Tools: Next.js vs Vite: Choosing the Right Tool in 2026

Understanding the Fundamentals ## What is Vite? ## What is Next.js? ## The Critical Distinction ## Head-to-Head Comparison ## Developer Experience & Performance ## Rendering & Routing ## Ecosystem & Flexibility ## Detailed Comparison Table ## Real-World Examples: When to Choose Which ## Scenario 1: E-commerce Product Page (Choose Next.js) ## Scenario 2: Interactive Dashboard (Choose Vite) ## Scenario 3: Component Library (Choose Vite) ## Scenario 4: Marketing Website with Blog (Choose Next.js) ## Making Your Decision ## Decision Framework ## Key Questions Checklist ## Future-Proofing Considerations ## Can You Switch Later? ## Pro Tip: You Can Use Both ## Conclusion ## Quick Summary ## Your Action Step ## One Final Thought If you've been in the web development space lately, you've probably seen the "Next.js vs Vite" debate pop up everywhere. This comparison confuses a lot of developers because we're not exactly comparing apples to apples. In this article, you'll learn: But here's the most important insight upfront: Vite is a build tool and development server. Next.js is a full-featured React framework. They operate at different layers of your stack. That said, developers still need to choose between them for their projects—and that's exactly what we'll help you figure out. Vite (pronounced "veet" - French for "fast") is a build tool that focuses on speed and developer experience. Think of it as your development server and bundler rolled into one. Here's what makes it special: It uses native ES modules in the browser during development. This means lightning-fast cold starts and instant hot module replacement (HMR). When you're ready to build for production, Vite uses Rollup under the hood to create optimized bundles. Getting started is incredibly simple: Your basic vite.config.js looks like this: It's framework-agnostic. You can use it with React, Vue, Svelte, or even vanilla JavaScript. Next.js is a React framework built by Vercel. But it's not just a framework—it's a complete solution for building production-ready React applications. Here's what it gives you out of the box: Server-side rendering (SSR), static site generation (SSG), incremental static regeneration (ISR), API routes, and file-based routing. It makes decisions for you so you can focus on building features instead of configuring tools. Setting up Next.js is equally straightforward: Your project structure with the App Router looks like this: A simple page component: Next.js is opinionated. It provides conventions and built-in solutions for common web app needs. Now here's where most comparisons get it wrong: Vite is a build tool. Next.js is a framework that happens to use a build tool (currently webpack, moving to Turbopack). Let me break this down: Vite sits at the tooling layer. It handles how your code is bundled and served during development. It doesn't care about routing, data fetching, or rendering strategies. Next.js sits at the application layer. It makes architectural decisions about how your app works—how pages render, how routing happens, how data is fetched. So when do developers actually compare these two? When they're deciding between: That's the real comparison. And that's exactly what we'll explore in the next section. Let's start with what you'll notice immediately: speed. Development Server Startup: Vite is ridiculously fast. We're talking sub-second cold starts even on large projects. It doesn't bundle your code during development. Instead, it serves native ES modules directly to the browser. Next.js has improved significantly with Turbopack (in beta as of 2026), but it still needs to do more work upfront. Hot Module Replacement (HMR): Here's a real-world test: Change a component in both setups and watch the refresh time. Vite: ~50ms Next.js: ~100-200ms That might not sound like much, but over hundreds of changes during a dev session, you'll feel the difference. For production builds, both are excellent. Vite uses Rollup for optimized bundling. Next.js uses webpack (or Turbopack) with aggressive optimizations. The difference? Usually negligible for most projects. This is where things get interesting. With Vite, you're building a Single Page Application (SPA) by default. You need to manually set up routing: Everything runs in the browser. Data fetching happens client-side: Next.js gives you file-based routing automatically. Create a file, get a route: Notice the difference? The data fetching happens on the server. The HTML is generated and