Next.js vs Remix
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 full-stack web framework built on standard Web APIs, shipped as one npm package.
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 Remix if you need…
- Developers who want a framework built on standard Web APIs rather than Node-specific ones
- Teams that want code portable across Node.js, Bun, Deno, and Cloudflare Workers
- Developers interested in the project's stated goal of minimal dependencies
- Developers who want a single package that bundles many smaller composable tools
Side-by-side
| Next.js | Remix | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Framework | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 143k | 33.4k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 4 days 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.
Remix
Remix is a JavaScript and TypeScript web framework for building web applications. This repository holds Remix 3, which the README describes as under active development. Its design favors standard browser and server Web APIs (Fetch, Streams, Web Crypto) over runtime-specific ones, aiming for code that runs across Node.js, Bun, Deno, and Cloudflare Workers.
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
Remix
- Developers who want a framework built on standard Web APIs rather than Node-specific ones
- Teams that want code portable across Node.js, Bun, Deno, and Cloudflare Workers
- Developers interested in the project's stated goal of minimal dependencies
- Developers who want a single package that bundles many smaller composable tools
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)
Remix
- Built on standard Web APIs, so code is intended to be portable across JavaScript runtimes
- Distributed as a single remix package, with each sub-package also usable on its own
- Released under the permissive 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
Remix
- Teams that need a stable, production-proven framework today, since the README describes Remix 3 as under active development
- People who want a mature ecosystem of plugins and guides, since the README does not describe one
- Developers who prefer Remix 2 or earlier, since this repository is the Remix 3 source
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
Remix
- The README states the project is under active development, so APIs may change
- Many functions are split across a large number of packages, which the authors acknowledge can be harder to learn
- The README is truncated and gives little detail on specific features or stability guarantees
Getting started
Next.js
Create a new app (command from the project's standard setup)
npx create-next-app@latestRemix
Install Remix
npm i remixCreate a new app with the CLI
npx remix new my-remix-appFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Next.js and Remix?
Next.js: A React framework for building websites and web apps with server rendering and routing built in. Remix: A full-stack web framework built on standard Web APIs, shipped as one npm package. Next.js suits developers already comfortable with react who want a full framework around it, while Remix suits developers who want a framework built on standard web apis rather than node-specific ones.
Are Next.js and Remix free?
Next.js: Free and open source. Remix: Free and open source.
Is Next.js or Remix more popular?
Next.js has more GitHub stars (143k) than Remix (33.4k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Next.js and Remix?
Other options people compare them with include Gatsby, Nuxt, React Static, Nextra, Expo.
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.