Foundation

Frontend Framework

Pick the full-stack framework your web app lives in — routing, data loading, server code and rendering — on top of a UI library.

Ask your AI about this, with this page as the source:ChatGPT ↗Claude ↗Perplexity ↗

The real choice

Which full-stack framework, and so which UI library under it. The React frameworks (Next.js, React Router, TanStack Start) get the largest pool of components, examples and AI-agent familiarity; SvelteKit and Nuxt trade that for Svelte's or Vue's style; Astro is content-first and ships almost no JavaScript, but isn't built for app-heavy screens. A bare UI library on Vite is still enough for a single-page app behind a login.

Pick by situation

Tap the ones that are you — the tools that fit light up below.

Your app lives behind a login and doesn't need search trafficReact
Public pages need server rendering and you want server code in the same React projectNext.js React Router TanStack Start
You already know Vue, or Svelte, and need server renderingNuxt SvelteKit
You're building a marketing site, docs or a blogAstro

The contenders

Grouped by the side of the choice they answer, not ranked. Open a row for when to use it, the trade-off and what makers say.

ToolBest for

UI library (with Vite)1

Reactlibrary · open source · free tierSingle-page apps built from React components, with the largest ecosystem of component libraries, examples and AI-generated code.

200+1193 open source155.8M/wk+2% vs npm

Use it whenYour app lives behind a login and doesn't need server rendering, or you want to pick routing and data libraries yourself.

Trade-offOn its own it has no routing, data loading or server rendering; you assemble those from separate libraries or move to a React framework.

llms.txt

Used by 3D AI Studio, AI Search, AidaJet, Airial Travel, Aritect and 195 more · in 1193 open-source projects.

React in full →vs Next.js →vs Nuxt →

Powers our frontend. It made building an intuitive and fast interface so much easier, and its huge ecosystem gave us the confidence to experiment without worrying about running into walls.

Incerto, the makerSep 2026 ↗

React full-stack3

Next.jsframework · open source · free tierReact apps that want server rendering, API routes and the largest set of examples, templates and SaaS starters.

1510+302 open source52M/wk+7% vs npm

Use it whenYou want the most tutorials and boilerplates to lean on.

Trade-offServer components and caching rules add concepts to learn, and some features work most smoothly on Vercel.

llms.txt CLI

Used by 1752vc Pitch Deck Analyzer, 21st, AgentCenter for OpenClaw, AINave, AiTerm and 1505 more · in 302 open-source projects.

Next.js in full →vs React →vs Nuxt →

Next.js powers the imejis.io website, dashboard and the visual editor. One framework for marketing pages, the app and API routes keeps our stack small enough for two people to run.

Imejis.io, the makerSep 2026 ↗

React Routerframework · open source · free tierReact apps built around web standards — loaders, actions and forms — in the lineage of Remix.377 open source50.1M/wk−26% vs npm

Use it whenYou like explicit data loading per route and want to deploy on any Node or edge host.

Trade-offSmaller ecosystem of starters than Next.js, and the project has changed names and APIs over its history.

No maker's product we track shows it for this yet · in 377 open-source projects.

React Router in full →

TanStack Startframework · open source · free tierType-safe routing and server functions for React or Solid, built on TanStack Router.42 open source16.8M/wk81.3× vs npm^*

Use it whenYou already use TanStack Query or Router and want end-to-end types.

Trade-offYounger than the alternatives, with fewer examples and hosting guides.

llms.txt CLI

No maker's product we track shows it for this yet · in 42 open-source projects.

TanStack Start in full →

Svelte or Vue full-stack2

Nuxtframework · open source · free tierVue apps, with a large module ecosystem for auth, content, images and SEO.

30+41 open source1.9M/wk−44% vs npm

Use it whenYou already know Vue.

Trade-offSmaller ecosystem and fewer AI-generated examples than React.

llms.txt CLI

Used by Almeta ML, Alpaca Chat, Bocca, CalendarPlusAi, Chat Thing and 25 more · in 41 open-source projects.

Nuxt in full →vs React →vs Next.js →

Powers octrafic.com. I needed a landing page that's fast, SEO-friendly, and looks professional - Nuxt delivered all three with minimal setup. From zero to production in a weekend.

Octrafic, the makerSep 2026 ↗

SvelteKitframework · open source · free tierApps written in Svelte, with less boilerplate and small client bundles.66 open source2.5M/wk+13% vs npm

Use it whenYou chose Svelte and need routing, server rendering or server code.

Trade-offFewer third-party component libraries than React.

llms.txt MCP CLI

No maker's product we track shows it for this yet · in 66 open-source projects.

SvelteKit in full →

Content-first1

Astroframework · open source · free tierMarketing sites, docs and blogs that ship minimal JavaScript, with interactive islands from any UI library.

212+63 open source4.6M/wk+87% vs npm

Use it whenMost pages are content and only a few parts need to be interactive.

Trade-offNot designed for app-like dashboards with lots of client-side state.

CLI

Used by Aritect, ASO, Baselight, Bolt, Chime and 207 more · in 63 open-source projects.

Astro in full →vs Next.js →vs Nuxt →

looked at next.js first but it felt overkill for a marketing site. astro ships zero js by default so the page stays fast without us doing anything. content-driven stuff is its sweet spot.

LayerProof, the makerSep 2026 ↗

Who switches to what

Public pull requests on GitHub since Oct 2024 whose title says "X to Y" — real code changes, by developers in general rather than makers only. Pick a flow to see its pull requests.

Next.js →

Astro178 PRs · Compare →

Migrate from Next.js 14 to Astro 7TetraspaceW/infinite-todo-list · 2026-10-02
feat: move from Next.js to Astrojoshuaellis/joshellis-site · 2026-10-01
Migrate portfolio from Next.js to Astro and redesignVarithPheng/portfolio · 2026-09-28
Migrate site from Next.js + Nextra to Astro 7victor-foster/victorsfoster.dev · 2026-09-28
Migrate Next.js to Astroluicho9/joseluisflores · 2026-09-27
Migrate from Next.js to Astronicholasdevries/nicholasdevries.github.io · 2026-09-25
Migration from Next.js to Astroiamzoka/madebyzoka · 2026-09-25
Migrate site from Next.js to Astroiamzoka/madebyzoka · 2026-09-25
Move the study desk from Next.js to Astro islandsjondmarien/cert-study · 2026-09-22
Redesign personal portfolio and migrate from Next.js to Astrodevalnor/maxime.io · 2026-09-16

All matching pull requests on GitHub ↗

Before you choose

How to approach it

Pick the UI library you already know, then decide whether you need a framework around it. A dashboard or tool behind a login that doesn't need search traffic can be a UI library on Vite plus a separate API. Reach for a full-stack framework when public pages need server rendering or you want server code in the same project. For a marketing site or blog, use a content-first framework and keep the app separate if needed. Don't switch frameworks mid-build for performance — at solo scale, it is rarely the bottleneck.

Common mistakes

Server-rendering a dashboard behind a login that no search engine will ever see, adding server cost and complexity for nothing.
Building the marketing site and blog inside the logged-in app, so every landing-page tweak goes through the app's build and deploy.
Picking a less common framework and then finding that component libraries, auth SDKs and AI-generated code mostly assume React.