Understanding getStaticProps vs getServerSideProps in Next.js

When building a website with Next.js, you’ll often find situations where you need to fetch data for your pages. Next.js provides two powerful methods for this purpose: getStaticProps and getServerSideProps. Choosing the right one can significantly boost your website’s performance and user experience. In this blog post, we’ll explore the differences between these methods and discuss when to use each one.

What is getStaticProps?

getStaticProps is a function used to fetch data at build time. It allows you to generate static pages, which means the content of these pages is pre-rendered during the build process. This approach is  good for the  content that doesn’t change frequently.

How does getStaticProps work?

1. Build Time HTML Generation: getStaticProps allows Next.js to generate the HTML for the page during the build process.
2. Reused HTML: The generated HTML is reused for each request, meaning the server does not need to fetch data for every request.
3. Faster Load Times: This approach results in faster load times because the pre-rendered HTML is simply served to users.
4. Improved Performance: Serving pre-rendered pages improves overall site performance.
5. Better SEO: Pre-rendered pages are more efficiently indexed by search engines, enhancing SEO.

What is getServerSideProps?

getServerSideProps is a function used to fetch data on each request. This means that the data is fetched on the server every time a request is made to the page. This method is suitable for content that changes frequently or needs to be personalized for each user.

How does getServerSideProps work?

1. Server-Side Data Fetching: getServerSideProps fetches data on the server for each request.
2. HTML Generation Per Request: HTML is generated on the server for each client request.
3. Dynamic Content: getServerSideProps always used with dynamic data where we have to update the content on time.
4. Slower Load Times: This approach can be slower than serving static pages due to the need for server-side data fetching and HTML generation on each request.

When to use getStaticProps?

• Static Content: Use getStaticProps for pages with content that doesn’t change often, such as blog posts, documentation.
• Performance: Since the pages are pre-rendered, they load faster and can be cached by a CDN.
• SEO: Pre-rendered pages are good for SEO as they are indexed by search engines more efficiently.

When to use getServerSideProps?

• Dynamic Content: Use getServerSideProps for pages with content that changes frequently or needs to be personalized, such as user dashboards, real-time data, or highly dynamic content.
• Authentication: When you need to check authentication status or fetch user-specific data, getServerSideProps is the way to go.
• Up-to-date Information: If your page requires the most current data on each request, this method ensures that the data is always fresh.

In Summary:

Choosing between getStaticProps and getServerSideProps depends on your use case. If your content is static and doesn’t change often, getStaticProps will give you better performance and SEO benefits. However, if your content is dynamic and changes frequently, getServerSideProps ensures that your users always see the most up-to-date information.