Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Hugo VS Next.js

Compare Hugo VS Next.js and see what are their differences

Hugo logo Hugo

Hugo is a general-purpose website framework for generating static web pages.

Next.js logo Next.js

A small framework for server-rendered universal JavaScript apps
  • Hugo Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-21
  • Next.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-19

Hugo features and specs

  • Performance
    Hugo is extremely fast, capable of generating websites with thousands of pages in milliseconds, making it one of the fastest static site generators available.
  • Flexible Content Management
    Hugo supports multiple content types, taxonomies, menus, and dynamic API-driven content, offering a high level of flexibility for different site architectures.
  • Ease of Use
    Hugoโ€™s straightforward installation process and simple configuration files make it accessible, even for beginners.
  • Extended Markdown
    It extends standard Markdown with additional shortcodes, which allows embedding rich content like videos, tweets, and more with simple syntax.
  • Large Community and Plugins
    Hugo has a large and active community that develops themes and plugins, providing ample resources and support for developers.
  • Inbuilt Server
    Hugo comes with a built-in server for local development, enabling real-time previews and speeding up the development process.

Possible disadvantages of Hugo

  • Learning Curve
    Despite its simplicity, Hugoโ€™s template language and content rendering system can be complex for beginners to grasp initially.
  • Limited Dynamic Features
    As a static site generator, Hugo is not ideal for websites that require real-time data processing or dynamic content generation without additional tooling and integration.
  • Go-based Templating
    Hugo uses Go-based templating, which might be unfamiliar to developers accustomed to other templating engines such as Liquid, Handlebars, or Mustache.
  • Lack of Built-in CMS
    Unlike some other static site generators, Hugo does not come with its own CMS interface, which can be a downside for users who prefer a graphical content management system.
  • Dependency on Command Line
    Using Hugo effectively requires comfort with command-line interfaces, which can be a barrier to less technical users.

Next.js features and specs

  • Server-Side Rendering (SSR)
    Next.js supports SSR, allowing pages to be rendered on the server-side before being sent to the client. This results in improved SEO and faster initial page loads.
  • Static Site Generation (SSG)
    Enables pre-rendering pages at build time, which can further improve performance and scalability while allowing for dynamic generation when needed.
  • API Routes
    Next.js allows you to build API endpoints directly in the application, simplifying the process of creating back-end services and endpoints.
  • File-Based Routing
    Offers a simple file-based routing mechanism where the file structure maps directly to the appโ€™s routes, making it easier to manage and understand.
  • Automatic Code Splitting
    Automatically splits code at the page level, reducing the initial load time and improving performance by only loading necessary JavaScript.
  • TypeScript Support
    Built-in support for TypeScript, allowing developers to use static type checking and other TypeScript features easily.
  • Developer Experience
    Provides a great developer experience with features like fast refresh, hot reloading, and detailed error reporting.
  • Rich Ecosystem
    Benefiting from the rich ecosystem of the React community and integrating well with other libraries and tools.
  • Internationalization
    Built-in support for internationalization helps developers build multilingual applications with ease.
  • Community and Support
    Strong community and extensive documentation provide ample support and resources for new and experienced developers alike.

Possible disadvantages of Next.js

  • Learning Curve
    The robust feature set of Next.js can present a steep learning curve for developers who are new to React or server-side rendering concepts.
  • Configuration Overhead
    Although Next.js aims for simplicity, complex projects may still require significant configuration and customization.
  • Performance Overhead
    SSR can introduce additional server load and latency compared to static site generators, especially under high traffic conditions.
  • Deployment Complexity
    Deploying Next.js applications that leverage SSR or API routes may be more complex and could require more sophisticated server infrastructure.
  • Vendor Lock-In
    If heavily relying on Next.js-specific features, moving away from the framework to another solution could require significant refactoring.
  • Bundle Size
    Without careful optimization, client-side bundle sizes can become large, negatively affecting the applicationโ€™s performance.
  • Build Times
    For large applications, build times can be significant, impacting the development cycle and deployment times.
  • Dependencies
    Next.js introduces its own set of dependencies and tooling, which might complicate version management and compatibility with other tools.

Analysis of Hugo

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Hugo is considered a good choice for static site generation, particularly for users who value performance and simplicity.

