Modern web development requires loose, efficient and extendable solutions. React is still one of the top tools for user interface building, providing developers with extremely powerful features for creating sophisticated web applications. React itself is not more than a library for UI component building, but it needs to be complemented with other tools in order to function correctly: routing, state management, server rendering and so on. In this article, created together with Celadonsoft, we will examine in greater detail the best react framework and libraries that help developers solve the most critical problems of modern frontend. We will explore their advantages, fields of application and circumstances under which their use would be most effective.
What will the in-depth review accomplish?
- Full understanding of the most popular React frameworks.
- Understanding of what tools are best suited for a project.
- Practical advice about choosing the proper stack for web development.
Frontend-ecosystem development does not stay put, and innovations come forth each year. So, it’s a matter of strategy that needs to choose a correct framework relying on the convenience of development, app scalability and performance. Let’s consider which solutions hold true in 2025.
Next.js: Full-Stack for React Applications
Next.js is one of the best React framework, offering a solid set of features to create effective, cutting-edge web applications. It combines the simplicity of React with the strengths of server rendering (SSR), static site generation (SSG) and API routing so that development is made easy and flexible.
Major Features of Next.js
- Server Rendering (SSR): Allows server-side rendering of pages dynamically before passing them to the user, increasing SEO and load time.
- Static generation (SSG): In-browser HTML building during the building stage, rendering the site to be fast and efficient, especially for content-based sites.
- App Router and React Server Components: New routing and component state management solution that provides an easy way to build complicated interfaces with dynamic rendering.
- API Routing: Allows you to build server functions simply in the Next.js-application without an independent backend.
- Automatic optimization and Edge Function support: Resource optimization, caching and serverless function incorporation accelerate the application.
Why Do Developers Prefer Next.js?
- Versatility. Suitable for small sites and big corporate applications.
- Performance. Hybrid rendering and internal optimizations give web applications high performance.
- Flexibility. Support custom servers, API routs and integration with a variety of databases.
- SEO-friendly. The ability to use SSR and SSG makes pages index better.
Where Is Next.js Used?
Many well-known companies already use Next.js in their products. Some of them:
- Vercel – the developers of Next.js use it on their own services.
- Netflix – uses Next.js on interactive pages.
- Twitch – uses in its web interface.
Gatsby: Fast Static Site Building
In a world where web project success directly depends on page load speed and SEO optimization, Gatsby remains one of the best options for static site development. One of the best React frameworks for the best React Component Library offers strong support for static content building, and it is a great choice for blogs, business sites and marketing websites.
Why Gatsby?
Gatsby is not just a static site generator, but an entire developer ecosystem for creating fast, secure and scalable web applications. Its key benefits:
- Default performance. Gatsby uses advanced optimization methods like code-splitting, lazy-loading and resource preloading, thus resulting in sites that are very fast.
- SEO Friendly. Because of static generation, pages are indexed by search engines without additional server rendering configuration.
- Flexibility and extensibility. Gatsby supports a large number of plugins that make integration with CMS, databases and APIs easy.
Gatsby’s Core Features
- GraphQL for data management: Gatsby uses GraphQL to retrieve data from various sources – CMS, Markdown files, APIs and even databases. This makes content more accessible and flexible and centralized.
- Static generation with incremental refresh: Unlike other SSR solutions, Gatsby allows you to pre-create HTML files and then regenerate only the changed pages, reducing the server load and deploying quicker.
- Plugin ecosystem: There is a very extensive plugin set in Gatsby that allows you to add support for images, analytics, CMS integration like WordPress, Contentful, Sanity, PWA support and other functionalities.
When Should I Use Gatsby?
Gatsby is best suited for projects when:
- Load high speed (e.g., marketing pages, landing pages) is necessary.
- Should be well SEO optimized (e.g., corporate websites, blogs).
- Should have simple content management via CMS or API.
Gatsby won’t be perfect for big dynamic applications that have a lot of interactive parts because static generation is not always feasible to perform on such operations.
Remix: A Novel Approach to Routing and State Management
Modern web applications require high performance, predictable state management, and simple routing. Remix is a framework that focuses on server interaction optimization and user experience. It offers a radically new approach to data processing and page rendering, making applications faster and more responsive.
Key Features of Remix
Server-centric architecture: Makes full use of the server, minimizes the workload of the client. Uploads data to the server, renders time and network demands less.
Optimized routing:
- Remix makes use of a file system of routes, which makes organization of code much easier.
- Allows downloading only that data which is required for a page, decreases loading time.
