Astro vs Next.js

Two modern frameworks, two different philosophies. Astro ships zero JavaScript by default while Next.js delivers the full power of React. Which one is right for your project?

Quick verdict: Choose Astro for content-driven websites, marketing sites, and blogs where performance is paramount. Choose Next.js for highly interactive web applications that require complex client-side state management.

Feature Comparison

Feature Astro Next.js
Default JavaScript Shipped Zero JS by default React runtime (~80-100 KB+)
Architecture Islands architecture (MPA) Single-page app with SSR/SSG
UI Framework Support React, Vue, Svelte, Solid, Preact, Lit React only
Rendering Modes SSG, SSR, hybrid SSG, SSR, ISR, streaming SSR
Typical Lighthouse Score 95-100 out of the box 70-90 (requires optimization)
Content Collections Built-in with type safety Manual setup or third-party tools
Routing File-based routing File-based routing (App Router)
Build Speed Fast (Vite-based) Fast (Turbopack available)
Learning Curve Low (HTML-first approach) Moderate to high (React knowledge required)
Deployment Any static host, Cloudflare, Netlify, Vercel Best on Vercel, works on others

Performance

Astro

  • ✓Ships zero JavaScript by default -- only loads JS for interactive islands
  • ✓Pages are pure HTML and CSS until you explicitly opt into client-side JS
  • ✓Consistently scores 95-100 on Lighthouse performance audits
  • ✓Smaller page payloads translate directly to faster Time to Interactive
  • ✓Built-in image optimization with automatic format conversion

Next.js

  • ●Ships the React runtime on every page, even mostly-static ones
  • ●Automatic code splitting and prefetching reduce perceived load times
  • ●ISR (Incremental Static Regeneration) balances freshness with speed
  • ●React Server Components reduce client-side bundle in the App Router
  • ●Built-in next/image component with on-demand optimization

Developer Experience

Astro

Astro uses an HTML-first component syntax that feels familiar to anyone who has written HTML. Its .astro files separate frontmatter (JS/TS) from template markup. You can integrate React, Vue, Svelte, or Solid components side by side in the same project without lock-in.

Content Collections provide a built-in, type-safe way to manage Markdown and MDX content. The Vite-based dev server offers fast hot module replacement and a smooth local development loop.

Next.js

Next.js is a full React meta-framework backed by Vercel. Its App Router introduced React Server Components, nested layouts, and streaming SSR. The ecosystem is enormous: thousands of npm packages, tutorials, and community resources.

Development requires solid React knowledge, including hooks, state management, and the nuances of server vs. client components. The framework is powerful but comes with higher complexity, especially for content-focused sites that don't need heavy interactivity.

Pricing and Hosting

Astro

Astro is open source and free. Static sites can be deployed to any CDN or static host for free or near-free (Cloudflare Pages, Netlify, Vercel, GitHub Pages). SSR mode works on serverless platforms or Node.js servers.

Because Astro outputs minimal HTML and almost no JavaScript, bandwidth costs stay low even at scale. There is no vendor lock-in -- you can move hosting at any time.

Next.js

Next.js is also open source. It runs on Vercel's free tier for small projects, with paid plans starting around $20/month for production workloads. Self-hosting on a Node.js server is an option, though some features (image optimization, ISR) require extra setup outside Vercel.

Full-featured Next.js sites with SSR, API routes, and image optimization can generate higher compute and bandwidth costs compared to static Astro deployments.

Best Use Cases

Choose Astro for

  • →Marketing and landing pages
  • →Blogs and content-heavy websites
  • →Documentation sites
  • →Portfolio and agency websites
  • →SEO-critical pages where every kilobyte matters

Choose Next.js for

  • →SaaS dashboards and web applications
  • →E-commerce with complex product filtering
  • →Real-time features (chat, live updates)
  • →Projects already invested in the React ecosystem
  • →Apps requiring authentication and complex routing

Our Verdict

Astro and Next.js solve different problems. Astro is purpose-built for content-driven websites where performance and SEO are the top priorities. By shipping zero JavaScript by default and using its islands architecture, Astro delivers the fastest possible page loads for sites that are primarily read-only.

Next.js is the better choice when you need a full application framework. If your project requires complex client-side interactivity, user authentication, real-time updates, or deep React ecosystem integration, Next.js gives you the tools to build that without fighting the framework.

For most business websites, marketing pages, and content sites, Astro delivers superior performance with less complexity. If you are building a web application first and a website second, Next.js is the stronger pick.

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