create-next-app vs create-react-app
React Application Bootstrapping Tools Comparison
1 Year
create-next-appcreate-react-app
What's React Application Bootstrapping Tools?

Bootstrapping tools like create-next-app and create-react-app are essential for developers looking to quickly set up a new React application with minimal configuration. These tools automate the initial setup process, allowing developers to focus on building their applications rather than dealing with the complexities of configuration. While both tools serve similar purposes, they cater to different frameworks and use cases, with create-next-app being tailored for Next.js applications and create-react-app for standard React applications. Understanding their unique features and intended use cases is crucial for selecting the right tool for your project.

Package Weekly Downloads Trend
Github Stars Ranking
Stat Detail
Package
Downloads
Stars
Size
Issues
Publish
License
create-next-app214,347131,050947 kB3,2016 days agoMIT
create-react-app185,027103,13839.3 kB2,3112 months agoMIT
Feature Comparison: create-next-app vs create-react-app

Framework Support

  • create-next-app:

    create-next-app is specifically designed for Next.js, a React framework that enables server-side rendering, static site generation, and API routes. It comes with built-in features that enhance performance and SEO, making it suitable for more complex applications.

  • create-react-app:

    create-react-app is tailored for standard React applications, focusing on client-side rendering. It simplifies the development process by providing a zero-configuration setup for building SPAs, but lacks the advanced features of server-side rendering.

Routing Capabilities

  • create-next-app:

    Next.js, and thus create-next-app, includes a file-based routing system that automatically creates routes based on the file structure in the pages directory. This makes it easy to manage and scale routing in larger applications.

  • create-react-app:

    create-react-app does not include built-in routing. Developers typically use React Router or similar libraries to manage routing, which requires additional setup and configuration.

Performance Optimization

  • create-next-app:

    create-next-app leverages Next.js's capabilities for automatic code splitting, server-side rendering, and static generation, which can significantly improve performance and loading times for users.

  • create-react-app:

    create-react-app provides a solid foundation for performance but relies on client-side rendering. Developers need to implement optimizations like code splitting and lazy loading manually.

Development Experience

  • create-next-app:

    create-next-app offers a robust development experience with features like hot module replacement, automatic routing, and API routes, streamlining the development process for complex applications.

  • create-react-app:

    create-react-app provides a simple and intuitive development experience with a focus on client-side rendering. It includes features like hot reloading and a straightforward build process, making it ideal for beginners.

Deployment Flexibility

  • create-next-app:

    Applications created with create-next-app can be easily deployed to platforms that support Node.js, such as Vercel or Netlify, taking advantage of server-side rendering and static site generation.

  • create-react-app:

    create-react-app applications are typically deployed as static sites, which can be hosted on any static file hosting service, such as GitHub Pages, Netlify, or Vercel, making deployment straightforward.

How to Choose: create-next-app vs create-react-app
  • create-next-app:

    Choose create-next-app if you are developing a server-rendered React application or a static site using Next.js. It provides built-in support for routing, API routes, and server-side rendering, making it ideal for SEO-friendly applications.

  • create-react-app:

    Choose create-react-app if you are building a single-page application (SPA) with React that does not require server-side rendering. It offers a straightforward setup for client-side rendering and is perfect for projects that prioritize speed and simplicity.

README for create-next-app

Create Next App

The easiest way to get started with Next.js is by using create-next-app. This CLI tool enables you to quickly start building a new Next.js application, with everything set up for you. You can create a new app using the default Next.js template, or by using one of the official Next.js examples. To get started, use the following command:

Interactive

You can create a new project interactively by running:

npx create-next-app@latest
# or
yarn create next-app
# or
pnpm create next-app
# or
bunx create-next-app

You will be asked for the name of your project, and then whether you want to create a TypeScript project:

✔ Would you like to use TypeScript? … No / Yes

Select Yes to install the necessary types/dependencies and create a new TS project.

Non-interactive

You can also pass command line arguments to set up a new project non-interactively. See create-next-app --help:

Usage: create-next-app [project-directory] [options]

Options:
  -V, --version                        output the version number
  --ts, --typescript

    Initialize as a TypeScript project. (default)

  --js, --javascript

    Initialize as a JavaScript project.

  --tailwind

    Initialize with Tailwind CSS config. (default)

  --eslint

    Initialize with ESLint config.

  --app

    Initialize as an App Router project.

  --src-dir

    Initialize inside a `src/` directory.

  --turbopack

    Enable Turbopack by default for development.

  --import-alias <alias-to-configure>

    Specify import alias to use (default "@/*").

  --empty

    Initialize an empty project.

  --use-npm

    Explicitly tell the CLI to bootstrap the application using npm

  --use-pnpm

    Explicitly tell the CLI to bootstrap the application using pnpm

  --use-yarn

    Explicitly tell the CLI to bootstrap the application using Yarn

  --use-bun

    Explicitly tell the CLI to bootstrap the application using Bun

  -e, --example [name]|[github-url]

    An example to bootstrap the app with. You can use an example name
    from the official Next.js repo or a GitHub URL. The URL can use
    any branch and/or subdirectory

  --example-path <path-to-example>

    In a rare case, your GitHub URL might contain a branch name with
    a slash (e.g. bug/fix-1) and the path to the example (e.g. foo/bar).
    In this case, you must specify the path to the example separately:
    --example-path foo/bar

  --reset-preferences

    Explicitly tell the CLI to reset any stored preferences

  --skip-install

    Explicitly tell the CLI to skip installing packages

  --disable-git

    Explicitly tell the CLI to skip initializing a git repository.

  --yes

    Use previous preferences or defaults for all options that were not
    explicitly specified, without prompting.

  -h, --help                           display help for command

Why use Create Next App?

create-next-app allows you to create a new Next.js app within seconds. It is officially maintained by the creators of Next.js, and includes a number of benefits:

  • Interactive Experience: Running npx create-next-app@latest (with no arguments) launches an interactive experience that guides you through setting up a project.
  • Zero Dependencies: Initializing a project is as quick as one second. Create Next App has zero dependencies.
  • Offline Support: Create Next App will automatically detect if you're offline and bootstrap your project using your local package cache.
  • Support for Examples: Create Next App can bootstrap your application using an example from the Next.js examples collection (e.g. npx create-next-app --example route-handlers).
  • Tested: The package is part of the Next.js monorepo and tested using the same integration test suite as Next.js itself, ensuring it works as expected with every release.