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Angular Universal vs Next.js: What are the differences?
Angular Universal and Next.js are popular frameworks used for server-side rendering (SSR) in web development. Let's discuss the key differences between them.
Execution Environment: Angular Universal is built on top of Angular framework and is primarily used for server-side rendering in Angular applications. It relies on Node.js and Express for rendering and running the server-side code. On the other hand, Next.js is a React framework that provides support for server-side rendering out of the box. It uses Node.js and provides its own built-in server for rendering React components on the server side.
Language and Syntax: Angular Universal is written in TypeScript, which is a superset of JavaScript that adds static typing to the language. This allows for better tooling and safer coding practices. Next.js, on the other hand, is written in plain JavaScript using the React framework. While TypeScript can be used with Next.js, it is not a requirement.
Framework Compatibility: Angular Universal is specifically designed for use with Angular applications. It fully supports Angular features and provides built-in support for Angular's ecosystem, including Angular CLI and Angular Universal CLI. Next.js, on the other hand, is a React-specific framework and provides seamless integration with the React ecosystem and tools.
Routing: Angular Universal uses Angular's built-in routing system for handling client-side navigation. It provides a router module that allows for declarative routing configuration. Next.js, on the other hand, provides its own routing system that is specifically tailored for React applications. It offers both file-based and dynamic routing options, making it flexible and efficient for handling different types of routes.
Data Fetching: Angular Universal allows for server-side data fetching using Angular's HttpClient module. It provides a way to fetch data from APIs or other sources during the server-side rendering process. Next.js provides its own data fetching mechanism called "getInitialProps". It allows developers to fetch data from APIs before rendering a page and pass it as props to the React components.
Deployment and Server Configuration: Angular Universal applications typically require setting up a separate server, such as an Express server, to handle the server-side rendering and deployment. In contrast, Next.js applications provide a built-in server that handles server-side rendering and simplifies the deployment process. Next.js also provides easy configuration options for serverless deployment on platforms like Vercel.
In summary, Angular Universal is more suitable for Angular applications and provides extensive support for Angular features and tools. Next.js, on the other hand, is a React-specific framework that offers seamless integration with the React ecosystem and provides a simpler deployment process.
Next.js is probably the most enjoyable React framework our team could have picked. The development is an extremely smooth process, the file structure is beautiful and organized, and the speed is no joke. Our work with Next.js comes out much faster than if it was built on pure React or frameworks alike. We were previously developing all of our projects in Meteor before making the switch. We left Meteor due to the slow compiler and website speed. We deploy all of our Next.js projects on Vercel.
Hey guys,
My backend set up is Prisma / GraphQL-Yoga at the moment, and I love it. It's so intuitive to learn and is really neat on the frontend too, however, there were a few gotchas when I was learning! Especially around understanding how it all pieces together (the stack). There isn't a great deal of information out there on exactly how to put into production my set up, which is a backend set up on a Digital Ocean droplet with Prisma/GraphQL Yoga in a Docker Container using Next & Apollo Client on the frontend somewhere else. It's such a niche subject, so I bet only a few hundred people have got a website with this stack in production. Anyway, I wrote a blog post to help those who might need help understanding it. Here it is, hope it helps!
Pros of Angular Universal
- Typescript7
- Complete Framework5
- Server rendering and code splitting5
- Static site generator4
- Dynamic rendering4
- Same existing code base for both SPA and SSR4
- Easy setup3
- SEO3
- Well documented1
Pros of Next.js
- Automatic server rendering and code splitting51
- Built with React44
- Easy setup34
- TypeScript26
- Universal JavaScript24
- Zero setup22
- Static site generator21
- Just JavaScript12
- Simple deployment12
- Incremental static regeneration12
- Filesystem as an API10
- Frictionless development10
- Everything is a function9
- Well Documented9
- Has many examples and integrations8
- Testing8
- Isomorphic React applications7
- File based routing + hooks built in4
- Deployment2
- SEO1
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Cons of Angular Universal
Cons of Next.js
- Structure is weak compared to Angular(2+)9
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What is Angular Universal?
What is Next.js?
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Blog Posts
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