The React ecosystem has experienced heated debates about Next.js as some developers endorse it while others abandon it. Next.js eliminated custom webpack configuration and SSR hacks by offering a zero-config setup that included SSR, routing, code splitting, and hot reloading via create-next-app. File-based routing simplified route creation to adding files in a pages folder. Automatic optimizations handled code splitting, image optimization, and CSS bundling without deep tooling knowledge. Clear documentation and a gentle learning curve made onboarding easier. Growing frustration has prompted questions about whether emerging problems stem from developer skill or actual framework limitations.
Zero-config setup that actually worked - Run npx create-next-app and you had SSR, routing, code splitting, and hot reloading without touching a single config file - and in all sincerity, if I want to take on a new personal project, I'd rather spend time writing functional code than setting up different tools File-based routing that made sense - Create a file in the pages folder and you have a route. No router configuration, no further setup.
Next.js's routing system turned a headache into a forgotten problem. You could literally explain this to a new developer in five minutes: "Make a file in this folder and you'll have a page" Easy optimizations - Next.js made optimization feel automatic. Code splitting happened naturally, and images got optimized by using the Image component. CSS got bundled properly. You got performance benefits without needing to understand the underlying complexity
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