Why Companies Are Saying GoodBye to Next.js?

Are you using Next.js or planning to for your next project? Then you need to know this before making a decision!

Image — Why Companies Are Saying GoodBye to Next.js?

The Love-Hate Relationship With Next.js

For years, Next.js has been the favourite of the React ecosystem.

  • Blazing-fast performance? Check.
  • SEO-friendliness? Check.
  • A thriving community? Absolutely.

Read free for 👉 here

But lately, something feels… off.

More and more developers and companies are questioning whether Next.js is really the best choice for their projects. Some are even ditching it altogether.

Why?

Let’s dive in. 👇

The Problems: Why Some Are Moving Away

NorthFlank Case Study

Companies like Northflank, handling tons of requests were using Next.js for their marketing site. With something as simple as a marketing site, Next.js should have been an optimal choice, but it encountered significant performance bottlenecks.

“When we started running into issues with Next.js, we did what any sane team would do: we tried to fix them. Then we tried again. Then we realized the problem was Next.js itself.” — By Will Stewart, Tom Snelling (Northflank)

Developers' Frustrations on Reddit

Developers are sharing their frustration with Next.js ever-evolving on platforms like Reddit. Multiple reasons were shared for this increasing hate towards Next.js like its slowness while developing, additionally adding unnecessary bugs, and server-client limitations.

Let’s see what are the actual challenges!

What Are the Actual Challenges

1. Overengineering Everything?

Next.js started as a simple framework to make React server-side rendered (SSR) friendly.

But as time passed, it introduced more and more features —

Edge Functions, App Router, Middleware, Static Exports, RSCs — until suddenly, a simple project felt like launching a spaceship.

Common complaints:

  • Too many features = Steep and harder learning curve
  • With larger apps complexity grows exponentially.
  • The framework dictates too much
Image from Google

2. Performance… or Just Overhead?

One of Next.js’s selling points was performance, but ironically, it’s now accused of slowing things down. With so much happening (server components, middleware, API routes), performance is no longer a given.

Issues developers face:

  • The simplest pages require a complex setup
  • Cold starts are slow with serverless functions
  • RSC (React Server Components) adds confusion and latency

3. Vendor Lock-In With Vercel?

Vercel, the company behind Next.js, even provided insanely good hosting. However many of its advanced features are optimized for Vercel’s infrastructure.

Red flags:

  • Migration becomes the biggest issue.
  • Some features work best (or only) on Vercel
  • Alternative hosting solutions (AWS, DigitalOcean) need extra work
Developers are asking: Is Next.js designed to help us… or to keep us locked in?
Nextjs on Vercel- Image from Google

Should You Abandon Next.js?

Despite all the criticism, there are big supporters of Next.js in the market. Next.js isn’t dead, but it may not be a Top choice. If your project is becoming unmanageable or bloated, it might be time to rethink your stack.

Final Takeaways:

✔️ Next.js still rocks for large-scale, server-rendered apps.

✔️ But if you want speed and simplicity, Astro, Remix, or Qwik could be better.

✔️ Watch out for framework fatigue — sometimes, simple React + Vite is all you need.

Now, over to you: Are you still using Next.js, or are you considering a switch? Let’s debate in the comments! 👇