I worked as a frontend developer at a startup with an Angular single-page application that operated on both web and mobile. The backend was developed with TypeScript and served REST APIs for our frontend.
When I inquired about transitioning to full-stack work, I was shocked to find out that they used Next.js for their entire backend. Not Node.js or NestJS, but the Next.js framework designed for server-side rendering with React. Interestingly, they didn’t even utilize it for any administrative dashboard or frontend interface.
Is this a common strategy among other companies? Have others witnessed Next.js being utilized solely for backend functionalities without frontend aspects?
My previous company tried this but eventually ditched it. They picked Next.js for backend-only work because they wanted the built-in API routes and middleware without extra setup. Big mistake. Performance sucked and there’s tons of React overhead even when you’re not using it. Development got messy fast when they needed advanced backend stuff like custom middleware chains or database connection pooling. Every team I know that went this route eventually switched to proper backend frameworks once they outgrew basic CRUD. Sure, it works for simple REST APIs, but it’s like using a sledgehammer to hang a picture.
Wait, that’s wild! Did they say why they picked Next.js over Express or Fastify? I’m curious about their reasoning - was it just team familiarity with React, or did they find specific advantages for their project?
that’s weird honestly. most devs I kno use next.js for full-stack apps, but they’re still building some kind of frontend. using it just for backend seems like overkill - why not just use express or fastify like sophia said? maybe they really wanted those api routes?