Next JS or Electron | Which Way to Go? — Galaxy Weblinks
When we talk of Next JS, server- side rendering is the first thing that comes to our mind. On the other hand, Electron JS provides a pure Javascript experience for desktop applications using HTML, CSS, and Javascript. This comparative piece will help you understand the offerings of both frameworks.
So let’s get started.
Learning curve
Next JS
Developers familiar with the React framework will have no difficulty in using Next JS. Your application will be up and running the moment you install all the packages, making the learning process simple. There is no need for learning a new programming language if you are proficient in JavaScript.
Electron
The similarity between web apps and Electron JS based apps play a vital role in keeping the learning curve at moderate levels. This eliminates the need for hiring new developers or training your existing team which may not be helpful when the projects have tight deadlines. Hands-on expertise of CSS, HTML is sufficient while venturing into Electron.
Ease of Use
In Next JS, the initial configuration is easy! You don’t have to worry about setting up a react router, react dom and webpack, as they are all a part of the package. According to the experts, Next JS doesn’t need much setting up, making it convenient and portable.
Electron integrates with all tools and frameworks like Angular, React, Vue to name just a few. You have an option to build all your cross platform apps via a single code base. Since Chromium is used as a rendering engine, you get access to numerous developer tools, such as hot reloading, automatic error detection, etc.
Community support
Next JS is backed by Zeit, and is a framework that is continuously monitored by developers. However, it is less popular vis-a-vis Electron. On github, Electron is winning the battle with 11.3k+ forks and 84.3k stars as against 7.8k forks and 50.5k stars of Next JS.
Additionally, with Microsoft’s backing, open source technology, and minimum entry barriers, Electron commands more popularity here.
Documentation
When it comes to documentation, developers have a consensus that Electron has a complicated, difficult to understand and even overwhelming way of presenting its knowledge database, especially for beginners. This does not sit well with the community.
This is one major drawback of Electron. Pro-active developers of the community have tried their best to streamline things, but until the official docs are altered, this point goes in the favor of Next JS.
Next JS has worked on improving its documentation since its release. The sidebar navigation menu enables users to jump to their required page and extract the necessary inputs with the utmost ease. There are new updates, proper segmentation and presentation of information done by the authors and contributors.
Security
Next JS optimizes your application’s security and prevents any accidental publishing of your app’s non-pages. However, in Electron, when the existing applications are migrated to desktop applications, the data gets stored locally, thereby maintaining good security levels.
There are other features in these frameworks, like in Next JS, you have automatic code splitting, static site generator, SEO optimized pages, etc. Electron offers a huge range of APIs, Chromium engine, simple management of code and easy debugging process.
If you’re looking to build a true Javascript based cross-platform application like Whatsapp, Twitch, Microsoft teams, and Figma then Electron is perfect for you.
And if you’re looking for an application that utilizes robust server side rendering for consumer facing content delivery platform like Hulu, Netflix, and Deliveroo, then Next JS should be your choice.
For further assistance, feel free to contact our experts here.
Originally published at https://blog.galaxyweblinks.com on July 10, 2020.