sent to the browser. Here's the bottom line: With Vite's SPA approach, search engines see an empty HTML shell initially. JavaScript must run before content appears. With Next.js SSR/SSG, search engines see fully rendered HTML immediately. For marketing sites, blogs, or e-commerce? Next.js wins hands down. For internal dashboards or tools? Vite's approach is perfectly fine. Vite's Plugin System: Vite has a rich plugin ecosystem based on Rollup. Adding functionality is straightforward: Want to use a different framework? Just swap the plugin: Next.js Built-in Features: Next.js takes the opposite approach—batteries included. Image optimization? Built-in: API routes? Built-in: Font optimization? Built-in: Vite apps are static by default. Deploy anywhere: Next.js apps have more options but more complexity: Vite gives you freedom. Next.js gives you features. Let's put everything side-by-side: Use this table as your quick reference guide. But tables only tell part of the story. Let's look at real-world scenarios where each tool shines. You're building an online store. Each product needs its own page with proper SEO. Here's why Next.js is the clear winner: What makes this powerful? Search engines see the fully rendered product page immediately. No JavaScript required for the initial view. The page is statically generated at build time and revalidated every hour. Lightning fast for users, fresh for inventory updates. With Vite? You'd need to set up SSR manually, configure a server, handle routing, and implement caching strategies yourself. You're building an analytics dashboard for internal use. No SEO needed, lots of real-time data visualization. Here's why Vite makes more sense: You don't need server rendering. Everything is client-side and dynamic. The dev server is blazingly fast—crucial when you're tweaking charts and layouts constantly. Simpler architecture. No server to maintain, no SSR complexity. Deploy to any CDN. Done. You're building a React component library that other teams will install via npm. Vite's library mode is built for this: Optimized builds for ESM and UMD formats. Tree-shakeable exports. Minimal bundle size. Next.js isn't designed for this use case at all. You're building a company website with a blog. SEO is critical. Content comes from a CMS. What's happening here? All blog posts are pre-rendered at build time (SSG). Instant page loads. Perfect SEO. When you publish a new post, trigger a rebuild. Or use ISR for automatic updates. Contact form? Add an API route: With Vite? You'd need a separate backend, configure SSR, or settle for client-side rendering (bad for SEO). The pattern is clear: Content-driven, SEO-critical projects? Next.js. Interactive, client-heavy applications? Vite. Still not sure which one to pick? Let's make this crystal clear with a decision framework. Here's a simple flowchart to guide you: Ask yourself these questions before making a decision: 1. Who is your audience? 2. What's your content strategy? 3. What's your team's expertise? 4. What are your hosting constraints? 5. What's your performance priority? 6. Are you building a library or app? Both tools have bright futures in 2026 and beyond. Version 6+ brings even faster builds with Rolldown (Rust-based bundler). Growing adoption across frameworks—Vue, Svelte, and even some Next.js alternatives use Vite under the hood. The plugin ecosystem continues to mature with better TypeScript support and more integrations. Next.js's trajectory: The App Router is now stable and production-ready. Server Components are the new default. Turbopack is gradually replacing webpack, bringing faster builds closer to Vite's speed. Deeper integration with Vercel's edge network and AI features. Neither tool is going anywhere. Both have massive communities and backing from major companies (Vite by the Vite team and Evan You, Next.js by Vercel). Your choice today will serve you well for years to come. Yes, but it's not trivial. Migrating from Vite to Next.js: Complexity: Moderate. Doable in a few days for small projects, weeks for larger ones. Migrating from Next.js to Vite: Complexity: Moderate to High. You're essentially rebuilding parts of your architecture. Choose carefully upfront based on your actual requirements. Switching is possible but costs time and effort. Here's something most developers don't consider: You can use both in a monorepo for different parts of your product. Example architecture: Marketing site needs SEO? Next.js. Internal dashboard for employees? Vite. Shared component library? Vite in