Rendering Strategies in Modern Web Development

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Introduction

Modern web development offers a wide variety of rendering and generation strategies. Understanding how and when to use each is essential for building fast, scalable, and user-friendly applications.

From Static Site Generation (SSG) to Server-Side Rendering (SSR), and newer approaches like Partial Hydration and Islands Architecture, let’s break down the most common rendering models and architectures you’ll encounter in modern frameworks like Next.js, Remix, Astro, and others.

The Core Rendering Types

1. Server-Side Rendering (SSR)

• How it works: HTML is generated on the server for every request.
• Use case: Personalized content, authentication, dynamic data.
• Pros: SEO-friendly, fresh data.
• Cons: Slower TTFB (Time to First Byte), higher server load.

// Next.js SSR example
export async function getServerSideProps() {
  const res = await fetch('https://api.example.com/posts');
  const data = await res.json();
  return { props: { data } };
}

2. Static Site Generation (SSG)

• How it works: HTML is generated at build time.
• Use case: Blogs, docs, marketing sites.
• Pros: Blazing fast, CDN-friendly.
• Cons: Not great for frequently updated content.

// Next.js SSG example
export async function getStaticProps() {
  const res = await fetch('https://api.example.com/posts');
  const data = await res.json();
  return { props: { data } };
}

3. Client-Side Rendering (CSR)

• How it works: The server sends a blank HTML shell; content is fetched and rendered in the browser using JavaScript.
• Use case: Apps where SEO doesn’t matter, like dashboards.
• Pros: Great interactivity, rich UX.
• Cons: Poor SEO, slower perceived performance.

4. Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR)

• How it works: Static pages are built at runtime with on-demand revalidation.
• Use case: E-commerce, news.
• Pros: Static speed + dynamic freshness.
• Cons: Slightly more complexity in config.

// Next.js ISR example
export async function getStaticProps() {
  const data = await fetchData();
  return {
    props: { data },
    revalidate: 60, // Rebuild after 60 seconds
  };
}

Application Architectures

5. Single-Page Application (SPA)

• How it works: Loads once, then navigates using JavaScript.
• Use case: Dashboards, internal tools.
• Pros: Fast client-side navigation.
• Cons: Can be heavy upfront, poor SEO without SSR.

6. Multi-Page Application (MPA)

• How it works: Each page is a full HTML document, often rendered server-side.
• Use case: Traditional websites, enterprise portals.
• Pros: Excellent SEO, clean URLs.
• Cons: More page reloads, slower transitions.

Modern Enhancements and Hybrid Patterns

7. Streaming SSR (React Server Components)

• How it works: Streams server-rendered HTML in chunks; parts of the UI can start rendering before all data is ready.
• Use case: Large content sites, e-commerce.
• Pros: Faster TTFB, perceived performance boost.
• Cons: Requires special hosting and framework support.

8. Partial Hydration

• How it works: Only interactive parts of a page are hydrated (given JS).
• Use case: Content-heavy sites with light interactivity.
• Pros: Great performance, minimal JS.
• Cons: More complex implementation.

9. Islands Architecture

• How it works: Renders most of the page statically, with small "islands" of interactivity (hydrated independently).
• Use case: Blogs with a comment section, static sites with search.
• Pros: Minimal JS, high performance.
• Cons: Still maturing, limited framework support.

10. Grouped SPA / Route-level Rendering

• How it works: Combines SSR/SSG/CSR on a per-route basis.
• Use case: Sites with both static pages and dynamic dashboards.
• Pros: Flexibility, performance where needed.
• Cons: Requires clear architectural planning.

11. Edge Rendering

• How it works: Runs at edge locations (e.g. Vercel/Cloudflare) instead of traditional servers.
• Use case: Global apps, personalization, A/B testing.
• Pros: Low latency, scalable.
• Cons: Limitations on runtime (e.g. no full Node.js APIs).

12. Progressive Hydration

• How it works: Hydrates the most important parts of a page first, then less important ones.
• Use case: Performance-critical apps.
• Pros: Better time-to-interactive.
• Cons: Requires more complex control over hydration order.

Key Takeaways

Conclusion

Modern web development is all about choosing the right rendering strategy for the right use case. In 2025, hybrid frameworks like Next.js, Remix, Astro, and Nuxt 3 make it easier than ever to mix and match strategies for performance, SEO, and user experience.

Need static pages? Go with SSG. Want personalization? Use SSR or Edge. Need interactivity without a full SPA? Try Islands Architecture.

Each tool has its tradeoffs, but used wisely, they can help you build fast, scalable, and delightful user experiences.

Meta Description

A 2025 guide to SSR, SSG, CSR, ISR, MPAs, SPAs, Hydration, Islands, Edge rendering, and modern rendering strategies for web developers. Learn when and why to use each.

TLDR – Highlights for Skimmers

• SSR: Server-rendered, good for auth and personalization.
• SSG: Build-time static pages, great for speed and SEO.
• CSR: All JS, good for dashboards, not for SEO.
• ISR: Best of static and dynamic—rebuild on demand.
• SPA/MPA: Different app types—SPAs are dynamic, MPAs are traditional.
• Islands/Partial Hydration: Render less JS for better performance.
• Edge/Streaming: Low latency, modern performance techniques.

What’s your go-to rendering strategy these days? Have you tried islands or edge rendering yet? Let me know in the comments below!