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Next.js is a framework for building web applications with React. React gives you the component model; Next.js adds conventions and integrated features for routing, server rendering, data access, and deployment. Its recommended App Router uses file-system routing plus React Server Components, Suspense, and Server Functions. You can run a Next.js application as a Node.js server, in Docker, as a static export, or through an adapter, with different feature and operations trade-offs.
What is Next.js?
Next.js organizes a React application into a complete web application. Instead of choosing and wiring separate tools for routes, layouts, server-side code, data loading, and production output, you use conventions documented by the framework.
The current App Router is described by the official documentation as “a file-system based router that uses React’s latest features such as Server Components, Suspense, and Server Functions.” See the Next.js App Router documentation for the versioned details.
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Is Next.js a framework or a library?
Next.js is a framework built around the React library. React primarily provides components, state, and rendering primitives. Next.js defines how an application can be structured and adds routing, layouts, server/client component boundaries, data-fetching patterns, build tooling, and deployment options.
That distinction matters when choosing a starting point. With plain React, you select and configure routing, data libraries, rendering strategy, and a production server yourself. With Next.js, many of those decisions have an official path, while you can still add other libraries when your application needs them.
What is the difference between React and Next.js?
| Concern | React | Next.js |
|---|---|---|
| Primary role | UI library for composing components | Application framework built around React |
| Routing | Choose a router and define its setup | File-system routing through the App Router or Pages Router |
| Rendering and server code | Requires your chosen tooling and architecture | Documents Server and Client Components and server deployment modes |
| Project conventions | Relatively unopinionated | Folders and special files define pages, layouts, and route behavior |
| Deployment | Depends on the stack you assemble | Node.js, Docker, static export, and adapters are documented choices |
You can build a client-rendered site with either technology. The practical difference is how much application infrastructure Next.js standardizes around React.
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What is the Next.js App Router?
The App Router is the newer routing model under the app directory. It is file-system based: folders represent URL segments, a page file supplies the UI for a route, and a layout file supplies shared UI around nested pages.
Pages and layouts
For example, app/page.tsx renders the root route, while app/dashboard/page.tsx renders /dashboard. A layout such as app/layout.tsx can contain the site shell shared by its descendants. Nested layouts let sections have their own navigation or framing.
Layouts can preserve state, remain interactive, and avoid re-rendering during navigation, according to the official layouts and pages guide. This is useful for persistent menus, providers, and UI state that should survive a route change.
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Special files
Besides page and layout, the App Router supports convention-based files for loading states, errors, and other route behavior. These conventions allow a route to show a fallback or recover from a failure without you building an entire routing system from scratch.
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App Router pages and layouts are Server Components by default. They can render on the server and perform server-side data access. A Client Component is used where the browser must manage state, respond to event handlers, run lifecycle logic, or use browser-only APIs such as window and localStorage.
Put 'use client' at the top of a module when that module needs the client boundary. Keep the boundary as small as practical: a page can fetch data on the server and pass the result to a smaller interactive component. This is a component-level choice, not a requirement that the entire application be exclusively server-rendered or client-rendered. The Server and Client Components guide documents this composition model.
Small example
// app/page.tsx — Server Component by default
import Counter from './Counter'
export default function Page() {
return <main><h1>Home</h1><Counter /></main>
}
// app/Counter.tsx
'use client'
import { useState } from 'react'
export default function Counter() {
const [count, setCount] = useState(0)
return <button onClick={() => setCount(count + 1)}>{count}</button>
}The server component can obtain data without exposing database credentials to the browser, while the client component handles the click.
How does data fetching work?
In an App Router Server Component, you can use the Fetch API or an ORM/database client. An asynchronous page is a normal pattern:
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export default async function ProductsPage() {
const response = await fetch('https://api.example.com/products')
if (!response.ok) throw new Error('Request failed')
const products = await response.json()
return <ul>{products.map((p) => <li key={p.id}>{p.name}</li>)}</ul>
}The current fetching guide says identical fetch requests in a React component tree are memoized by default. It also says fetch requests are not cached by default in the current guide, so do not assume a request is permanently cached because an older tutorial says so. Configure caching or revalidation deliberately for your data and framework version.
