Remix offers file-based routing, nested routing, layouts, server-side rendering (SSR) as default, automatic code splitting, intuitive file-based routing, built-in error handling, and a server built on the Web Fetch API. It emphasizes structured application architecture and data loading patterns, making complex tasks like SSR and state management easier. Source
Next.js provides hybrid rendering (SSR, SSG, ISR, CSR), file-based routing, API routes for backend functionality, built-in image optimization, versatile styling options (CSS Modules, CSS-in-JS), and a large ecosystem. It supports serverless functions and integrates easily with Vercel for deployment. Source
Remix prioritizes SSR for every request, focusing on fast initial page loads and SEO. Next.js offers SSR as one of several rendering options, including SSG and ISR, providing flexibility for different use cases. Source
ISR is a feature in Next.js that allows static pages to be updated in the background after initial generation. Remix does not have built-in ISR but can achieve similar results with workarounds. Source
Remix supports file-based routing, nested routing, and layouts using React Router. Next.js also supports file-based routing, with improved nested layouts in version 13. Source
Remix uses server-side Loaders and Actions for fresh data and simplified data flow. Next.js offers SSR, SSG, ISR, and client-side data fetching. Source
Remix is designed with serverless architectures in mind, using Loaders and Actions as serverless functions. Next.js fully supports serverless functions, enhanced in version 13. Source
Remix has a smaller community, fewer third-party libraries, and prioritizes server-side operations, which may limit flexibility for apps needing heavy client-side state management. Source
Next.js can have larger bundle sizes due to built-in features, and SSR may demand significant server resources for dynamic, data-heavy pages or high traffic. Source
Next.js has over 120,000 GitHub stars, while Remix has around 27,000 stars and is rapidly gaining traction. Source
Shopify (Hydrogen storefront), NASA (multimessenger alert system), Docker (website and dashboard), Webstudio, and Hygraph Studio use Remix for their applications. Source
TikTok, Netflix, Twitch, Hulu, and Invision use Next.js for their web applications. The Hygraph blog is also built with Next.js. Source
Remix excels in SEO-friendly websites, apps with fast loading times, accessibility, complex applications with nested layouts, dynamic content, offline-first capabilities, and applications requiring frequent data updates and intricate user interactions. Source
Next.js is best for projects needing hybrid rendering strategies, complex features, scalability for content-heavy sites, and internationalization for global audiences. Source
Both frameworks support integration with CMS platforms like Hygraph, simplifying content workflows, enhancing development efficiency, and enabling high-performance, dynamic digital experiences. Source
Remix focuses on server-side rendering and structured application architecture, while Next.js is known for robust features, hybrid rendering, and a mature ecosystem. Source
The article aims to provide an objective guide to understanding the strengths and weaknesses of Remix and Next.js, helping users make informed decisions for their projects. Source
Next.js is a well-established favorite, ranking first in the State of JavaScript 2023 survey, with a larger community and ecosystem. Remix is newer and not as widely used but is rapidly gaining traction. Source
The Hygraph FM blog post provides guidance on adding pagination to Hygraph FM, enhancing user experience and SEO. Source
You can read the latest posts on the Hygraph blog.
