Top 13 React and Vue Frameworks for Building Full-Stack and Server-Side Applications

Introduction to React Server Apps and Vue SSR

In the ever-evolving landscape of web development, creating fast, efficient, and seamless user experiences is paramount. React, a popular JavaScript library for building user interfaces, has been at the forefront of this evolution, offering developers powerful tools to build dynamic and interactive applications.

One of the latest advancements in this domain is React Server Apps, a paradigm shift that leverages server-side rendering (SSR) to enhance performance and user experience.

React Server Apps enable developers to pre-render React components on the server before sending the HTML to the client. This approach significantly improves the initial load time and SEO performance of web applications by delivering a fully-rendered page to the browser, which can be displayed almost instantly. Unlike traditional client-side rendering, which requires JavaScript to be downloaded and executed before the content is displayed, server-side rendering ensures that users can see the content faster, leading to a more responsive and engaging experience.

This new approach is particularly beneficial for complex applications with extensive data fetching requirements. React Server Apps can fetch data on the server, reducing the need for multiple round trips between the client and server. This results in smoother interactions and a more consistent user experience, even on slower networks or less powerful devices.

Vue SSR for Building Full-Stack and Server-Rendered JavaScript Apps

Vue.js, another popular JavaScript framework, offers robust server-side rendering (SSR) capabilities through its framework Nuxt.js. Nuxt.js simplifies the development of universal applications, providing a structured environment for building performant and SEO-friendly web applications.

Vue SSR enables developers to pre-render Vue components on the server, improving initial load times and SEO. This approach ensures that the user sees a fully-rendered page quickly, enhancing the user experience. Nuxt.js handles the complexities of SSR automatically, making it easier for developers to build server-rendered applications without deep diving into the intricacies of SSR.

Nuxt.js also supports static site generation (SSG), automatic code splitting, and file-based routing, providing a comprehensive solution for building modern web applications. Its powerful module ecosystem and built-in development tools further enhance the developer experience, making it an excellent choice for building full-stack and server-rendered JavaScript apps.

In the following list, we collected the best open-source frameworks for building server-first and full-stack apps for React and Vue with SSR support.

1. Next.js

Next.js is a powerful and versatile React framework that has gained immense popularity for its ability to build high-performance server-rendered applications. Developed by Vercel, Next.js simplifies the process of creating complex web applications by providing a comprehensive set of tools and features that enhance both development and performance.

One of the standout features of Next.js is its support for server-side rendering (SSR) and static site generation (SSG). These capabilities allow developers to pre-render pages on the server, resulting in faster load times and improved SEO.

By rendering pages on the server and delivering fully-formed HTML to the client, Next.js ensures that users experience a more responsive and efficient application.

Next.js by Vercel - The React Framework

Next.js by Vercel is the full-stack React framework for the web.

Next.js uwu logo by SAWARATSUKI

2. After.js

After.js is a free and open-source Next.js-like framework for server-rendered React apps built with React Router.

GitHub - jaredpalmer/after.js: Next.js-like framework for server-rendered React apps built with React Router

Next.js-like framework for server-rendered React apps built with React Router - jaredpalmer/after.js

GitHubjaredpalmer

3. Fusion.js

Fusion.js, the Uber’s open source universal web framework, represents the fusion of the client and the server. We built Fusion.js from the ground up to provide out-of-the-box support for features like universal rendering, static typing, and code splitting, and to reflect today’s best practices in web development.

Fusion.js’s plugin-based architecture addresses the challenge of building modern web applications within an ever-changing landscape.

Because plugins are self-contained entities with their own set of dependencies, APIs, and middleware, application code is nicely encapsulated, making it easy to fix bugs, add new features, and upgrade services.

GitHub - fusionjs/fusionjs: Modern framework for fast, powerful React apps

Modern framework for fast, powerful React apps. Contribute to fusionjs/fusionjs development by creating an account on GitHub.

GitHubfusionjs

3. Remix

Remix is a free and open-source full-stack framework that supports server side rendering.

Remix - Build Better Websites

Remix is a full stack web framework that lets you focus on the user interface and work back through web standards to deliver a fast, slick, and resilient user experience. People are gonna love using your stuff.

Read the Docs

4. Beidou

Beidou is a free and open-source Isomorphic framework for server-rendered React apps.

Features

• High performance, 2-5 times speedup compares to client-side rendering
• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• ES6/ES7/ES8 supported
• TypeScript supported
• React renderToNodeStream supported
• SCSS/Sass with autoprefixer supported
• Auto router supported
• Extends default webpack config supported
• View rendering middleware supported
• User-friendly CLI tool
• Lots of plugins

5. Razzle

Razzle is a powerful framework for building universal applications. It features a zero-config setup, support for custom server frameworks, and integration with popular CSS-in-JS libraries.