Why this product is good

  • Hugo is a popular static site generator known for its speed, flexibility, and ease of use. It allows developers and content creators to build fast, scalable, and secure websites without relying on a database. Hugo's templating and theming options are powerful, supporting a wide range of use cases from blogs to fully-featured websites. Additionally, it has an active community and extensive documentation, which makes getting started and troubleshooting easier.

Recommended for

  • Developers who need a fast and efficient static site generator.
  • Content creators who prefer markdown-based writing and easy content management.
  • Users who want a highly customizable and extensible platform.
  • Teams that require a tool with robust multilingual support.
  • Individuals or organizations looking to build websites with minimal server-side dependencies.

Analysis of Next.js

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Next.js is considered a good framework. It is admired for its flexibility, developer experience, and ability to deliver high-performance applications. Its continuous updates and community support further enhance its standing as a reliable choice for building web applications.

Why this product is good

  • Next.js is a popular React framework known for its server-side rendering, static site generation, and API route features. It is built by Vercel and provides an optimized development experience with a focus on performance and SEO advantages. Its easy integration with various backends, built-in support for TypeScript, and capability to handle dynamic and static content efficiently make it a strong choice for modern web development.

Recommended for

  • Developers building SEO-friendly web applications
  • Teams focusing on performance optimization
  • Projects requiring server-side rendering or static site generation
  • Applications needing routing and API integration out of the box
  • Developers looking for a robust framework with TypeScript support

Hugo videos

Hugo - Movie Review by Chris Stuckmann

More videos:

  • Review - Hugo - A Love Letter to Cinema
  • Review - Hugo Review (funny movie review)

Next.js videos

Next.js: The React Framework - JS Monthly - July 2019

More videos:

  • Review - Gatsby vs Next.js: Which does SSG Better?

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Hugo and Next.js)
Blogging
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Static Site Generators
100 100%
0% 0
Web Frameworks
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Hugo and Next.js

Hugo Reviews

Top 10 Next.js Alternatives You Can Try
If you are looking for a powerful static website generator, Hugo is a good alternative to Next.js. You can build multilingual websites much faster and in a simple way that no other platform will offer you. Furthermore, this platform will increase your experience in creating websites with beautiful Markdown syntax and pre-built features like commenting.
20 Next.js Alternatives Worth Considering
Certainly. Jekyll and Hugo are popular static site generators that donโ€™t rely on React.js. Jekyll uses Ruby, while Hugo is renowned for its speed and simplicity. These options are excellent for projects focusing on content-driven sites without heavy JavaScript frameworks.
10 static site generators to watch inย 2021
Perhaps most conveniently described as Jekyll implemented with JavaScript rather than Ruby, Eleventy has now moved beyond that while retaining a clear and simple on-ramp, and only shipping to the browser what you tell it too. As with Jekyll and Hugo, no JavaScript frameworks are auto-baked in.
Source: www.netlify.com
Hugo vs Jekyll: an Epic Battle of Static Site Generator Themes
Hugo does something similar with its menu templates. You can define menu links in your Hugo site config, and even add useful properties that Hugo understands, like weighting. Hereโ€™s a definition of the menu above in config.yaml:
Top Static Site Generators Forย 2019
Hugo is a static site generator which is also very popular which is proven by over 30,000 stars on GitHub right now. Hugo is based on the Go programming language which is great if you have already gained some knowledge of Go. Hugo claims that it is the fastest framework for building websites. In fact Hugo comes with an ultra-fast build process and makes building static...
Source: medium.com

Next.js Reviews

Top 10 Next.js Alternatives You Can Try
Next.js is a well-known platform most of you utilize to build a responsive website. However, if you are annoyed by its limited features, consider Next.js alternatives because flexibility and faster loading speed are always the top concerns of every developer. For this reason, you might need to read this article to explore the top 10 Nextjs Alternatives for the exciting world...
20 Next.js Alternatives Worth Considering
When it comes to building modern web applications, finding the right framework can be a game-changer. Next.js is often a top choice, but there are several Next.js alternatives worth considering.
10 Best Next.js Alternatives to Consider Today
For those who have been accustomed to the benefits of React Next.js, keeping an eye on the latest version is crucial. Next.js's continuous improvement and updates in Next.js enhance its capabilities, ensuring developers can access cutting-edge features and optimizations. Whether starting a new project or maintaining an existing Next.js website, staying informed about the...
9 Best JavaScript Frameworks to Use in 2023
Next.js uses JavaScript and React components to create the UI. Next.js is influenced by React Router, Webpack, Node ecosystem, and community libraries. The feature that sets Next.js apart from other frameworks is its ability to automatically generate pages based on the file system structure of the project. For example, if there is a _posts folder in the root directory,...
Source: ninetailed.io
JavaScript: What Are The Most Used Frameworks For This Language?
Some of its top features include server-side rendering, automatic code splitting, client-side routing, built-in CSS support, static site generation and API routes. Overall, Next.JS is a powerful and flexible framework that provides developers with a simple and intuitive way to build complex React applications with ease. It is widely used in the React community and has a...
Source: www.bocasay.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Next.js should be more popular than Hugo. It has been mentiond 1094 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Hugo mentions (392)