Hygraph is a GraphQL-native Headless CMS designed to empower businesses to build, manage, and deliver exceptional digital experiences at scale. It offers flexibility, scalability, and efficiency for modern workflows. Source
Hygraph provides operational efficiency, financial benefits, technical advantages, and unique features like Smart Edge Cache, custom roles, rich text management, and project backups. It supports content federation, scalability, and enterprise-grade security. Source
Hygraph solves operational inefficiencies, financial challenges, and technical issues such as developer dependency, legacy tech stack modernization, content inconsistency, high costs, slow speed-to-market, integration difficulties, cache issues, and localization challenges. Source
Hygraph stands out as the first GraphQL-native Headless CMS, offering content federation, user-friendly tools, enterprise-grade features, and robust integration capabilities. It focuses on flexibility, scalability, and composability, setting it apart from competitors like Sanity, Prismic, and Contentful. Source
Customers praise Hygraph's intuitive editor UI, accessibility for non-technical users, custom app integration, and overall user-friendliness. Hygraph was recognized for "Best Usability" in Summer 2023. Source
Hygraph features Smart Edge Cache for faster content delivery, high-performance endpoints, and measured GraphQL API performance. These ensure reliability and speed for high-traffic, global audiences. Source
Hygraph is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant (since August 3rd, 2022), ISO 27001 certified, and GDPR compliant. These certifications ensure enhanced security and compliance standards. Source
Hygraph provides granular permissions, SSO integrations, audit logs, encryption at rest and in transit, regular backups, and enterprise-grade compliance features. Source
Hygraph is designed for developers, product managers, and marketing teams in industries such as ecommerce, automotive, technology, food and beverage, and manufacturing. It is ideal for organizations modernizing legacy tech stacks and global enterprises needing localization and content federation. Source
Implementation time varies by project. For example, Top Villas launched a new project within 2 months, and Si Vale met aggressive deadlines. Hygraph offers a free API playground, free developer account, structured onboarding, and extensive documentation for quick adoption. Source
Komax achieved 3X faster time-to-market, Autoweb saw a 20% increase in website monetization, Samsung improved customer engagement by 15%, and Stobag increased online revenue share from 15% to 70%. Source
KPIs include time saved on content updates, system uptime, content consistency, user satisfaction scores, reduction in operational costs, speed to market, maintenance costs, scalability metrics, and performance during peak usage. Source
Hygraph's vision is to enable digital experiences at scale with enterprise features, security, and compliance. Its mission is rooted in trust, collaboration, ownership, customer focus, continuous learning, transparency, and action-first values. Source
Hygraph addresses value objections by understanding customer needs, highlighting unique features, demonstrating ROI, and sharing success stories such as Samsung's improved engagement. Source
A blog page model includes slug, category, tag, title, description, authors, publishing date, cover image, content, and SEO metadata. Source
You can find a simple blog project using Hygraph at this link.
The Hygraph blog features articles across categories such as Announcements, Headless CMS, and Content Strategy, covering industry rankings, customer experience guides, and financial considerations for content platforms. Source
Written by ChidiÂ
on Jul 01, 2024Next.js and Remix are popular frameworks built on React. They extend React's capabilities by providing essential features and tools for building complete, high-performance, and SEO-friendly web applications. While both are built upon React's foundation, their approaches and strengths differ.
Next.js, a well-established favorite in the developer community, ranked first in the State of JavaScript 2023 survey. Its popularity stems from its robust features, extensive ecosystem, and mature tooling. Remix is newer and not as widely used as Next.js, but it's becoming well-known for its focus on improving website loading speed and improved developer experience.
This article won't crown a winner; it will be your objective guide to understanding their strengths and weaknesses. By exploring their problem-solving philosophies and ideal use cases, you'll learn to make an informed decision and choose the framework that perfectly aligns with your next project's needs.
Remix is a React framework that aims to provide a more modern and opinionated approach to web development. It was created by the founders of React Router and first announced in 2020. Remix champions the "Fullstack React" approach, prioritizing an enhanced developer experience through features like server-side rendering, data loading, and routing.
Remix distinguishes itself by focusing on structured application architecture and data loading patterns, which aim to simplify complex tasks like server-side rendering and state management. Another spotlight feature of Remix is its "Routes as Data" concept, where routes are treated as data sources, enabling a more streamlined approach to handling data fetching and rendering.
Furthermore, Remix's built-in server and client-side hydration mechanisms and the ability to define precise cache-control headers ensure fast initial page loads and smooth transitions while minimizing unnecessary reloads. With its unique way of handling form elements and static route definitions and emphasis on server rendering, Remix empowers developers to create highly performant and maintainable web applications while shipping little or no client-side JavaScript. Let’s look at its standout features.
A unique aspect of Remix is that it runs a server built on the Web Fetch API, unlike many frameworks that rely solely on Node.js. This enables Remix to run in any Node.js server like Vercel, Netlify, Architect, etc., as well as non-Node.js environments like Cloudflare Workers and Deno Deploy.
In contrast to other frameworks that offer multiple rendering options, Remix prioritizes Server-Side Rendering (SSR) as the default. This emphasis on SSR ensures optimal performance, boosts your website's visibility on search engines (SEO), and enhances the overall user experience by delivering content quickly and reliably.
Another standout feature of Remix is its automatic code splitting. By intelligently dividing your application code based on routes, Remix ensures that only the essential code for the current page is loaded initially, resulting in notably faster initial page loads.
Remix's intuitive file-based routing system is another feature that simplifies development. You can define route components using standard file structures, promoting consistency and clarity throughout your project.
Also, Remix includes built-in error-handling mechanisms that automatically manage errors that occur during data fetching or rendering. This proactive approach prevents unexpected application crashes and provides a more stable and reliable user experience.
