Introduction

Are you torn between using client-side rendering and server-side rendering for your web project? It’s a common dilemma faced by developers, but fear not! In this article, we’ll delve into the pros and cons of both approaches and provide a clear understanding of when to use each method. From performance and user experience to search engine optimization and cost of production, we’ve got you covered in making an informed decision for your web application.

When considering “rendering”, what is your first thought? Is it a high-end workstation with a large display and substantial computing power? Or perhaps a server-side renderer that handles everything from compiling your HTML into clean CSS, to executing JavaScript for dynamic HTML element manipulation?

Client-side Rendering (CSR) :

In CSR, the client’s browser is responsible for rendering the web page. The browser makes a request to the server for the HTML, JavaScript, and CSS files. The JavaScript then manipulates the HTML and CSS to create the dynamic elements of the web page.

Pros of CSR:

1. Faster initial load time for small sites as the browser only needs to download a small HTML file.
2. The client’s browser does the rendering, which can make for a more responsive and dynamic user experience and also the server has less work to do.
3. The client’s browser can cache the HTML, JavaScript, and CSS files, resulting in faster load times on subsequent visits.
4. CSR allows for more flexibility when it comes to building interactive and dynamic user experiences.

Cons of CSR:

1. Slower initial load time for large sites as the browser has to download all the HTML, JavaScript, and CSS files.
2. The client’s browser has to do all the rendering, which can slow down the user experience on older or slower devices.
3. The content may not be immediately visible to search engines, which can impact the SEO of the website.

CSR frameworks include Angular, Vue, and React.

How to achieve CSR in React?

React uses a virtual DOM to manage updates to the HTML and CSS on the client-side. To use React for CSR, you need to include the React library in your HTML file and write your React components in separate JavaScript files.

Server-Side Rendering (SSR)

In SSR, the server generates the HTML, JavaScript, and CSS and sends it to the client’s browser. The client’s browser then only has to display the content and does not need to do any additional rendering.

Pros of SSR:

1. Faster initial load time for large sites as the browser only has to download the fully rendered HTML, JavaScript, and CSS.
2. The server does the rendering, so the user experience is fast, even on older or slower devices.
3. The web page is SEO-friendly because the content is generated on the server-side.

Cons of SSR:

1. Slower initial load time for small sites as the browser has to download a larger HTML file.
2. The server has to do all the rendering, which can be slow and resource-intensive.
3. The client’s browser cannot cache the HTML, JavaScript, and CSS files, resulting in slower load times on subsequent visits.

SSR frameworks include Next.js, Nuxt.js, and Ruby on Rails.

What Next.js does differently than React: Next.js is a framework built on top of React that makes it easy to do server-side rendering. It automatically generates the HTML, JavaScript, and CSS on the server and sends it to the client. It also provides a simple way to do code splitting, which means you can load only the code that is needed for each page, improving the initial load time.

Use cases for CSR and SSR:

CSR is ideal for small and simple websites that don’t require frequent updates. It’s also a good choice for single-page applications that have a lot of user interactions. Examples of CSR websites include simple portfolio sites and personal blogs.

CSR:

1. Airbnb — This is a classic example of a single-page application that uses CSR. The site relies on a lot of user interactions and requires a fast and responsive user experience, making CSR the ideal choice.
2. GitHub — This is a simple website that doesn’t require frequent updates and is easy to cache. CSR is a good choice for this type of site as it provides a fast and simple user experience.

E-Recruitment Portal

An E-recruitment Portal is a complex application that we have developed on React , It requires frequent updates and real-time data interaction. It’s an application where job seekers can search for job openings, submit their resumes, and receive job alerts, while recruiters can post job openings, search resumes, manage applicants and much more.

How Client Side Rendering (CSR) be beneficial for us?

For instance, the job search page and the job listing pages can be rendered using CSR. As these pages require frequent updates, allowing the client’s browser to do the rendering would result in faster load times, improved user experience, and more flexibility in building dynamic user interactions. The E-Recruitment Portal offers faster load times and an enhanced user experience, which aligns with our specific use case.

SSR is ideal for larger and more complex websites that need to be SEO-friendly and have fast load times. It’s also a good choice for e-commerce sites and other sites that need to fetch data from a database. Examples of SSR websites include news websites and large e-commerce sites.

SSR:

1. Walmart — This is a large e-commerce site that needs to be SEO-friendly and have fast load times. The site fetches data from a database and generates a lot of dynamic content, making SSR the ideal choice.
2. BBC — This is a news website that needs to provide fast load times and be SEO-friendly. The site generates a lot of dynamic content, making SSR the ideal choice.

Conclusion

In conclusion, CSR and SSR each have their own advantages and disadvantages, and the choice between them depends on the specific requirements of your project. Next.js provides a simple and powerful way to use SSR in a React project, and is a great option for those who want to take advantage of the benefits of server-side rendering.