It also supports client side apps, and SPA (Single Page Apps) mode.

Razzle not only works with React, but also Preact, Vue, Svelte, and Angular, and most importantly......whatever comes next.

GitHub - jaredpalmer/razzle: ✨ Create server-rendered universal JavaScript applications with no configuration

✨ Create server-rendered universal JavaScript applications with no configuration - jaredpalmer/razzle

GitHubjaredpalmer

6. Quasar Framework

Quasar Framework is an open-source, Vue.js-based framework designed to help developers create high-performance web applications, mobile apps, and desktop applications.

Quasar provides a comprehensive set of features and tools that simplify the development process, enabling developers to build responsive and performant applications with a single codebase.

Quasar is primarily focused on front-end development, providing tools and components to create feature-rich and responsive user interfaces.

However, it also includes support for server-side rendering (SSR), which is beneficial for building server-rendered applications. With SSR, Quasar can pre-render pages on the server, improving performance and SEO, similar to how frameworks like Next.js work for React.

GitHub - quasarframework/quasar: Quasar Framework - Build high-performance VueJS user interfaces in record time

Quasar Framework - Build high-performance VueJS user interfaces in record time - quasarframework/quasar

GitHubquasarframework

7. RedwoodJS

A full-stack framework for building server-rendered React applications, with a focus on integrating frontend and backend seamlessly. It supports GraphQL API, integrated Prisma ORM, and a focus on developer experience.

GitHub - redwoodjs/redwood: The App Framework for Startups

The App Framework for Startups. Contribute to redwoodjs/redwood development by creating an account on GitHub.

GitHubredwoodjs

8. Rogue

Rouge is an open-source The "nearly invisible" server-rendering framework for React applications.

GitHub - alidcast/rogue.js: The “nearly invisible” way to server-render React applications

The “nearly invisible” way to server-render React applications - alidcast/rogue.js

GitHubalidcast

9. ReactQL

Universal React+GraphQL starter kit: React 16, Apollo 2, MobX, Emotion, Webpack 4, GraphQL Code Generator, React Router 4, PostCSS, SSR.

GitHub - leebenson/reactql: Universal React+GraphQL starter kit: React 16, Apollo 2, MobX, Emotion, Webpack 4, GraphQL Code Generator, React Router 4, PostCSS, SSR

Universal React+GraphQL starter kit: React 16, Apollo 2, MobX, Emotion, Webpack 4, GraphQL Code Generator, React Router 4, PostCSS, SSR - leebenson/reactql

GitHubleebenson

10. React SSR

React SSR as a view template engine.

Features

• SSR (Server Side Rendering) as a view template engine
• Dynamic props
  • Passing the server data to the React client props
  • Suitable for:
    • Admin Panels
    • Blogging
• Developer Experience
  • Zero config of webpack and babel
  • HMR (Hot Module Replacement) both scripts and even if styles when process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production'
  • Built-in Sass (SCSS) support

GitHub - saltyshiomix/react-ssr: React SSR as a view template engine

React SSR as a view template engine. Contribute to saltyshiomix/react-ssr development by creating an account on GitHub.

GitHubsaltyshiomix

11. Meteor

Meteor.js is a full-stack JavaScript framework that enables developers to build and deploy web and mobile applications quickly and efficiently. Launched in 2012, Meteor has gained popularity for its seamless integration of front-end and back-end development, real-time data updates, and ease of use.

It is built on top of Node.js and allows developers to use the same codebase for both client and server sides of their applications.

Meteor with React SSR

Meteor.js can be used in conjunction with React to build server-side rendered (SSR) applications. By integrating React with Meteor, developers can take advantage of React's powerful component-based architecture while benefiting from Meteor's real-time data updates and full-stack capabilities.

Setting up SSR with Meteor and React involves configuring the server to render React components on the server side before sending the HTML to the client, improving performance and SEO.

Vue SRR with Meteor.js

Similarly, Meteor.js can be used with Vue.js to build server-side rendered applications. Vue's flexibility and ease of integration make it a good fit for Meteor's real-time data capabilities and full-stack environment.

By setting up Vue SSR with Meteor, developers can ensure that their applications benefit from faster initial load times and better SEO, just like with React SSR.

12. Nuxt.js (Vue)

Nuxt.js is a powerful, open-source framework based on Vue.js that simplifies the development of universal, server-rendered applications.

Nuxt.js extends Vue.js capabilities by providing a structured environment for building performant and SEO-friendly web applications. One of its standout features is its built-in support for server-side rendering (SSR).

13. Ream (Vue)

Ream is a free and open-source minimalistic framework for building server-rendered and static websites.