Next.js: App vs Pages Folder - Key Differences

Pages Directory (Traditional Routing)

The pages folder is part of the older Next.js routing system (pre-Next.js 13):

File-based Routing: Each file in the pages directory automatically becomes a route.
Page Components: Files directly represent routes (e.g., pages/about.js becomes /about)
Static Routing: Less flexible routing mechanism
Limited Server Component Support: Primarily uses client-side rendering
Uses getServerSideProps, getStaticProps: Traditional data fetching methods

Example Structure:

pages/
├── index.js
├── about.js
└── api/
    └── users.js

App Directory (Modern Routing in Next.js 13+)

The app folder introduces a more powerful and flexible routing system:

Advanced Routing Capabilities: Supports nested routing, layouts, and more complex route structures
Server Components by Default: Enables more efficient rendering and data fetching
Nested Layouts: Can create shared layouts for multiple routes
Improved Performance: Better support for server-side rendering and streaming
Colocation of Components: Can keep related components and tests close to route files

Example Structure:

app/
├── layout.js
├── page.js
├── about/
│   └── page.js
└── api/
    └── users/
        └── route.js

Key Differences

Rendering Approach
- pages: Primarily client-side rendering
- app: Server components by default, more flexible rendering options
Data Fetching
- pages: Uses getServerSideProps, getStaticProps
- app: Uses fetch with built-in caching and async/await server components
Routing Flexibility
- pages: Simple, direct route mapping
- app: Supports more complex routing patterns, nested layouts, and parallel routes

Migration Considerations

Next.js supports both routing systems simultaneously
Gradual migration is possible
New projects are recommended to use the app directory

Recommendation

For new Next.js projects, use the app directory to leverage the latest routing and rendering capabilities. For existing projects, you can migrate incrementally or continue using the pages directory.

Aranora Blog.

Next.js: App vs Pages Folder - Key Differences

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