Why choose Next.js for a static site
|stackshaka
next.jsstaticperformance
The misconception
When people hear "Next.js", they often think of complex web applications with server-side rendering. Yet, Next.js also excels at static site generation through its output: "export" mode.
Concrete advantages
Maximum performance
A static site generated by Next.js produces pure HTML, served directly from a CDN. No Node.js server to maintain, no server-side rendering time — just optimized HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files.
Superior DX (Developer Experience)
- Native TypeScript: strict typing without configuration
- App Router: file-system based routing
- Automatic optimization: code splitting, tree shaking, minification
- Hot reload: changes visible instantly during development
React ecosystem
Access to the entire React ecosystem: Framer Motion for animations, next-intl for internationalization, Tailwind CSS for styling. The best of both worlds.
When NOT to use static Next.js
- If your content changes very frequently (several times per hour)
- If you need server-side authentication
- If your site is a simple one-pager with no logic
Conclusion
For a portfolio, business site, or blog, static Next.js offers the best performance-to-features ratio. It's exactly what I use for stackshaka.com.