library mode. You're not locked into one choice for your entire organization. Let's bring this all together. Next.js and Vite aren't really competitors—they're different tools solving different problems. Vite is your speed-focused build tool. Perfect for SPAs, dashboards, and projects where you want maximum control. Next.js is your all-in-one React framework. Perfect for content sites, e-commerce, and apps where SEO and server rendering matter. Go back to your project requirements. Run through the decision framework we covered. Answer the key questions honestly. Match your answers to the scenarios we explored. The right choice will become obvious. And remember—you're not locked in forever. Both tools are excellent, well-maintained, and will serve you well in 2026 and beyond. The best tool is the one that matches your project's actual needs—not the one that's trending on Twitter. Don't choose Next.js just because it's popular. Don't choose Vite just because it's faster. Choose based on what you're building, who your users are, and what your team knows. That's how you make decisions that last. Now go build something awesome. What's your experience with Vite or Next.js? Drop a comment below and let's discuss! Templates let you quickly answer FAQs or store snippets for re-use. Are you sure you want to hide this comment? It will become hidden in your post, but will still be visible via the comment's permalink. Hide child comments as well For further actions, you may consider blocking this person and/or reporting abuse COMMAND_BLOCK: npm create vite@latest my-app -- --template react cd my-app npm install npm run dev Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode COMMAND_BLOCK: npm create vite@latest my-app -- --template react cd my-app npm install npm run dev COMMAND_BLOCK: npm create vite@latest my-app -- --template react cd my-app npm install npm run dev CODE_BLOCK: import { defineConfig } from 'vite' import react from '@vitejs/plugin-react' export default defineConfig({ plugins: [react()], server: { port: 3000 } }) Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode CODE_BLOCK: import { defineConfig } from 'vite' import react from '@vitejs/plugin-react' export default defineConfig({ plugins: [react()], server: { port: 3000 } }) CODE_BLOCK: import { defineConfig } from 'vite' import react from '@vitejs/plugin-react' export default defineConfig({ plugins: [react()], server: { port: 3000 } }) CODE_BLOCK: npx create-next-app@latest my-app cd my-app npm run dev Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode CODE_BLOCK: npx create-next-app@latest my-app cd my-app npm run dev CODE_BLOCK: npx create-next-app@latest my-app cd my-app npm run dev COMMAND_BLOCK: my-app/ ├── app/ │ ├── layout.tsx # Root layout │ ├── page.tsx # Home page │ └── about/ │ └── page.tsx # About page ├── public/ └── next.config.js Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode COMMAND_BLOCK: my-app/ ├── app/ │ ├── layout.tsx # Root layout │ ├── page.tsx # Home page │ └── about/ │ └── page.tsx # About page ├── public/ └── next.config.js COMMAND_BLOCK: my-app/ ├── app/ │ ├── layout.tsx # Root layout │ ├── page.tsx # Home page │ └── about/ │ └── page.tsx # About page ├── public/ └── next.config.js CODE_BLOCK: // app/page.tsx export default function Home() { return ( <main> <h1>Welcome to Next.js</h1> <p>This is server-rendered by default</p> </main> ) } Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode CODE_BLOCK: // app/page.tsx export default function Home() { return ( <main> <h1>Welcome to Next.js</h1> <p>This is server-rendered by default</p> </main> ) } CODE_BLOCK: // app/page.tsx export default function Home() { return ( <main> <h1>Welcome to Next.js</h1> <p>This is server-rendered by default</p> </main> ) } CODE_BLOCK: // src/App.tsx import { BrowserRouter, Routes, Route } from 'react-router-dom' import Home from './pages/Home' import About from './pages/About' function App() { return ( <BrowserRouter> <Routes> <Route path="/" element={<Home />} /> <Route path="/about" element={<About />} /> </Routes> </BrowserRouter> ) } export default App Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode CODE_BLOCK: // src/App.tsx import { BrowserRouter, Routes, Route } from 'react-router-dom' import Home from './pages/Home' import About from './pages/About' function App() { return ( <BrowserRouter> <Routes> <Route path="/" element={<Home />} /> <Route path="/about" element={<About />} /> </Routes> </BrowserRouter> ) } export default App CODE_BLOCK: // src/App.tsx import { BrowserRouter, Routes, Route } from 'react-router-dom' import Home from './pages/Home' import About from './pages/About' function App() { return ( <BrowserRouter> <Routes> <Route path="/" element={<Home />} /> <Route path="/about" element={<About />} /> </Routes> </BrowserRouter> ) } export default App COMMAND_BLOCK: // src/pages/Home.tsx import { useState, useEffect } from 'react' export default function Home() { const [data, setData] = useState(null) useEffect(() => { fetch('/api/data') .then(res => res.json()) .then(setData) }, []) return <div>{data ? data.title : 'Loading...'