Development experience: Next.js vs Nue
This benchmark compares the development experience between Next.js Blog Starter Kit and Nue Simple Blog through measurable metrics and reproducible scenarios. The analysis covers installation, build performance, codebase structure, and hot module replacement capabilities.
Installation and setup
| Metric | Next.js (15.0.2) | Nue (1.0.0-RC.2) |
|---|---|---|
| Installation Time | 58s | 3s |
| Installation Size | 372MB | 11MB |
| Template Size | - | 1.1MB |
| Dependencies | 254 packages | 10 packages |
| Setup Steps | 4 commands + manual open | Single command, auto-opens |
Build performance
| Metric | Next.js | Nue |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Build | 23.66s | 0.15s |
| Subsequent Builds | 15-16s | 0.15s |
| Output Size | 78M | 1.1MB |
Production output
| Metric | Next.js | Nue |
|---|---|---|
| Bundle Size | 265KB 3 | 8.5KB 4 |
| HTTP Requests | 14 | 2 |
| Time to Interactive | 2.1s | 0.3s |
Development experience
| Metric | Next.js | Nue |
|---|---|---|
| Codebase | 95% JSX/JS | 90% standard CSS 2 |
| Dev bundle size | 2.7MB 1 | 130KB 2 |
| HMR Latency | 0.5-1s | 50ms or less |
| Page Navigation | ~1s first time | 50-100ms |
| State Preservation | Variable | Consistent |
Conclusion
The quantitative differences between Next.js and Nue represent fundamental architectural distinctions that affect development workflow. The following analysis examines these implications:
Development Flow Impact:
Build delays of 1-3 seconds create measurable context switching
Sub-100ms updates maintain development flow
Cumulative time savings scale with project size and team size
Architectural Implications:
Framework coupling affects content update complexity
Separation of concerns influences maintenance overhead
Build pipeline complexity impacts deployment reliability
Long-term Productivity Factors:
Content update friction affects publishing velocity
Build time overhead accumulates across project lifecycle
Development server restarts impact team productivity
These factors compound in production environments. The measured performance differences translate to significant productivity variance when scaled across development teams and project lifespans.
The benchmark metrics can be independently verified by replicating the test scenarios with both templates under similar conditions. Each factor was measured under controlled circumstances to ensure reproducibility.
URLs & Resources
Next.js Blog Starter:
Template: blog-starter-kit
Nue Simple Blog:
Template: simple-blog
Demo: simple-blog.nuejs.org
All measurements were taken on MacBook Air M1 (2020), 8GB RAM, macOS 14.6. Network conditions simulated with Chrome DevTools using Fast 3G
preset.