Next.js

Next.js is one of the most widely used frameworks for building web apps with React. It adds what React lacks for production: server-side rendering, routing, data fetching, image and font optimisation. Our client portal is built with Next.js, and our custom offer uses it for projects that mix a website with app features.

What is Next.js?

Next.js is a free, open-source framework built on top of React and Node.js and maintained by Vercel. React provides the interface components. Next.js organises the application around them: pages, routes, rendering, caching and deployment.

• Server and static rendering: each page can be generated on request, at build time or regenerated periodically.
• React Server Components: components rendered on the server, with no extra JavaScript in the browser.
• Built-in optimisations: images, fonts and scripts optimised for Core Web Vitals.
• API routes: server logic lives in the same project as the interface.

Version 16.4, released on 6 October 2026, brings lazy compilation, a lighter Turbopack output and the new features of React 19.3 (official Next.js blog).

Next.js and SEO

A classic React site builds its pages in the browser. Some bots, including most AI bots, then only read an empty page. Next.js server rendering delivers complete HTML, readable by Google and AI. Our guide to SEO for LLMs covers this point, and a Screaming Frog crawl with JavaScript disabled checks it page by page.

Real-world performance depends on implementation. HTTP Archive data cited by Astro shows 35% of Next.js sites passing Core Web Vitals, against 71% for Astro (astro.build). A fast Next.js site therefore requires real technical discipline.

Next.js, Astro or Webflow?

Webflow is moving closer to these stacks with Source, which plugs into a Next.js or Astro project. Our article on Source by Webflow and our dedicated video (in French) explain the changes for marketing teams.

Our review of Next.js

Next.js is an excellent choice for a web app or a site with business features: client portal, configurator, dashboard. For a B2B site where content is the core, it adds complexity that Webflow or Astro avoid. Claude Code noticeably speeds up writing and reviewing code on a Next.js project.

Strengths

• Server rendering that guarantees HTML readable by search engines and AI.
• A huge, well-documented React ecosystem.
• App features and the website in the same project.
• Very simple deployment on Vercel.

Limits

• Unnecessary complexity for a content site.
• Performance that depends heavily on implementation.
• Reliance on a development team for every change.

Next.js compared with Astro, Sanity and JavaScript

• Astro focuses on content sites and ships less JavaScript.
• Sanity provides the headless CMS for a Next.js project.
• JavaScript is the language React and Next.js rely on.
• Webflow remains better suited to a B2B site run by marketing.

FAQ: frequently asked questions about Next.js

What is Next.js?

An open-source framework built on React and developed by Vercel. It adds server-side rendering, routing and the optimisations React needs for production.

What is the difference between Next.js and React?

React is a library for building interfaces. Next.js is a framework that organises a complete React application: pages, server rendering, data and deployment.

Is Next.js good for SEO?

Yes, thanks to server rendering that delivers complete HTML. Performance, however, depends on the quality of the implementation.

Do you need Next.js for a company website?

Rarely. A B2B content site gains autonomy and simplicity on Webflow. Next.js makes sense when the site includes app features.