2y ago

Kind of. Vercel found a way to destroy React to its own benefit and profit.

toddmorey 2y ago

I could totally see how you'd arrive there. Backstory: create-react was a starter boilerplate for React built and maintained by Facebook. This was when webpack was the standard and just getting a local development environment to "hello world" for React could be challenging.[1] That project was depreciated and the popularity of the Next.js site framework for react projects (plus I certainly assume heavy lobbying from Vercel) pushed the react docs to officially suggest create-next as the new starting point.[2] Note that there are many other ways to start a react project and there are also many react projects that don't use or need Nextjs. (I use react quite a bit but I pair it with Astro.js, for example.) I would say that a lightweight Vite template is really all you need for a lot of early success with a local environment for learning / building with React. [1] https://github.com/facebook/create-react-app https://github.com/facebook/create-react-app [2] https://react.dev/learn/creating-a-react-app https://react.dev/learn/creating-a-react-app

taeric 2y ago
Yeah, this is what I was remembering. Glad to see I didn't flat out hallucinate the idea that "create-next" as the starting spot for creating a React site.
owebmaster 2y ago
> That project was depreciated and the popularity of the Next.js site framework for react projects (plus I certainly assume heavy lobbying from Vercel) pushed the react docs to officially suggest create-next as the new starting point.[2] This is a very generous take.
qudat 2y ago
> That project was depreciated and the popularity of the Next.js site framework for react projects (plus I certainly assume heavy lobbying from Vercel) pushed the react docs to officially suggest create-next as the new starting point. It seems like Vercel had enough money and hype to lure react devs away from facebook to work for them. I see this as the biggest reason why react is pushing users towards vercel. Further, Vercel was able to work very closely with the react dev team when developing react server components, giving vercel a first-to-market advantage and a headstart on vendor lock-in.

o_m 2y ago

You're not entirely wrong. React is maintained by Meta and Vercel. There is also a divide in React at the moment, like Python 2 and 3, between server first and client first. Next.js is the "official" way to do server first React.

cruffle_duffle 2y ago

Don’t know why you are gray as when I was researching my front end platform choice “the universe” certainly seemed to frame it that way. It was framed as you were seemingly either using next.js or writing some kind of “legacy app” in boring old react. Which turns out isn’t true. I didn’t need SSR and my research suggested that next.js might be overkill so I landed on react + vite. So far so good.