- Two Philosophies, One Goal
- Next.js: The Kitchen Sink
- Remix: The Web Standards Purist
- Head-to-Head Comparison
- Which Should You Choose?
React is almost always paired with a meta-framework now. The two heavyweights—Next.js (Vercel) and Remix (Shopify)—have fundamentally different philosophies.
Two Philosophies, One Goal
Next.js says: "Let's push React to do everything."
Remix says: "Let's use the web platform as intended."
Next.js: The Kitchen Sink
Next.js is betting big on React Server Components (RSC), allowing you to fetch data directly inside components on the server. It's powerful, but it's also a new mental model.
Next.js Strengths
- Static site generation + incremental regeneration
- Edge runtime support (Vercel's infrastructure)
- Image optimization built-in
- Massive ecosystem and community
Static sites, massive apps needing edge caching, teams already on Vercel, content-heavy sites.
Remix: The Web Standards Purist
Remix focuses on standard HTTP requests, HTML forms, and aggressive caching headers. It prefers a simpler mental model of loaders (GET data) and actions (POST mutations).
Remix Strengths
- Web standards first (forms just work)
- Nested routing with parallel data loading
- Error boundaries at every route level
- Works without JavaScript (progressive enhancement)
Dynamic dashboards, apps with complex mutations, teams who value web standards and hate "magic."
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Aspect | Next.js | Remix |
|---|---|---|
| Data Loading | Server Components | Loaders (web standard) |
| Mutations | Server Actions | Actions (form-based) |
| Static Sites | Excellent | Good |
| Dynamic Apps | Good | Excellent |
| Learning Curve | Higher (RSC) | Lower (web standards) |
| Deployment | Vercel-optimized | Platform-agnostic |
The Big News: Remix Merged with React Router
If you use React Router v7, you are effectively using Remix. This means Remix's patterns are becoming the standard for React routing.
- Next.js excels at static sites and edge deployment
- Remix excels at dynamic, form-heavy applications
- Both are excellent choices—pick based on your use case
- React Router v7 = Remix patterns everywhere