}</div> } Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode COMMAND_BLOCK: // src/pages/Home.tsx import { useState, useEffect } from 'react' export default function Home() { const [data, setData] = useState(null) useEffect(() => { fetch('/api/data') .then(res => res.json()) .then(setData) }, []) return <div>{data ? data.title : 'Loading...'}</div> } COMMAND_BLOCK: // src/pages/Home.tsx import { useState, useEffect } from 'react' export default function Home() { const [data, setData] = useState(null) useEffect(() => { fetch('/api/data') .then(res => res.json()) .then(setData) }, []) return <div>{data ? data.title : 'Loading...'}</div> } COMMAND_BLOCK: // app/products/[id]/page.tsx export default async function ProductPage({ params }: { params: { id: string } }) { // This runs on the server const product = await fetch( `https://api.example.com/products/${params.id}` ).then(res => res.json()) return ( <div> <h1>{product.name}</h1> <p>{product.description}</p> </div> ) } Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode COMMAND_BLOCK: // app/products/[id]/page.tsx export default async function ProductPage({ params }: { params: { id: string } }) { // This runs on the server const product = await fetch( `https://api.example.com/products/${params.id}` ).then(res => res.json()) return ( <div> <h1>{product.name}</h1> <p>{product.description}</p> </div> ) } COMMAND_BLOCK: // app/products/[id]/page.tsx export default async function ProductPage({ params }: { params: { id: string } }) { // This runs on the server const product = await fetch( `https://api.example.com/products/${params.id}` ).then(res => res.json()) return ( <div> <h1>{product.name}</h1> <p>{product.description}</p> </div> ) } CODE_BLOCK: // vite.config.js import { defineConfig } from 'vite' import react from '@vitejs/plugin-react' import svgr from 'vite-plugin-svgr' export default defineConfig({ plugins: [ react(), svgr() // Import SVGs as React components ] }) Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode CODE_BLOCK: // vite.config.js import { defineConfig } from 'vite' import react from '@vitejs/plugin-react' import svgr from 'vite-plugin-svgr' export default defineConfig({ plugins: [ react(), svgr() // Import SVGs as React components ] }) CODE_BLOCK: // vite.config.js import { defineConfig } from 'vite' import react from '@vitejs/plugin-react' import svgr from 'vite-plugin-svgr' export default defineConfig({ plugins: [ react(), svgr() // Import SVGs as React components ] }) CODE_BLOCK: import vue from '@vitejs/plugin-vue' // or import { svelte } from '@sveltejs/vite-plugin-svelte' Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode CODE_BLOCK: import vue from '@vitejs/plugin-vue' // or import { svelte } from '@sveltejs/vite-plugin-svelte' CODE_BLOCK: import vue from '@vitejs/plugin-vue' // or import { svelte } from '@sveltejs/vite-plugin-svelte' CODE_BLOCK: import Image from 'next/image' export default function Profile() { return ( <Image src="/profile.jpg" alt="Profile" width={500} height={500} /> ) } Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode CODE_BLOCK: import Image from 'next/image' export default function Profile() { return ( <Image src="/profile.jpg" alt="Profile" width={500} height={500} /> ) } CODE_BLOCK: import Image from 'next/image' export default function Profile() { return ( <Image src="/profile.jpg" alt="Profile" width={500} height={500} /> ) } CODE_BLOCK: // app/api/hello/route.ts export async function GET() { return Response.json({ message: 'Hello World' }) } Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode CODE_BLOCK: // app/api/hello/route.ts export async function GET() { return Response.json({ message: 'Hello World' }) } CODE_BLOCK: // app/api/hello/route.ts export async function GET() { return Response.json({ message: 'Hello World' }) } CODE_BLOCK: import { Inter } from 'next/font/google' const inter = Inter({ subsets: ['latin'] }) export default function RootLayout({ children }) { return ( <html lang="en" className={inter.className}> <body>{children}</body> </html> ) } Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode CODE_BLOCK: import { Inter } from 'next/font/google' const inter = Inter({ subsets: ['latin'] }) export default function RootLayout({ children }) { return ( <html lang="en" className={inter.className}> <body>{children}</body> </html> ) } CODE_BLOCK: import { Inter } from 'next/font/google' const inter = Inter({ subsets: ['latin'] }) export default function RootLayout({ children }) { return ( <html lang="en" className={inter.className}> <body>{children}</body> </html> ) } COMMAND_BLOCK: // app/products/[id]/page.tsx // Generate metadata for SEO export async function generateMetadata({ params }: { params: { id: string } }) { const product = await fetch( `https://api.store.com/products/${params.id}` ).then(res => res.json()) return { title: `${product.name} - Buy Online`, description: product.description, openGraph: { images: [product.image] } } } // Server component - runs on the server export default async function ProductPage({ params }: { params: { id: string } }) { const product = await fetch( `https://api.store.com/products/${params.id}`, { next: { revalidate: 3600 } } // ISR: revalidate every hour ).then(res => res.json()) return ( <div> <h1>{product.name}</h1> <p>${product.price}</p> <p>{product.description}</p> <AddToCartButton productId={product.id} /> </div> ) } Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode COMMAND_BLOCK: // app/products/[id]/page.tsx // Generate metadata for SEO export async function generateMetadata({ params }: { params: { id: string } }) { const product = await fetch( `https://api.store.com/products/${params.id}` ).then(res => res.json()) return { title: `${product.name} - Buy Online`, description: product.description, openGraph: { images: [product.image] } } } // Server component - runs on the server export default async function ProductPage({ params }: { params: { id: string } }) { const product = await fetch( `https://api.store.com/products/${params.id}`, { next: { revalidate: 3600 } } // ISR: revalidate every hour ).then(res => res.json()) return ( <div> <h1>{product.name}</h1> <p>${product.price}</p> <p>{product.description}</p> <AddToCartButton productId={product.id} /> </div> ) } COMMAND_BLOCK: // app/products/[id]/page.tsx // Generate metadata for SEO export async function generateMetadata({ params }: { params: { id: string } }) { const product = await fetch( `https://api.store.com/products/${params.id}` ).then(res => res.json()) return { title: `${product.name} - Buy Online`, description: product.description, openGraph: { images: [product.image] } } } // Server component - runs on the server export default async function ProductPage({ params }: { params: { id: string } }) { const product = await fetch( `https://api.store.com/products/${params.id}`, { next: { revalidate: 3600 } } // ISR: revalidate every hour ).then(res => res.json()) return ( <div> <h1>{product.name}</h1> <p>${product.price}</p> <p>{product.description}</p> <AddToCartButton productId={product.id} /> </div> ) } COMMAND_BLOCK: // src/Dashboard.tsx import { useState, useEffect } from 'react' import { LineChart, Line, XAxis, YAxis } from 'recharts' export default function Dashboard() { const [metrics, setMetrics] = useState([]) const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true) useEffect(() => { // WebSocket connection for real-time updates const ws = new WebSocket('wss://api.company.com/metrics') ws.onmessage = (event) => { const data = JSON.parse(event.data) setMetrics(prev => [...prev, data].slice(-50)) setLoading(false) } return () => ws.close() }, []) if (loading) return <div>Connecting...</div> return ( <div className="dashboard"> <h1>Real-time Metrics</h1> <LineChart width={800} height={400} data={metrics}> <XAxis dataKey="time" /> <YAxis /> <Line type="monotone" dataKey="value" stroke="#8884d8" /> </LineChart> </div> ) } Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode COMMAND_BLOCK: // src/Dashboard.tsx import { useState, useEffect } from 'react' import { LineChart, Line, XAxis, YAxis } from 'recharts' export default function Dashboard() { const [metrics, setMetrics] = useState([]) const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true) useEffect(() => { // WebSocket connection for real-time updates const ws = new WebSocket('wss://api.company.com/metrics') ws.onmessage = (event) => { const data = JSON.parse(event.data) setMetrics(prev => [...prev, data].slice(-50)) setLoading(false) } return () => ws.close() }, []) if (loading) return <div>Connecting...