Why We Choose Astro for Modern Web Projects
After years of React-first development, we've made Astro our primary framework for performance-critical web projects. Here's why — and when we still reach for Next.js.
Islands Architecture: The Game Changer
Astro's islands architecture means only the interactive parts of your page ship JavaScript. Static content renders as pure HTML with zero JS overhead. For content-heavy sites, this alone can reduce page weight by 90%.
Zero-JS by Default
Unlike traditional SPA frameworks where everything is client-rendered, Astro defaults to zero JavaScript. You opt into client-side interactivity only where needed, using simple directives like client:load or client:visible.
Framework Agnostic
Need a React component for a complex form? A Svelte widget for a dashboard? Astro lets you mix frameworks in the same project. This means we can use the right tool for each component without committing to a single framework ecosystem.
"Astro isn't replacing Next.js — it's giving us the ability to choose zero-JS when that's the right answer, which is more often than you'd think."
When We Still Use Next.js
For heavily interactive applications — dashboards, real-time collaboration tools, complex forms — Next.js remains our go-to. The key is matching the framework to the use case, not the other way around.