Why I Choose Next.js for Every Project

Next.js has become my default choice for almost every web project I take on. Not because it's trendy — but because it genuinely solves real problems.

The full-stack story

Before Next.js, building a full-stack app meant managing two separate repos: a React frontend and a Node.js/Express backend. That's two deployments, two sets of environment variables, two CI pipelines. Next.js collapses this into one. API routes, server actions, middleware — it's all in one place.

Performance out of the box

The App Router with React Server Components means I'm shipping less JavaScript to the browser by default. Image optimization, font optimization, code splitting — these aren't afterthoughts. They're built in.

The developer experience

File-based routing, TypeScript support, hot reloading, built-in CSS modules — the defaults are good. I spend less time configuring and more time building.

When I don't use it

If it's a pure API service, I'll use Go or Node.js with Express. But for anything with a UI and a backend? Next.js wins every time.