</div> return ( <div className="dashboard"> <h1>Real-time Metrics</h1> <LineChart width={800} height={400} data={metrics}> <XAxis dataKey="time" /> <YAxis /> <Line type="monotone" dataKey="value" stroke="#8884d8" /> </LineChart> </div> ) } COMMAND_BLOCK: // src/Dashboard.tsx import { useState, useEffect } from 'react' import { LineChart, Line, XAxis, YAxis } from 'recharts' export default function Dashboard() { const [metrics, setMetrics] = useState([]) const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true) useEffect(() => { // WebSocket connection for real-time updates const ws = new WebSocket('wss://api.company.com/metrics') ws.onmessage = (event) => { const data = JSON.parse(event.data) setMetrics(prev => [...prev, data].slice(-50)) setLoading(false) } return () => ws.close() }, []) if (loading) return <div>Connecting...</div> return ( <div className="dashboard"> <h1>Real-time Metrics</h1> <LineChart width={800} height={400} data={metrics}> <XAxis dataKey="time" /> <YAxis /> <Line type="monotone" dataKey="value" stroke="#8884d8" /> </LineChart> </div> ) } COMMAND_BLOCK: // vite.config.js import { defineConfig } from 'vite' import react from '@vitejs/plugin-react' import { resolve } from 'path' export default defineConfig({ plugins: [react()], build: { lib: { entry: resolve(__dirname, 'src/index.ts'), name: 'MyComponentLib', fileName: (format) => `my-lib.${format}.js` }, rollupOptions: { external: ['react', 'react-dom'], output: { globals: { react: 'React', 'react-dom': 'ReactDOM' } } } } }) Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode COMMAND_BLOCK: // vite.config.js import { defineConfig } from 'vite' import react from '@vitejs/plugin-react' import { resolve } from 'path' export default defineConfig({ plugins: [react()], build: { lib: { entry: resolve(__dirname, 'src/index.ts'), name: 'MyComponentLib', fileName: (format) => `my-lib.${format}.js` }, rollupOptions: { external: ['react', 'react-dom'], output: { globals: { react: 'React', 'react-dom': 'ReactDOM' } } } } }) COMMAND_BLOCK: // vite.config.js import { defineConfig } from 'vite' import react from '@vitejs/plugin-react' import { resolve } from 'path' export default defineConfig({ plugins: [react()], build: { lib: { entry: resolve(__dirname, 'src/index.ts'), name: 'MyComponentLib', fileName: (format) => `my-lib.${format}.js` }, rollupOptions: { external: ['react', 'react-dom'], output: { globals: { react: 'React', 'react-dom': 'ReactDOM' } } } } }) COMMAND_BLOCK: // app/blog/[slug]/page.tsx export async function generateStaticParams() { const posts = await fetch('https://cms.company.com/posts') .then(res => res.json()) return posts.map((post) => ({ slug: post.slug })) } export default async function BlogPost({ params }: { params: { slug: string } }) { const post = await fetch( `https://cms.company.com/posts/${params.slug}` ).then(res => res.json()) return ( <article> <h1>{post.title}</h1> <time>{post.publishedAt}</time> <div dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: post.content }} /> </article> ) } Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode COMMAND_BLOCK: // app/blog/[slug]/page.tsx export async function generateStaticParams() { const posts = await fetch('https://cms.company.com/posts') .then(res => res.json()) return posts.map((post) => ({ slug: post.slug })) } export default async function BlogPost({ params }: { params: { slug: string } }) { const post = await fetch( `https://cms.company.com/posts/${params.slug}` ).then(res => res.json()) return ( <article> <h1>{post.title}</h1> <time>{post.publishedAt}</time> <div dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: post.content }} /> </article> ) } COMMAND_BLOCK: // app/blog/[slug]/page.tsx export async function generateStaticParams() { const posts = await fetch('https://cms.company.com/posts') .then(res => res.json()) return posts.map((post) => ({ slug: post.slug })) } export default async function BlogPost({ params }: { params: { slug: string } }) { const post = await fetch( `https://cms.company.com/posts/${params.slug}` ).then(res => res.json()) return ( <article> <h1>{post.title}</h1> <time>{post.publishedAt}</time> <div dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: post.content }} /> </article> ) } CODE_BLOCK: // app/api/contact/route.ts export async function POST(request: Request) { const data = await request.json() // Send to your email service await sendEmail(data) return Response.json({ success: true }) } Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode