Next.js App Router vs Pages Router
Compare Next.js App Router (RSC) vs legacy Pages Router for a production SaaS dashboard.
Answers use simple, clear English.
Quick interview answer
App Router: React Server Components reduce client JS, nested layouts, streaming, colocated server actions. Pages Router: mature patterns, simpler mental model, full client components default. SaaS dashboard with heavy interactivity may hybrid — marketing on RSC, app shell client.
Detailed answer
App Router: React Server Components reduce client JS, nested layouts, streaming, colocated server actions. Pages Router: mature patterns, simpler mental model, full client components default. SaaS dashboard with heavy interactivity may hybrid — marketing on RSC, app shell client. Watch caching semantics (fetch cache) and auth in server components.
Real example & use case
Public docs RSC static; logged-in analytics charts client components in app/(dashboard).
Pros & cons
Pros: RSC smaller bundles. Cons: learning curve, edge/runtime constraints.