{"slug": "why-many-frontend-developers-use-next-js-for-work-but-vue-js-for-personal", "title": "Why Many Frontend Developers Use Next.js for work, but Vue.js for Personal Projects", "summary": "A developer observed a pattern among frontend developers: many use Next.js or React for work but prefer Vue.js for personal projects. The preference for Vue.js stems from its development experience, including easier readability and lightweight setup, while Next.js dominates workplaces due to its large ecosystem and industry adoption.", "body_md": "🇮🇩Originally written in Indonesian.\n\nThis English version was AI-assisted and adapted for a more natural reading experience. It is not a literal translation.\n\n[_]open\n\nLately, I've been having quite a few discussions with frontend developers about the frameworks they use.\n\nMy question is actually pretty simple.\n\n\"When you're building a web frontend, what framework do you usually use?\"\n\nAlmost everyone gave more or less the same answer.\n\n\"It depends on the project.\"\n\nAnd honestly, I agree.\n\nThere's no framework that's always the best choice for every situation.\n\nHowever, as the conversation went on, they started sharing their own experiences and preferences.\n\nWell...\n\nThat's when I started noticing an interesting pattern.\n\nAmong the developers I talked to, quite a few of them mentioned that they usually use **Next.js / React** for work, while **Vue.js** is what they often choose for personal projects.\n\nThe interesting part is...\n\nI never actually asked,\n\n\"What do you use at work?\"\n\nor\n\n\"What do you use for personal projects?\"\n\nThat explanation came up naturally as they explained why they preferred certain frameworks.\n\nAt first, I thought it was just a coincidence.\n\nBut after hearing the same pattern from several different people...\n\nI got curious.\n\nWhy do so many developers who are comfortable with both frameworks end up separating how they use them?\n\n(・_・;)\n\nDisclaimerThis isn't based on an official survey or research.\n\nIt's simply an interesting pattern I noticed after talking with several frontend developers.\n\nLooking at today's frontend ecosystem, Vue.js is clearly not a small framework.\n\nIts community is large.\n\nIts documentation is great.\n\nIts ecosystem is also quite mature.\n\nThat said, compared to React and Next.js, its community is still smaller.\n\nThen another question comes to mind.\n\nIf that's the case...\n\nWhy do so many developers still choose Vue.js for personal projects?\n\nFrom the answers I heard, the main reason wasn't performance.\n\nAnd it wasn't because other frameworks were bad either.\n\nInstead, it came down to the **development experience**.\n\nVue projects often feel easier to read.\n\nSingle File Components (`.vue`\n\n) keep the template, logic, and styles organized in one place.\n\nWhen coming back to an old project after a long time, many developers feel it's easier to understand the code again.\n\nBesides that, for solo projects, Vue feels lightweight.\n\nYou don't have to think about a lot of concepts that you don't actually need yet.\n\nYou can simply focus on building the application.\n\n(づ￣ 3￣)づ\n\nWell...\n\nThis made me wonder again.\n\nIf Vue feels more comfortable to work with...\n\nWhy not use it for work as well?\n\nSpeaking of Next.js...\n\nWell...\n\nIt's hard to deny.\n\nIts ecosystem is huge.\n\nAlmost everything already has a library or solution available.\n\nIf you run into a problem...\n\nThere's a good chance someone else has already faced it.\n\nTutorials are everywhere.\n\nArticles are everywhere.\n\nVideos are everywhere.\n\nAnd GitHub repositories are abundant.\n\n(´･ω･`)\n\nOn top of that, React and Next.js have become some of the most common technologies in the industry.\n\nAs a result, many frontend developers are already familiar with them.\n\nFor companies, that's obviously an advantage.\n\nIf the team grows, finding new developers becomes much easier.\n\nIf someone leaves the team, the handover process is usually much smoother.\n\nNot to mention that many new libraries tend to appear in the React ecosystem first.\n\nSo...\n\nIt's not simply because Next.js is a better framework.\n\nIt's because its ecosystem and industry adoption are already incredibly mature.\n\nWell...\n\nMaybe by this point, you already know where this discussion is heading.\n\nOr maybe you've already come up with your own answer.\n\n(￣▽￣)\n\nLooking back at everything we've discussed...\n\nI don't think this is really about which framework is better.\n\nIt all comes down to the needs of the project.\n\nAnd of course...\n\nEvery framework has its own strengths and weaknesses.\n\nIt's simply a matter of understanding what your application actually needs.\n\nIf you're already comfortable using one framework for everything...\n\nThen just keep using it.\n\nAfter all, what matters most is that your application is maintainable and enjoyable to build.\n\nIf you're comfortable with multiple frameworks...\n\nThen choose whichever one fits the situation best.\n\nOr...\n\nMaybe trying a different framework in your personal projects is simply part of an enjoyable learning journey.\n\nBecause, in my opinion...\n\nPersonal projects are the best place to experiment.\n\nThere's no rule saying you have to use a particular framework.\n\nAs long as it fits your needs and you enjoy the process...\n\nI think it's all perfectly fine.\n\n(づ￣ 3￣)づ\n\nSo...\n\nWhat do you think?\n\nDo you also separate frameworks depending on the situation?\n\nOr do you prefer sticking with one framework for everything?\n\nI'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences.\n\nWho knows...\n\nMaybe there's another perspective I haven't come across yet.\n\n( •̀ᴗ•́ )و", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/why-many-frontend-developers-use-next-js-for-work-but-vue-js-for-personal", "canonical_source": "https://dev.to/mudienub/why-many-frontend-developers-use-nextjs-for-workbut-vuejs-for-personal-projects-2419", "published_at": "2026-07-18 09:59:03+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-07-18 10:28:31.955475+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["developer-tools"], "entities": ["Next.js", "React", "Vue.js"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/why-many-frontend-developers-use-next-js-for-work-but-vue-js-for-personal", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/why-many-frontend-developers-use-next-js-for-work-but-vue-js-for-personal.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/why-many-frontend-developers-use-next-js-for-work-but-vue-js-for-personal.txt", "jsonld": 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