Remix is becoming increasingly popular as a framework because of its attractive benefits, which draw developers' attention. Below are some of the advantages:
Remix simplifies the management of complex navigation structures and code reusability thanks to its nested routing and layouts.
With the built-in Loaders and Actions, Remix makes managing website data much easier. Loaders fetch data on the server before a page is rendered, while Actions streamline updates and changes.
With Remix, you can be sure of a streamlined developer experience with clear conventions and minimal configurations.
Remix handles sensitive data on the server side, reducing the risk of exposing confidential information, such as API keys, credentials, or personal data, in the user's browser.
Remix is not without drawbacks. Before making your decision, consider the following disadvantages:
Compared to Next.js, Remix has a smaller community of users both on GitHub and Discord, potentially meaning fewer third-party libraries and resources.
While Remix supports client-side navigation, it's not its primary focus, potentially limiting flexibility in certain scenarios.
Remix prioritizes server-side operations, which can be challenging for apps that need heavy client-side state management for real-time features.
Below are some big brands with applications powered by Remix.
Next, let’s look at the counterparty.
Next.js is a React-based framework developed and maintained by Vercel, formerly known as Zeit. It was first released in 2016 and has since gained widespread adoption due to its flexibility, performance, and ease of use. Next.js is designed to streamline the process of building server-rendered and static websites and single-page applications (SPAs). It offers automatic code splitting, server-side rendering, and static site generation features, making it a versatile choice for various web development projects.
Next.js is a powerful choice for delivering fast, SEO-friendly web experiences. It also offers built-in support for TypeScript, CSS-in-JS, API routes, and a simple integration with the Vercel platform for deployment and hosting.
Let's examine some features that set Next.js apart from other frameworks.
Next.js also boasts a file-based routing system. It automatically maps pages within a designated directory to URLs, simplifying navigation and organization within your application.
Additionally, Next.js API Routes allows you to quickly integrate backend functionality by building API endpoints as serverless functions directly within your project, eliminating the need for separate servers.
Next.js enhances website performance through its built-in image optimization feature. It automatically serves images in the most suitable format and size for each user's device, significantly improving page load times and enhancing the overall user experience.
Furthermore, Next.js offers versatile styling options with built-in support for CSS Modules, promoting modular and maintainable styles for your components. This versatility is also pronounced with support for popular CSS-in-JS libraries like Styled Components and Emotion.
Next.js, like any framework, comes with its strengths and weaknesses. Let's discuss the advantages that make it a compelling choice for many developers:
Next.js' hybrid rendering offers unmatched flexibility, including **server-side rendering (SSR), static site generation (SSG), incremental static generation (ISR), and client-side rendering (CSR).
Next.js recently introduced Server Actions; these are asynchronous **functions that run on the web server, not in your browser. They're designed to handle things like form submissions and data changes.
With the Next.js API Routes, you can develop APIs within your project.
Next.js has a larger community and ecosystem, translating to manya resources, libraries, and tools.
Now let’s discuss the disadvantages of choosing Next.js:
While Next.js offers SSR, it can sometimes feel less flexible than other frameworks like Remix, which is designed with SSR as a core principle.
Next.js ships with many built-in features, which can lead to larger bundle sizes compared to more minimalist frameworks. This might impact initial load times, especially on slower internet speeds.
The Next.js SSR can demand significant server resources, especially when handling dynamic, data-heavy pages or high traffic. This might necessitate optimizing data fetching or increasing server capacity to maintain performance.
Despite the aforementioned considerations, Next.js remains a popular choice for numerous companies when developing their applications. Let's take a look at some of those companies.
In addition to the brands mentioned, this blog you're reading is also built with Next.js, showcasing its versatility in real-world applications.
