Why we build most sites on Next.js (and when we do not)
Our default stack is Next.js (App Router) with Tailwind CSS because the combination hits the performance, SEO, accessibility and developer-experience requirements of 2026 better than any other mainstream option. Static and ISR rendering produce sub-500ms TTFB globally. Image optimisation is built in. The routing, metadata and sitemap APIs remove 80% of the SEO scaffolding other stacks require.
We do not use Next.js when the client needs non-technical content ops (team of editors shipping daily blog posts) — that case gets a bespoke WordPress theme, not Elementor. We do not use Next.js for commerce-first D2C brands — those get Shopify or a headless Shopify + Next.js combination. The framework follows the business reality, not our preference.
- Next.js (App Router) + Tailwind — performance-first marketing sites
- WordPress (bespoke theme) — editor-heavy content operations
- Shopify / headless Shopify — commerce-first brands
- Webflow — rarely, only for marketing-only sites with non-technical teams
- Framework decision documented in the kickoff SOW