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Authentication and authorization remain your responsibility. A server component may access a database, but every request still needs the appropriate permission checks before returning private records.
Streaming slow content
A slow request can delay a route unless you stream parts of the UI. Add a route-level loading.js or use React <Suspense> around the slower component. The framework can send the ready portion first and fill in the delayed portion later. Design the fallback so users understand what is loading rather than displaying an empty page.
Should you use the App Router or Pages Router?
The Pages Router remains supported in newer Next.js versions. The official Pages Router documentation says it was the main routing approach before Next.js 13 and recommends migrating to the App Router to use React’s latest features. Support has not ended, and an existing production application does not need a rushed rewrite.
| Situation | Practical choice |
|---|---|
| Starting a new application | Use the App Router unless a specific dependency requires the Pages Router. |
| Maintaining a working Pages Router project | Continue shipping safely; plan migration around a real feature or route boundary. |
| Need Server Components, Suspense-oriented routing, or Server Functions | Prefer the App Router. |
| Large legacy codebase with migration risk | Migrate incrementally and keep the existing router until each area is ready. |
The documentation recommends migration; it does not say every existing project must migrate immediately. Evaluate dependency compatibility, testing effort, and the value of the newer model.
Do you need to learn React before Next.js?
Yes, at least the fundamentals will make Next.js much easier. Learn JSX, components, props, state, event handlers, hooks, and the difference between rendering on the server and in the browser. You do not need to master every React API first. A sensible path is to build a small React component, then learn how Next.js places that component in a route, chooses a server or client boundary, and loads its data.
How to create a Next.js project
The installation guide last updated March 16, 2026 lists Node.js 20.9 as the minimum and supports macOS, Windows (including WSL), and Linux. Verify requirements against the guide because they can change.
- Install Node.js 20.9 or newer for your operating system.
- Run the official project generator:
npx create-next-app@latest - Accept or adjust the prompts for TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, ESLint, the App Router, Turbopack, and the
@/*import alias. The documented default setup enables these options. - Enter the new directory and start development:
cd my-app npm run dev - Open the local URL printed by the command, edit
app/page.tsx, and see the route update.
How can you deploy a Next.js application?
The deployment guide lists four broad choices:
| Mode | Documented feature support | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Node.js server | All features | Applications needing runtime server behavior and control of a Node process |
| Docker container | All features | Teams standardizing on container images and orchestration |
| Static export | Limited | Content that can be generated without runtime server features |
| Platform adapter | Varies by adapter | Teams using a provider-specific integration after checking its feature matrix |
For a Node.js deployment, the documented production sequence is:
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npm run build
npm run startStatic output can be served by a static web server, but features requiring a running server are unavailable or need a different architecture. Adapters vary, so check the adapter’s supported features before committing to one. The guide links examples for DigitalOcean, Fly.io, Google Cloud Run, Render, and SST; those examples are documentation options, not a ranking.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common mistakes and fixes
“window is not defined”
You are executing browser-only code in a Server Component. Move it into a Client Component with 'use client', and access window inside an event handler or suitable client lifecycle code.
A button does nothing
Event handlers require a Client Component. Add the client boundary to the smallest component that owns the interaction and import it from the server-rendered page.
Data appears stale
Review the current caching and revalidation settings instead of relying on an old tutorial. The current fetching guide says fetch is not cached by default; make the desired behavior explicit and confirm that your data source itself is not caching.
Build works locally but deployment fails
Check the deployment mode first. Static export has limited feature support, while Node.js and Docker support all documented features. Confirm environment variables, database connectivity, and the provider or adapter’s feature matrix.
Private data leaks to the client
Keep credentials and authorization checks on the server. Return only the fields a Client Component needs, and enforce permissions at the data-access boundary rather than hiding sensitive values in the UI.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use the Pages Router and App Router in one project?
Next.js supports both routing systems, so teams can migrate incrementally. Keep route ownership clear and verify shared configuration and behavior as you move sections.
Does Next.js require a database?
No. You can build static or API-backed applications without a database. If you do use one, access it securely from server-side code and enforce authorization.
Is static export suitable for every Next.js site?
No. The deployment documentation classifies static export as having limited feature support; runtime-dependent features require a server or compatible adapter.
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