Removing Next.js Got My Blog to 100 on Every Lighthouse Category

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Stripping a simple blog off Next.js in favor of static HTML rekindles a broader debate over when heavy JavaScript frameworks are justified. Many contributors argue that modern static site generators like Hugo, Zola, Astro, or even hand-rolled tools assisted by AI deliver near-perfect Lighthouse scores, simpler deployments, and fewer security concerns for mostly static content. Others counter that frameworks and SSR still earn their keep for complex, stateful applications, but agree that they’ve become a default choice far beyond their actual necessity.

Static Site Generators for Blogs

  • Many argue static HTML is ideal for blogs; a whole class of performance problems disappears.
  • Popular SSG picks: Astro, Hugo, Zola, Zine (Zig), Web Origami, Eleventy, custom Gulp pipelines, and niche tools like Amytis and QIP Router.
  • Hugo and Zola are praised for single-binary simplicity, speed, and avoiding the JS ecosystem; some complain Hugo breaks backward compatibility between versions.
  • Astro is frequently recommended, but some consider its “islands/server stuff” over-engineered for a simple blog.

Astro, Hugo, Zola, and Alternatives

  • Astro is praised for:
    • Flexibility (can mix React/Vue/Svelte or plain HTML/CSS).
    • Great performance, optional server islands, and suitability for both simple blogs and more complex sites.
  • Counterpoint: others feel Astro is not clearly better designed for complex apps and that its advanced patterns are unnecessary for blogs.
  • Hugo is widely used with strong Lighthouse scores; features like image pipelines and srcset generation are valued.
  • Zola is liked for opinionated but simple structure; considered good for small sites, less so for large, interlinked ones.

Views on Next.js and Heavy Frameworks

  • Many see Next.js as overkill or ill-fitting for most websites, especially static blogs; some blame marketing-driven adoption.
  • Others report static-exported Next.js blogs scoring 100 on Lighthouse and see criticism as overblown.
  • Complaints include complexity from mixed paradigms (SSR/SSG/SPA), large JS bundles, and duplicated effort between server and client.
  • Some note that Next.js static export still ships unnecessary JS; others argue it brings useful features (routing, prefetching, image optimization) that a blog rarely needs.

Performance, Caching, and JS Usage

  • Static blogs on Hugo, SvelteKit, or hand-rolled setups commonly achieve perfect Lighthouse scores.
  • Caching is seen as less critical if pages are fast to generate; CDNs matter more for geography.
  • Several argue many static sites need little or no JavaScript; any added JS should be deliberate.

AI and Framework Future

  • Multiple comments suggest AI/LLMs can:
    • Generate custom static site generators or simple frameworks quickly.
    • Make raw HTML/CSS/JS more attractive by offsetting DX pain.
  • Some speculate large, feature-heavy frameworks may decline as their DX advantage shrinks and their security surface grows.
  • Others warn that LLM tools often default to popular stacks like Next.js, though explicit instructions can constrain them.