Next.js vs React Boilerplate
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A React framework for building websites and web apps with server rendering and routing built in.
Open source · MIT
A starter template for React and Redux apps with testing, i18n, and offline support built in.
The short answer
Choose Next.js if you need…
- Developers already comfortable with React who want a full framework around it
- Teams building sites that need server rendering or static generation
- Projects that want routing and build tooling included rather than assembled by hand
Choose React Boilerplate if you need…
- Experienced React developers starting a new production web app
- Teams that want a consistent project structure and conventions
- Developers who want built-in tests, linting, and code generation from the start
- Projects that need multiple languages (i18n) from the beginning
Side-by-side
| Next.js | React Boilerplate | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Framework | Framework |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 143k | 29.4k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Advanced |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Clone and build from source |
| Main language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 4 years ago |
What each one is
Next.js
Next.js is a framework built on top of React, the JavaScript library for user interfaces. It adds features such as page routing, server rendering, and static site generation so that a React project can be a complete website or web app. Developers use it to ship React applications with less custom setup.
React Boilerplate
React Boilerplate is a pre-built project template that gives you a working React and Redux app with routing, styling, translations, and tests already set up. It is meant to save you the setup work of wiring these tools together before writing your own features. The README describes it as offline-first and focused on performance and best practices.
Best for
Next.js
- Developers already comfortable with React who want a full framework around it
- Teams building sites that need server rendering or static generation
- Projects that want routing and build tooling included rather than assembled by hand
React Boilerplate
- Experienced React developers starting a new production web app
- Teams that want a consistent project structure and conventions
- Developers who want built-in tests, linting, and code generation from the start
- Projects that need multiple languages (i18n) from the beginning
Strengths
Next.js
- Built on React, so it uses a widely known component model
- Supports both server rendering and static generation in one framework
- Open source under the MIT license with a large community (about 143k stars)
React Boilerplate
- Ships with a large set of conventions, tests, and tooling already wired together
- The README describes code generation and automated formatting and linting
- Has a long history, 29k+ GitHub stars, and an MIT license
Not ideal for
Next.js
- Complete beginners with no JavaScript or React experience, since the framework assumes those basics
- Simple static pages where a plain HTML file or lighter static generator would be enough
- Teams that want a framework-agnostic setup, because Next.js is tied to React
React Boilerplate
- Complete beginners to React or Redux: the README itself says it is not meant for beginners and points to a separate guide instead
- Small one-page sites where a simpler setup would do, since the template includes many tools you may not need
Trade-offs
Next.js
- Requires understanding of React and modern JavaScript tooling
- The README excerpt provided is truncated, so detailed feature coverage is limited here
- Framework conventions and version changes mean projects may need upgrades over time
React Boilerplate
- The README says it is not meant for beginners, so it has a steep learning curve
- Bundles many opinionated tools, which you must learn or remove if you prefer something else
- The latest push shown here is from March 2023, so check whether it is still maintained for your needs
Getting started
Next.js
Create a new app (command from the project's standard setup)
npx create-next-app@latestReact Boilerplate
Clone the repo
git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/react-boilerplate/react-boilerplate.git <YOUR_PROJECT_NAME>Move into the project folder
cd <YOUR_PROJECT_NAME>Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Next.js and React Boilerplate?
Next.js: A React framework for building websites and web apps with server rendering and routing built in. React Boilerplate: A starter template for React and Redux apps with testing, i18n, and offline support built in. Next.js suits developers already comfortable with react who want a full framework around it, while React Boilerplate suits experienced react developers starting a new production web app.
Are Next.js and React Boilerplate free?
Next.js: Free and open source. React Boilerplate: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, Next.js or React Boilerplate?
Next.js is easier to get started with (rated intermediate); React Boilerplate is rated advanced and usually needs more setup.
Is Next.js or React Boilerplate more popular?
Next.js has more GitHub stars (143k) than React Boilerplate (29.4k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Next.js and React Boilerplate?
Other options people compare them with include Remix, Gatsby, Nuxt, React Static, Nextra.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.