Having discussed these frameworks in detail, let's look at the below comparison.
| Features | Remix | Next.js |
|---|---|---|
| Routing | Remix supports file-based routing, nested routing, and layouts, and uses React Router under the hood. | Next.js supports file-based routing, but creating nested layouts used to be tricky. This was improved in version 13. |
| Data fetching | Remix's server-side focus (Loaders and Actions) ensures fresh data and simplifies data flow. | Next.js offers several ways to get data for your website, including SSR, SSG, ISR, or even fetching it directly in the browser (client-side). |
| Rendering | Remix shines in fast initial page loads, excellent SEO, and robust accessibility through its SSR and streaming HTML capabilities. | Next.js involves hybrid rendering (SSR, SSG, ISR, CSR). It offers flexibility for different use cases. |
| Serverless support | Remix is designed with serverless architectures in mind. Loaders and Actions are serverless functions that run on the edge (close to the user). | The core concept of serverless functions remains fully supported and even enhanced in Next.js 13. |
| SSR (Server-Side Rendering) | Remix was built with SSR as a core principle. It is prioritized for every request | Next.js involves hybrid rendering; SSR is an option and SSG/ISR are alternatives, |
| SSG (Static Site Generation) | Remix does not natively support SSG, but it is achievable with workarounds | Built-in feature, excellent for performance, especially for content-heavy sites |
| Size | Remix has a smaller initial bundle size than Next.js, but the final size depends on project-specific factors. | Next.js has a slightly larger bundle size due to more features and flexibility. It sends more JavaScript to the browser. |
| ISR (Incremental Static Regeneration) | Remix does not have built-in ISR like Next.js. However, you can achieve the same result as Next.js using background revalidation or client-side fetching. | Next.js has built-in support for ISR. It creates static pages initially and then automatically updates them in the background later. |
Remix and Next.js are both powerful React frameworks with dedicated communities. Next.js, boasting over 120,000 GitHub stars, enjoys widespread popularity and a mature ecosystem due to its longer history. Remix, while newer with around 27,000 stars according to npm compare, is rapidly gaining traction.
Having explored the strengths and weaknesses of both frameworks, let's now look at the scenarios where Remix shines:
Remix excels in building SEO-friendly websites and apps with fast loading times, excellent accessibility, and smooth user experience. Its focus on server-side rendering and efficient content delivery makes it ideal for complex applications with nested layouts and dynamic content.
Remix is ideal for creating applications that can withstand unreliable network conditions. Because of its emphasis on progressive enhancement and offline-first capabilities, users can still interact with the application even when offline, providing a more reliable and fault-tolerant experience.
Remix is great for applications with intricate user interactions and data workflows. This is due to its unique approach to form handling and data mutations that simplify building complex forms and managing data updates on the server side.
If your applications require frequent data updating, Remix's Action functions simplify complex data updates and form submissions, making Remix suitable for applications with frequent user interactions.
Next.js will be a great choice in the following scenarios:
For projects demanding a variety of rendering strategies, Next.js is the best fit. Its hybrid rendering capabilities allow you to seamlessly blend SSR, Static Site Generation (SSG), Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR), or even Client-Side Rendering, depending on each page or feature's specific requirements.
Next.js is an excellent choice for projects with complex features or advanced functionality. Its popularity among developers, as evidenced by Stack Overflow surveys, means you'll have access to a vast array of resources, plugins, and expert help, making your development process smoother and faster.
If scalability is prioritized and your application involves heavy content, Next.js scales exceptionally well and optimizes content for blog posts, news sites, and other rich websites. Features like nested routes ensure that Next.js maintains smooth navigation even with large content.
Next.js has built-in support for internationalization, simplifying the creation of websites and applications that can be localized for different languages and regions. This is crucial for businesses targeting global audiences.
Both Remix and Next.js readily support integration with CMS platforms. This integration simplifies content workflows, enhances development efficiency, and enables the creation of high-performance, dynamic digital experiences. Whether you choose Remix's server-side rendering prowess or Next.js's hybrid rendering flexibility, integrating with a CMS like Hygraph can significantly elevate your content management and delivery capabilities.
Hygraph is a leading headless CMS that empowers developers to create content-rich applications by integrating with popular frameworks. Its flexible API-based architecture allows efficient content delivery and management, making it a valuable tool for technical and non-technical users.
Remix and Next.js are leading the way in the future of web development, with a growing trend toward combining server-side, pre-generated, and client-side rendering for optimal performance and interactivity. Next.js 15's Parallel Routes will further enhance the user experience by loading multiple parts of a page simultaneously. This approach allows for an instant loading of static elements and background updates of dynamic content, improving responsiveness and user engagement. Additionally, streaming architectures will deliver content incrementally, enhancing perceived load times and responsiveness.
Join the Hygraph Slack community to connect with experts who share a passion for building exceptional web experiences and to stay ahead of the curve with the latest insights, tips, and discussions on all things Hygraph, Remix, and Next.js.
Blog Author
Chidi is a software engineer and technical writer with experience in building user-friendly applications and creating content around composable architectures.
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