Removing Next.js Got My Blog to 100 on Every Lighthouse Category

Static blogs can now achieve perfect Lighthouse scores by dropping Next.js in favor of lighter frameworks like Hono.

The author of a blog achieved a perfect score of 100 across all categories in Google Lighthouse performance tests. This was accomplished by removing the Next.js framework, which was found to introduce significant amounts of unnecessary JavaScript and client-side runtime code, even for static pages. The process involved a deep dive into performance bottlenecks, including issues with Next.js's caching mechanisms, image optimization, and client component dependencies like `next/link` and `next/image`. After experimenting with server components and discovering that Next.js's core runtime persisted, the author opted to migrate the blog to the Hono framework. This migration resulted in a substantial reduction of JavaScript payload, a dramatic decrease in long task duration, and an overall improvement in build times, ultimately leading to the desired perfect Lighthouse score.

The author's decision to remove Next.js and adopt Hono for a static blog highlights a growing trend of developers seeking leaner alternatives for performance-critical applications. Next.js, while powerful for complex applications, introduces overhead in the form of client-side runtimes and legacy JavaScript that can impede optimal performance for simpler use cases like static blogs. The author's experience underscores that for content-focused websites aiming for peak performance, the benefits of a comprehensive framework like Next.js might be outweighed by its inherent complexities and resource demands.

This shift suggests a market segment where developers are prioritizing raw performance and minimal footprint over the feature-rich ecosystem of larger frameworks for static content. The success with Hono, a lightweight JavaScript framework, indicates that developer productivity can be maintained with simpler tools when the application's needs are focused. The key takeaway for developers building static sites is to critically evaluate the necessity of framework-specific JavaScript bundles and explore alternatives that offer better control over performance metrics.