Reactjs is a Javascript library that simplifies frontend development by abstracting away so many DOM manipulation concepts for seamless Javascript front-end development, while Nextjs is a React framework that pushes the boundaries of regular Reactjs by harnessing server side scripting to boost the performance of front-end applications.
Nextjs is basically a supercharged upgrade of Reactjs. It has more built-in support for the optimization of the way elements are rendered in the browser, especially when working with media elements such as images which require a more complex implementation for their optimization. The server-side technology that Nextjs uses improves performance, because it pre-renders static content, allowing users to see the content of the web applications sooner. Nextjs uses advanced routing systems to effectively handle page navigations with a high level of abstraction, and while effective page navigation is achievable with Reactjs, the level of complexity involved in its implementation is significantly higher.
Another area of front-end development where Nextjs shines over React would be search engine optimization. When web crawlers scrape the web, because Reactjs renders its web content on the client side, search engine bots are unable to gather accurate information about the page(s), and this may lead to a reduced search engine optimization which may be detrimental to many businesses. Also, the fashion with which Nextjs retrieves and manipulates data-related operations optimizes data fetches more seamlessly than regular Reactjs.
Now I know you already know how this ends, and I'm just a hopeless Nextjs lover, but when it comes down to it, be sure to weigh your options between both technologies, and never reinvent the wheel.
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