Should I use the App Router or the Pages Router in Next.js?

For all new projects we use the App Router — it is the default since Next.js 13 and provides React Server Components, Server Actions and colocated data fetching. The Pages Router remains fully supported for existing codebases but is no longer the recommended path for new builds.

Is Next.js good for SEO?

Yes. Next.js renders pages server-side by default, producing fully populated HTML that search engine crawlers and AI systems (Google AIO, Perplexity) can index immediately — unlike client-rendered React SPAs where crawlers may see an empty shell. The Metadata API also provides structured control over title, description and Open Graph tags.

Can Next.js replace WordPress for content sites?

For most content marketing sites, yes. Next.js paired with a headless CMS (Contentful, Sanity, Payload) gives you full control over design and performance without WordPress's plugin bloat. The trade-off is that non-technical editors need a CMS interface — headless CMS platforms provide this. We generally recommend Next.js for sites where performance and SEO are priority over ease of editor self-service.

Where can I host a Next.js application?

The easiest option is Vercel — the platform created by the Next.js team, with zero-config deployment. Self-hosting options include Docker on any VPS, Railway, Render, or AWS. All rendering modes (SSR, SSG, ISR, edge) work on Vercel; self-hosted deployments require more configuration for ISR and edge functions.

Web

Next.js

The React framework for production web applications.

Book a Discovery Call Next.js website

Next.js is an open-source React framework by Vercel that enables server-side rendering, static site generation and API routes in a single codebase. The App Router (introduced in v13) adds React Server Components, Server Actions and colocated data fetching. It is the most widely deployed React framework for production applications.

Why we chose it

Why Ascii-Core uses Next.js

1
Hybrid rendering — SSR, SSG, ISR and RSC in one codebase without configuration switching
2
SEO by default — server-rendered HTML that crawlers and AI systems index correctly
3
Full-stack capability — API routes and Server Actions eliminate the need for a separate backend for most use cases
4
Vercel deployment — zero-config CI/CD, edge functions, preview deployments and image optimisation

Ideal use cases

When to use Next.js

Corporate websites and marketing sites requiring strong SEO
SaaS platforms with authenticated user flows and admin dashboards
E-commerce storefronts requiring sub-second product page loads
Content-heavy sites with CMS integration
Multi-tenant applications with complex routing

Trade-offs

Honest limitations

We believe in accurate trade-offs. These are the cases where a different tool may be the better choice.

Higher complexity than plain React for simple single-page applications
Vercel vendor alignment — self-hosting requires more configuration than the managed platform
App Router learning curve for teams migrating from the Pages Router

Services