Flexible wealth management: Unlike most traditional SPAs, Remix does not rely on global state managers such as Redux or Zustand. It is centered around server forms and requests, and it passes the state through loader and action.
Direct manipulation of browser:
- Remix uses native HTML forms and Fetch API to the fullest, so it becomes natural to manipulate native browser functionality.
- Progressive enhancement support makes applications work even with low internet connectivity.
Benefits of Remix for Development
- Faster page loads – thanks to server rendering and optimized data loading.
- Perfect SEO optimization – pages are server-rendered and therefore easily accessed by search engines.
- Simpler state management – no need for client stores with intricate complexity, the server handles data.
- Flexible integration – Remix can be used with any server runtime environment, e.g., Node.js, Cloudflare Workers and others.
When Should I Use Remix?
- If high performance and quick boot time are required.
- If the project is SEO-focused and fast indexing in search engines.
- If flexibility in the processing of data is required, not a rigid binding to client managers of the status.
Material-Ui: A Components’ Library for Stunning Composition
A key task of web development is creating an accessible and good-looking interface. Material-UI (MUI) is one of the most prominent React component libraries built on top of Google’s Material Design specification. Material-UI offers developers the chance to create adaptive, pretty and intuitive interfaces at speed without needing to write UI components manually.
Why Material-UI?
There are a variety of advantages in using Material-UI:
- Ready components – the library contains buttons, cards, fashion windows, shapes and much more, which greatly accelerate development.
- Customization flexibility – the temization system allows easy adaptation of styles to project needs.
- Accessibility (a11y) – components are accessible by design in accordance with accessibility needs.
- Good performance – the library is optimized for modern browsers and supports server rendering (SSR).
Where Is Material-Ui Used?
MUI is great for:
- Corporate web applications – admin panels, dashboards, CRM-systems.
- Startups and MVP – quick interface development without complex layout.
- Public web apps – marketing websites, news websites, educational websites.
Material-UI Alternatives
Although MUI is so well-liked, there are alternatives:
- Chakra UI is more lightweight and convenient library with token system and modular architecture.
- Ant Design is a robust set of components with emphasis on corporate solutions.
- Tailwind UI – offers flexibility in the utility-first system, but is more to set up.
Chakra UI: Simplicity and Modularity in Building Interfaces
The web applications of today do not only require functionality, but a convenient, adaptive and gorgeous interface as well. Chakra UI is a feature-rich React component library that provides faster, easier and more convenient building of the UI. It provides flexibility, ease of customizability and support for accessibility standards, so it’s a perfect solution for startups and large projects alike.
Chakra UI’s Key Features
- Flexibility and modularity. Every component incorporates the concept of “style props” in its structure, with which you can readily change their appearance without style rewriting.
- Themeable support. Chakra UI allows you to create light and dark themes in a snap, and customize them to your brand.
- Accessibility focus. All library components are WAI-ARIA compliant and therefore accessible to all, including disabled individuals.
- Simple API to use. The simple and clear structure makes it simple to work with the library, even for novice developers.
Benefits of Chakra UI Usage
- Rapid development of the interface. Pre-made components and a neat architecture enable developers to create adaptive UI with no lengthy efforts.
- Design consistency. The built-in token and thematization system enables easy maintenance of the uniform nature of the app’s design.
- Compatibility with third-party tools. Chakra UI is easily integrable with such frameworks as Next.js and Gatsby, and is server renderable.
- Lightness and efficiency. The library does not hamper the project and allows fast rendering speed to be attained.
Where to Utilize the Chakra UI?
- Websites and web applications with dynamic user interface, where simplicity and speed of component development are crucial.
- Start-ups and MVP projects that have to bring the product to the market in time without sacrificing the quality of interface.
- Corporate panels and dashboards that require compact structure, usability and flexibility.
In Conclusion
Choosing the best React framework is an important aspect of developing modern web applications. Depending on the project objectives, performance requirements, development and scale ease, there are different tools with their own strengths.
Celadonsoft: “When SEO optimization and flexibility in rendering are essential, the best choice is Next.js, which offers static generation and server rendering. Gatsby will be best for content-based websites where maximum speed and simple data management are imperative.
In projects with high dynamics and complex paths, Remix may be considered due to its unique approach to the management of state and data loading.
For UI components, Material-UI and Chakra UI both provide an easy and uncomplicated way of building stylish interfaces, with Chakra UI also being concerned with accessibility and responsiveness. If the main concern is to be compatible with the older Bootstrap, then React Bootstrap will allow you to simply deploy a responsive interface.”
