Gatsby vs Next.js in 2021

Dec 9, 2020

Scott and Wes dive into the rivalry between Gatsby and Next.js, detailing their latest features and updates. They compare rendering techniques, focusing on Gatsby's build-time static generation versus Next.js's server-side capabilities. Learn about data management differences, with Gatsby's GraphQL API and Next.js’s flexibility using third-party tools. The hosts also cover image handling nuances and the shifting landscape of serverless e-commerce solutions, offering insights on how developers can optimize user experience across both frameworks.

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INSIGHT

Converging Frameworks and Svelte

Next.js and Gatsby are starting to converge in functionality, blurring the lines between website and web app development.
Wes considers using Svelte or other frameworks for simpler websites due to reduced code noise compared to Gatsby or Next.js.

ADVICE

Data Timing and Server Rendering

Consider when you need data, either pre-user or live, to choose between Gatsby and Next.js.
Next.js is necessary for server-side rendered data with user information, while Gatsby can only handle this client-side.

INSIGHT

Next.js 9 Static/SSR Flexibility

Next.js 9 allows developers to choose between static and server-side rendering on a page-by-page basis.
This offers flexibility for different data needs and caching strategies.

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In this episode of Syntax, Scott and Wes talk about Gatsby vs Next. A lot has changed in the last year — what are the differences, and do the recommendations from Syntax 120 still hold true?

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Show Notes

03:34 - Server-rendered

Both do server rendered
Gatsby is gone at build time
Next is done at build and on deploy

05:26 - Static generation

getStaticProps()
getServerSideProps()

08:25 - Re-rendering pages

Gatsby can be re-rendered and re-deployed - any CMS lets you do this on only the pages that changed.
Gatsby-cloud
Next.js has the revalidate flag that will re-render when stale

18:54 - Data management

Gatsby has a built in GraphQL API feature with
Next.js has nothing - it’s not their problem. Use Apollo, or SWR, React Query, or redux, or whatever you want.

23:16 - Client-side data

Neither do anything, next.

26:33 - Dynamic Pages

List of 100 shoes, each one gets a page
List of four types of shoes: basketball, runners, casual, bowling, etc.
List of 10 colors: each color gets its own page.
List of 12 sizes, each size gets its own page.
Now it gets complicated when you do this:
- Show me basketball shoes, in red, in size 5
- 600 pages minimum
- What about size 6+7?
- Then you get into having to fetch data on the client side - but all your data is in GraphQL?!
- The queries are different!
Gatsby will get “Hosted GraphQL”: https://twitter.com/kylemathews/status/1252803849775009794

30:41 - Routing

Neither do nested routing still
Both do folder based wrapper

34:50 - Hosting

Anywhere

35:54 - Images

Compression/resize
Lazy loading
SVG
Blur up
Next 10 released first revision of Next.js image
- It’s not as good as Gatbsy-image
- Must specify width and height, whereas gatsby has fixed and fluid
- Compression
- No blur up
- Yes lazy loading
- both don’t support gifs
- Gatbsy requires annoying GraphQL query OR another plugin like MDX to do it
  - Not for long! https://twitter.com/ascorbic/status/1320770231657238529
- Next.js is just