Next.js

Next.js has become synonymous with production React development. It provides the architecture decisions that React intentionally leaves open - routing, data fetching, rendering strategies, and deployment - letting teams focus on building product rather than configuring infrastructure.

The App Router, built on React Server Components, represents the current state of the art in web application architecture. Server Components reduce client JavaScript, streaming enables instant page loads, and the layout system eliminates redundant re-renders during navigation. For data-heavy applications, the performance improvements are substantial.

Vercel's deployment platform is optimized for Next.js, but the framework deploys anywhere - Node.js servers, Docker containers, or edge runtimes. This flexibility means you are never locked into a single hosting provider, even as you benefit from tight integration when using Vercel.

We treat Next.js as the default chassis for every client web app. Pages and APIs live in the same repo, Server Components fetch from Prisma or Supabase directly, and we lean on Server Actions for mutations so we ship fewer client bundles.

Our standard project skeleton: TypeScript strict, App Router with route groups for marketing vs. dashboard, Tailwind v4 + shadcn for the UI, and TanStack React Query only on screens that truly need client-side caching. Middleware handles auth gating in front of /admin and member-only routes.

For data, we stay in Server Components by default and reach for client islands ("use client") only when the UI is interactive enough to justify hydration. Forms run through Server Actions wrapped with Zod validation. Long-running work gets pushed to Trigger.dev or Inngest so the request thread stays under 10s.