  • Introducing: Postwave
    After writing your posts in Markdown you can then display them however you'd like on your site through the built in Postwave Ruby client. This is where Postwave differs from static blog engines like Jekyll or Hugo which take the Markdown posts and generate a site for you. - Source: dev.to / 16 days ago
  • Ask HN: Looking for Headless CMS Recommendation
    If you're hell-bent on headless, I can personally recommend 11ty (https://www.11ty.dev/) and hugo (https://gohugo.io/). That said, for non-technical admins, you probably want a user interface. For that, Ghost (https://ghost.org/) and Grav (https://getgrav.org/). Or Wordpress! - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • Some CSS tricks I found useful
    It's been a while since I've done any software development. I miss the good old days when I could just sit down and build stuff, without having to worry about consumer optimization problems and ordinary least squares. So, I updated my blog, a static site generated by Hugo. No JavaScript frameworks, no pre-processors. Just markdown, HTML, and CSS. This constraint forced me to relearn modern CSS, and it's quite... - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • The journey to create a new video codec
    Look at https://gohugo.io/ and other static site generators, this list may be really overwhelming but you can find something in it that satisfies your needs https://jamstack.org/generators/. - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • Hacking with mdBook
    A few days back, I wrote a blog post about static site generators, in particular how I decided to migrate my blog from Zola to Hugo. One of my points was to be able to hack my own content before generating the final HTML. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
View more

Next.js mentions (1094)

  • SSG, ISR, SSR, CSR: which strategy should I use in my Next.js e-commerce platform?
    In today's evolving web development landscape, selecting the right rendering strategy is vital for creating fast, scalable, and user-friendly applications. Next.js, a leading React framework, offers four powerful major rendering options: Static Site Generation (SSG), Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR), Server-Side Rendering (SSR), and Client-Side Rendering (CSR). Each approach comes with its own set of features... - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Breaking Your Own App (on Purpose) with Chaos Proxy
    The app is built with Next.js and uses React Query for data fetching. It has a few API routes to get playlists and songs, and two main pages: one for listing all playlists and another for showing the details of a selected playlist. - Source: dev.to / 13 days ago
  • Itโ€™s Happening! Vercel ๐Ÿค MongoDB
    Basic familiarity with Next.js and React. - Source: dev.to / 29 days ago
  • How to Securely Connect to Medusa.js Production Database on AWS?
    You're minding your own business, managing AWS infrastructure for a client with a pretty standard e-commerce setup: a Medusa.js backend, a Next.js storefront, and most importantly for this story, a PostgreSQL RDS instance safely stashed away in a private subnet where nothing from the outside world can touch it. Exactly how the AWS gods intended. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • Next.js 16: The real dirt behind the hype
    Turbopack is now powering vercel.com, nextjs.org, and a growing number of real-world apps. Itโ€™s clearly the future written in Rust, blazing through cold builds, and supposedly replacing Webpack altogether. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Hugo and Next.js, you can also consider the following products

Jekyll - Jekyll is a simple, blog aware, static site generator.

Vercel - Vercel is the platform for frontend developers, providing the speed and reliability innovators need to create at the moment of inspiration.

Ghost - Ghost is a fully open source, adaptable platform for building and running a modern online publication. We power blogs, magazines and journalists from Zappos to Sky News.

React - A JavaScript library for building user interfaces

WordPress - WordPress is web software you can use to create a beautiful website or blog. We like to say that WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time.

Node.js - Node.js is a platform built on Chrome's JavaScript runtime for easily building fast, scalable network applications