Top Tools for React Server-Side Rendering Applications

Server-Side Rendering (SSR) is a powerful technique to enhance your website's performance and user experience, but it’s not always the right choice. Understanding when SSR is truly needed and which tools to use can significantly impact your project's success.

In my previous articles, we explored how to build your own SSR with React from scratch. Now, we’ll dive into when you should consider creating a custom solution and when it’s better to rely on a ready-made tool with built-in SSR capabilities.

Table of Contents

• What is SSR
  • Key Benefits
  • Challenges
• When to Use SSR
  • Ideal Scenarios
  • Limitations
  • Is SSR the Right Choice?
• Tools
  • Next.js
  • Remix
  • Vike (Vite Plugin SSR)
  • Server Components
  • Custom SSR
• Comparison Table
• Conclusion

What is SSR

Server-side rendering (SSR) is a technique in web development where the server generates the HTML content of a web page before sending it to the browser. Unlike traditional client-side rendering (CSR), where JavaScript builds the content on the user's device after loading an empty HTML shell, SSR delivers fully-rendered HTML right from the server.

Key benefits

• Improved SEO: Since search engine crawlers receive fully-rendered content, SSR ensures better indexing and ranking.
• Faster First Paint: Users see meaningful content almost immediately, as the server handles the heavy lifting of rendering.
• Enhanced Performance: By reducing the rendering workload on the browser, SSR provides a smoother experience for users on older or less powerful devices.
• Seamless Server-to-Client Data Transfer: SSR allows you to pass dynamic server-side data to the client without rebuilding the client bundle.

Challenges

• Increased Server Load: Rendering pages on the server increases resource usage, especially for high-traffic sites.
• Latency Concerns: Each page request requires server-side processing, potentially slowing down response times compared to static pages.
• Complexity: Managing SSR, hydration, and caching strategies adds complexity to the development process.

When compared to Static Site Generation (SSG) and Client-Side Rendering (CSR), SSR offers a balanced approach for dynamic, content-rich applications that prioritize performance and SEO. Modern frameworks also support hybrid techniques like Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR), combining the speed of pre-rendered pages (SSG) with the flexibility of server-side rendering (SSR) for dynamic updates.

When to Use SSR

Server-Side Rendering is a powerful tool, but it’s not the ideal solution for every use case.

Ideal Scenarios

• SEO-Critical: Applications that depend heavily on search engine visibility
  • E-commerce platforms
  • Blogs
  • Marketing pages
  • News
• Dynamic, Real-Time Content: Applications requiring frequently updated or live data
  • Social networks
  • Dashboards
  • Live event pages
• Improving Initial Load Performance
  • Users on slow networks or older devices
  • Large-scale applications with complex UI components

Limitations

• Static Content: Static Site Generation (SSG) is usually sufficient
  • Landing pages
  • Documentation sites
  • Portfolio websites
• High-Traffic Applications: SSR increases server load since each request involves server-side processing. Consider SSG or caching strategies for scalability
  • Viral content
  • Pages with millions of daily hits
• Heavy Client-Side Interactivity: Applications relying on extensive client-side interactions
  • Complex dashboards with data manipulation
  • Apps with advanced animations or transitions
• Privacy or Personalization Concerns: SSR can increase complexity and security risks when rendering user-specific data on the server.
• Budget or Infrastructure Limitations: SSR requires more resources and infrastructure compared to SSG or CSR.

Is SSR the Right Choice?

• Does your app rely on SEO for visibility?
• Do you need real-time updates or frequently changing content?
• Are your users on slow networks or older devices where faster initial loading matters?
• Does your app involve complex UI components that benefit from a fast first paint?

Tools

Several frameworks and tools simplify the implementation of SSR in React applications. Below are some of the most popular options, each with its unique strengths.

Next.js

Created in 2016 | nextjs.org

A full-stack React framework with build-in SSR, SSG and ISR, with handling API routes and routing capabilities.

• Pros:
  • Easy to set up with a rich developer experience.
  • Built-in hybrid rendering (SSR, SSG, ISR).
  • Extensive ecosystem, plugins and integrations.
  • Great scalability for high-traffic applications.
• Cons:
  • Opinionated structure can limit flexibility.
  • Higher build times for large-scale projects compared to lighter solutions.
  • Overkill for front-end-only projects.
• Use Cases:
  • E-commerce platforms with dynamic product pages.
  • Marketing pages requiring SEO and fast loading.
  • SaaS applications leveraging hybrid SSR and SSG.

