Remix vs NextJS

Having used both Remix and NextJS extensively, there are things that engineers should know before diving in and making one of these their SSR framework of choice.

Next.js and Remix are both popular frameworks for building web applications, particularly focusing on server-rendered and statically-generated websites. However, they have different approaches and features:

1. **Approach**:
   - **Next.js**: Next.js is a framework built on top of React. It provides an opinionated way of building React applications with features like server-side rendering (SSR), static site generation (SSG), and client-side routing out of the box.
   - **Remix**: Remix is a framework that is not tied to any specific view library, although it's often used with React. Remix emphasizes a "Route-First" approach, where you define routes and load data for those routes explicitly, making it highly flexible for different rendering strategies.

2. **Data Loading**:
   - **Next.js**: In Next.js, data fetching can be done using functions like `getServerSideProps` for server-side rendering and `getStaticProps` for static site generation. It provides a clear separation between client and server data loading.
   - **Remix**: Remix encourages explicit data loading for routes through functions like `loader`, allowing for fine-grained control over data fetching and rendering.

3. **Client-Side Navigation**:
   - **Next.js**: Next.js uses client-side routing through the `next/link` and `next/router` APIs, making it easy to create client-side navigation within your application.
   - **Remix**: Remix provides a `Link` component for client-side navigation, but it's worth noting that Remix's focus is primarily on server-rendered and statically-generated content.

4. **File Structure**:
   - **Next.js**: Next.js has a convention-based file structure, where pages are placed in a "pages" directory, and routing is based on the file structure.
   - **Remix**: Remix is more flexible in terms of file structure, allowing you to organize your application in various ways.

5. **Development Experience**:
   - **Next.js**: Next.js provides a great development experience with features like hot module replacement (HMR) and fast refresh.
   - **Remix**: Remix also offers a good development experience, with tools for efficient development and debugging.

6. **Community and Ecosystem**:
   - **Next.js**: Next.js has a larger and more mature ecosystem due to its longer time in the market and its close association with React.
   - **Remix**: Remix, being relatively newer, has a smaller but growing community and ecosystem.

7. **Server Environments**:
   - **Next.js**: Next.js is designed to work well in various server environments, including serverless deployments.
   - **Remix**: Remix can be used in different server environments as well, but it may require more configuration compared to Next.js.

In summary, Next.js is a React-based framework that provides a straightforward way to build server-rendered and statically-generated applications, while Remix is more flexible and route-centric, allowing for more control over data loading and rendering. The choice between them depends on your specific project requirements and development preferences.