CODE_BLOCK: // app/api/contact/route.ts export async function POST(request: Request) { const data = await request.json() // Send to your email service await sendEmail(data) return Response.json({ success: true }) } CODE_BLOCK: // app/api/contact/route.ts export async function POST(request: Request) { const data = await request.json() // Send to your email service await sendEmail(data) return Response.json({ success: true }) } CODE_BLOCK: START ↓ Is SEO critical for your project? ↓ YES → Next.js ↓ NO ↓ Do you need server-side rendering or static generation? ↓ YES → Next.js ↓ NO ↓ Building a highly interactive SPA or dashboard? ↓ YES → Vite ↓ NO ↓ Need built-in API routes or server-side logic? ↓ YES → Next.js ↓ NO ↓ Want maximum flexibility and minimal setup? ↓ YES → Vite ↓ NO → Next.js (you prefer conventions) Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode CODE_BLOCK: START ↓ Is SEO critical for your project? ↓ YES → Next.js ↓ NO ↓ Do you need server-side rendering or static generation? ↓ YES → Next.js ↓ NO ↓ Building a highly interactive SPA or dashboard? ↓ YES → Vite ↓ NO ↓ Need built-in API routes or server-side logic? ↓ YES → Next.js ↓ NO ↓ Want maximum flexibility and minimal setup? ↓ YES → Vite ↓ NO → Next.js (you prefer conventions) CODE_BLOCK: START ↓ Is SEO critical for your project? ↓ YES → Next.js ↓ NO ↓ Do you need server-side rendering or static generation? ↓ YES → Next.js ↓ NO ↓ Building a highly interactive SPA or dashboard? ↓ YES → Vite ↓ NO ↓ Need built-in API routes or server-side logic? ↓ YES → Next.js ↓ NO ↓ Want maximum flexibility and minimal setup? ↓ YES → Vite ↓ NO → Next.js (you prefer conventions) COMMAND_BLOCK: my-company/ ├── apps/ │ ├── marketing/ # Next.js (SEO-critical) │ ├── dashboard/ # Vite (internal tool) │ └── docs/ # Next.js (content-heavy) ├── packages/ │ └── ui/ # Vite (component library) Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode COMMAND_BLOCK: my-company/ ├── apps/ │ ├── marketing/ # Next.js (SEO-critical) │ ├── dashboard/ # Vite (internal tool) │ └── docs/ # Next.js (content-heavy) ├── packages/ │ └── ui/ # Vite (component library) COMMAND_BLOCK: my-company/ ├── apps/ │ ├── marketing/ # Next.js (SEO-critical) │ ├── dashboard/ # Vite (internal tool) │ └── docs/ # Next.js (content-heavy) ├── packages/ │ └── ui/ # Vite (component library) - What Vite and Next.js actually are (and why the comparison needs context) - How they stack up in real-world scenarios - Exactly when to choose one over the other - Practical examples with code to guide your decision - Building a React SPA with Vite + React Router - Building a full-featured app with Next.js - A flexible, bare-bones setup (Vite) - An all-in-one solution with conventions (Next.js) - Netlify, Vercel, GitHub Pages - Any static hosting service - CDN with S3 - Vercel (optimal, zero-config) - Node.js servers (self-hosted) - Docker containers - Edge platforms (Cloudflare, etc.) - Search engines need to index your content? → Next.js - Authenticated users behind a login? → Vite works great - Blog, documentation, marketing pages? → Next.js - Real-time data, dashboards, tools? → Vite - Comfortable with React but new to full-stack? → Next.js (less setup) - Want control over every architectural decision? → Vite - Simple static hosting (Netlify, GitHub Pages)? → Vite is simpler - Need serverless functions or edge computing? → Next.js - Initial page load speed for SEO? → Next.js - Dev server speed and iteration time? → Vite - Component library, npm package? → Vite - End-user application? → Either works, depends on other factors - Restructure your routing to file-based - Convert client-side data fetching to server components - Add metadata for SEO - Set up deployment for a Node.js or edge environment - Set up React Router or similar - Move server-side logic to a separate backend - Convert SSR/SSG pages to client-side fetching - Reconfigure your deployment pipeline - Building single-page applications or dashboards - SEO isn't a priority - You want the fastest possible dev experience - You need framework flexibility (Vue, Svelte, React) - You're creating a component library or npm package - SEO is critical (blogs, marketing, e-commerce) - You need server-side rendering or static generation - You want built-in features (routing, API routes, image optimization) - You're building a full-stack React application - You prefer convention over configuration - Vite Official Documentation - Next.js Official Documentation - React Router Documentation (for Vite projects)