How Waku compares to Next.js

Waku is a new lightweight React framework focused primarily on React Server Components (RSCs), offering an enhanced developer experience for small projects in development stages, although it is not yet suitable for enterprise or complex applications. Unlike Next.js, which is a robust and widely adopted framework also utilizing RSCs, Waku is entirely built on them, providing a tailored experience for developers wanting to explore this feature. React Server Components, introduced in React 18, allow server-side UI rendering, improving initial load performance and SEO benefits while simplifying server-side data fetching. However, they come with limitations such as the inability to access the DOM and a steep learning curve. Next.js supports static, dynamic, and streaming rendering modes for RSCs, whereas Waku emphasizes server-client boundaries through directives, defaulting all components to server components unless specified. Despite its innovative approach, Waku is still in rapid development, lacks comprehensive resources, and is not production-ready, unlike Next.js, which offers a broader range of features, a large community, and extensive learning resources, making it the preferred choice for more comprehensive applications.