The great framework debate
If you are building a portfolio in 2026, the ecosystem gives you almost too many choices. The two heavyweights that most developers consider are Next.js and Vite (paired with React Router). Both are incredible, but they serve entirely different purposes.
When to choose Vite
Vite is insanely fast. If your portfolio is essentially a highly interactive Single Page Application (SPA) with heavy WebGL, Three.js, or complex GSAP animations, Vite is your best friend. It gets out of your way and lets the client handle the rendering, resulting in buttery smooth animations without server overhead.
When to choose Next.js
Next.js shines when SEO and server-side rendering are your top priorities. If your portfolio is heavily content-driven (like a massive blog or deep case studies) and you want perfect metadata for every single page, Next.js provides the robust infrastructure to handle that easily.
For my current iteration, I found the perfect balance using Vite combined with React Router 7's new routing paradigms.