Remix

Created in 2021 | remix.run

A performance-focused React framework emphasizing server-side routing, streaming SSR and web-native APIs.

• Pros:
  • Nested routing and granular data fetching.
  • Streaming SSR for fast time-to-first-byte (TTFB).
  • Modern web standards with features like Fetch and Web Streams.
  • Strong focus on performance and real-time data handling.
• Cons:
  • Smaller ecosystem compared to Next.js.
  • Learning curve for web-native APIs and streaming SSR.
  • Lacks built-in incremental regeneration features like ISR.
• Use Cases:
  • Content-heavy platforms like blogs and news sites.
  • Dynamic, real-time applications with frequent updates.
  • SEO-critical projects requiring fast rendering and routing.
  • Applications that need highly flexible routing and performance optimization.

Vike (Vite Plugin SSR)

Created in 2021 | vike.dev

A lightweight plugin for adding SSR to Vite-powered React applications. Known for its simplicity, speed and modern tooling.

• Pros:
  • Lightweight and fast setup with Vite’s tooling.
  • Highly customizable for specific SSR requirements.
  • Ideal for developers familiar with Vite’s ecosystem.
• Cons:
  • Smaller ecosystem compared to Next.js or Remix.
  • Lacks advanced built-in features like routing or API handling.
  • Requires manual effort for common SSR tasks.
• Use Cases:
  • Lightweight apps needing fast SSR setups.
  • Projects focusing on speed and customization.
  • Small-to-medium-sized apps with limited complexity.
  • Seamless migration from a CSR Vite project to an SSR-enabled setup.

Server Components

Created in 2021 | react.dev

React Server Components (RSC) are a React feature designed for server-first rendering with minimal client-side JavaScript. While not explicitly SSR, RSC allows developers to render components on the server and stream their output to the client. This enables advanced rendering capabilities like streaming responses and progressive hydration without the need for full SSR infrastructure.

You can also use RSC independently of full SSR, integrating it into client-rendered applications to optimize performance and reduce client-side JavaScript payloads.

• Pros:
  • Minimal JavaScript payload on the client, improving performance and load times.
  • Supports streaming and incremental updates, reducing time-to-first-byte (TTFB).
  • Future-proof and aligned with React’s long-term goals.
  • Can be used independently of full SSR for server-optimized rendering.
• Cons:
  • Requires a server environment to render components, even without full SSR.
  • Steep learning curve requiring developers to adapt to new paradigms.
  • Still evolving, with limited community adoption compared to mature SSR frameworks.
• Use Cases:
  • Applications requiring server-side rendering for specific components without full SSR setup.
  • High-performance dashboards and content-heavy platforms needing real-time updates.
  • Projects optimizing for long-term scalability and minimal client-side JavaScript.
  • Hybrid applications combining server-optimized components with client-side interactivity.

Custom SSR

renderToString | renderToPipeableStream

Building a custom server-side rendering solution using React’s APIs for full control over rendering logic and behavior.

• Pros:
  • Maximum flexibility and control over rendering.
  • No dependency on external frameworks or tools.
  • Tailored optimizations for unique project requirements.
• Cons:
  • High development and maintenance cost.
  • Steep learning curve for those unfamiliar with SSR concepts.
  • Scalability challenges unless paired with robust caching and infrastructure.
• Use Cases:
  • Applications with unique SSR needs not covered by existing frameworks.
  • Research or educational projects exploring SSR internals.
  • Performance-critical apps needing tailored optimizations.

Comparison Table

For most projects, Next.js or Remix are sufficient due to their comprehensive features and simplicity.

Vike is an excellent option for transitioning existing Vite projects to SSR.

Server Components, as a built-in React feature, can be used for server-optimized rendering in specific scenarios.

Building a custom SSR setup is unnecessary overhead for the majority of projects unless your requirements are highly specialized. If you’re interested in building your own SSR from scratch, be sure to check out my previous articles in this series, linked at the bottom.

Conclusion

In this guide, you’ve explored the React Server-Side Rendering ecosystem and gained the knowledge needed to implement SSR in your own projects. Always choose the right tool for the right purpose to maximize results.

Related Articles

This is part of my series on SSR with React. Stay tuned for more articles!

• Building Production-Ready SSR React Applications
• Advanced React SSR Techniques with Streaming and Dynamic Data
• Setting Up Themes in SSR React Applications
• Top Tools for React Server-Side Rendering Applications

Stay Connected

I’m always open to feedback, collaboration or discussing tech ideas — feel free to reach out!

• Portfolio: maxh1t.xyz
• Email: m4xh17@gmail.com

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