Why we choose Next.js for Scalable Web Apps

The "Meta-Framework" Era

React won the component wars. But React is just a library for rendering views. It doesn't have an opinion on routing, data fetching, or caching. This is where Next.js enters.

We choose Next.js for 95% of our greenfield projects. Here is the technical rationale.

Server Components (RSC)

The App Router has fundamentally changed how we architect web apps. By default, components run on the server.

• Zero Bundle Size: Large libraries (like markdown parsers or date formatters) stay on the server. They are never sent to the client.
• Direct Database Access: You can await db.query() right inside your component. No API layer needed for simple reads.

Edge Middleware

We typically deploy on Vercel or similar edge networks. Next.js Middleware allows us to run logic before a request hits the cache.

Use Case: Multi-Tenant Auth. We can check the user's subdomain (e.g., customer.svalio.com) and rewrite the request to the correct tenant ID instantly, with < 50ms latency.

Image Optimization

Core Web Vitals are crucial for SEO. The next/image component automatically resizes, compresses, and serves images in modern formats like WebP or AVIF based on the user's device. For an e-commerce client, this alone improved their Lighthouse score from 45 to 98.

It is not just hype. It is the industrial-grade standard for React development in 2024.