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In the ever-evolving world of web development, staying up-to-date with the latest technologies is crucial. As someone who has been working with Gatsby.js for several years, I recently made the decision to explore Next.js for rebuilding my website. And let me tell you, the experience has been nothing short of amazing.

The Start

One of the first things I noticed when diving into the Next.js ecosystem was its incredible speed. Compared to Gatsby, Next.js felt lightning-fast, and I couldn't help but wonder why. While I don't have a definitive answer, I can only speculate that Next.js's performance could be attributed to its leaner plugin ecosystem and potentially fewer backend processes involving GraphQL. Gatsby, on the other hand, heavily relies on GraphQL for data handling.

Moving from Gatsby

Transferring my setup from Gatsby to Next.js was surprisingly smooth. Setting up a blog-like system with navigation and tags was a breeze. With every new post or article, I simply tag it, and the navigation bar automatically reflects the changes. This simplicity and ease of use were refreshing, allowing me to focus more on content creation and less on technical hurdles.

Deploying

Deploying my Next.js site was equally hassle-free. Vercel, the platform I chose for deployment, integrated seamlessly with my GitHub repository. With just a few clicks, my site was up and running, complete with a custom URL. The entire process was streamlined and efficient, leaving me with more time and energy to devote to other aspects of my website.

Conclusion

If you haven't yet explored Next.js, I highly recommend giving it a try. Its speed, simplicity, and efficient deployment process make it an excellent choice for web developers seeking an enhanced user experience. While I cannot claim to have all the answers as to why Next.js outperformed Gatsby for me, I hope this article has sparked your curiosity and provided you with some valuable insights and inspiration for your own web development journey.