Aplos vs the alternatives
A brief, honest comparison with the frameworks people most commonly evaluate alongside Aplos. The goal isn't to declare a winner — it's to help you pick the right tool for the job.
At a glance
| Aplos | Next.js | Astro | Vite + React | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rendering model | SPA-first, static on opt-in | SSR-first, static on opt-in | Static-first, islands | SPA only |
| Bundler | Rspack | Turbopack / Webpack | Vite | Vite |
| File-based routing | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ (manual) |
| Layouts | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Static Site Generation | ✅ ("use static") | ✅ (generateStaticParams) | ✅ (default) | ❌ |
| Server runtime / API routes | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ (optional) | ❌ |
| React Server Components | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Vendor lock-in | None | Vercel-shaped | None | None |
| Framework size | Small | Large | Medium | Tiny |
| Learning curve | Minimal | Steep | Moderate | Minimal |
When to pick Aplos
You want file-based routing and selective static rendering on top of a plain SPA, with no server runtime to operate. Output is plain HTML + JS, deploys anywhere.
Good fits:
- Marketing sites with a few static pages and a small dashboard
- Documentation sites
- Single-page apps that need a few pre-rendered landing pages for SEO
- Projects allergic to vendor lock-in
When to pick Next.js
You need a server runtime — API routes, middleware, server actions, edge functions, ISR. You're committed to or curious about React Server Components. You're deploying to Vercel or similar.
Good fits:
- E-commerce with personalized server rendering
- Apps with heavy backend integration
- Teams already using the Vercel platform
When to pick Astro
You're building a content-heavy site where most pages are static and JavaScript is the exception, not the rule. Astro's island architecture lets you ship near-zero JS for content pages.
Good fits:
- Blogs, docs, marketing sites with little interactivity
- Multi-framework projects (React + Vue + Svelte in one site)
When to pick Vite + React
You want a plain SPA with zero opinions about routing, layouts, or rendering. You bring your own router, your own data layer, your own conventions.
Good fits:
- Internal dashboards behind authentication
- Projects where you actively want full control of the structure
What Aplos does not try to be
Aplos is intentionally narrow. It does not:
- Run a server in production (no API routes, no server actions, no middleware on the edge)
- Ship React Server Components or streaming
- Provide auto-imports
- Bundle a state-management or data-fetching library — bring your own (TanStack Query, SWR, anything)
- Provide image or font optimization (yet)
If you need any of these as a core requirement, pick a framework that ships them.