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December 9th, 2020 × #gatsby#nextjs#react

Gatsby vs Next.js in 2021

Compares Gatsby and Next.js for features like server vs static rendering, data management, dynamic pages, and more.

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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 done 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

46:20 - Server or Serverless

  • Gatsby - none. You can do it with Netlify, Begin, AWS, Gatsby doesn't care.
  • Next.js - can do server with API routes. Can do serverless if you host on Vercel.

49:44 - SEO

  • Tags
    • Gatsby - Helmet
    • Next - Head
  • Sitemap
    • Plugin for both

49:55 - Plugin Ecosystem

  • Gatsby has lots of plugins that you install
  • Next.js has some too. Seems Gatsby is easier in this regard because plugins can manage and normalize data into the GRaphQL Layer.

53:10 - Auth

55:00 - E-commerce

  • Gatsby - options are mostly limited to Snipcart and Shopify like iframe drop in solutions where the majority of operations take place on another site and service.
  • Next.js - hey released a starter boilerplate that leans on an existing headless cart
  • https://rainierwatch.com/

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