Next.js

A framework for web applications on top of React: it provides routing, server rendering, APIs, and builds out of the box. React is the engine, Next.js is the whole car. The most common way to build modern sites, including this one.

There is more Next.js code in models' training data than any other framework, so agents write it more confidently and with fewer errors. Builders (v0, Lovable, Bolt) generate Next.js by default. For vibecoding, it is the most practical choice: not because it is “the best,” but because agents know it best.

The framework itself - free forever (open source, MIT). Costs come with hosting: Vercel Hobby is free for pet projects, Pro - $20/mo; the alternative - self-host on any VPS as a regular Node application.

The framework - completely: npm and GitHub are available, self-hosting on a Russian VPS has no restrictions. There is one limitation: managed Vercel hosting cannot be paid for from Russia with a Russian card - either a foreign card or self-host.

Vite + React - lighter and simpler for pure SPAs without a server. Next.js - when you need SEO, server rendering, API routes, and deployment without manually assembling infrastructure. For vibecoding, the default is Next.js: agents know it better, and builders generate it out of the box.

App Router - since version 13 and long the default: Server Components, layouts, streaming. Pages Router remains available for old projects, but new ones start only with App Router - and agents write it by default.

A major version about once a year, with breaking changes (in 16: async params, proxy.ts instead of middleware). The pain is moderate: official codemods migrate most of it automatically, and an agent can handle the migration guide itself.