Astro JS - Overview

What is Astro JS?

Astro JS is the most recent open source JavaScript framework for web development. It is optimized for static site generation, with support for server-side rendering. Astro focuses of optimizing content-rich website which are not regularly updated. By default, it ships zero JavaScript to the client-side, making the website load faster.

Advantages of Using Astro

• Ships Zero JS − By default, Astro uses no JavaScript at client-side, which makes the website load faster.
• Server-First Design: Astro is programmed to move expensive rendering to the server. This makes user device run faster.
• Node Ecosystem − Astro uses Node.js ecosystem, just like other frameworks. This make easy to develop and configure.
• Island Architecture − Astro uses an island based architecture to reduce the JavaScript load of websites.
• Multi-Framework Integration − Astro supports integration with multiple frameworks like React, Preact, Svelte, Vue, Solid, HTMX, web components, and more.

Limitations of Astro

• No Single Page App − Astro is not a single page application (SPA) framework. Astro is a static site generator, which means it generates static HTML files.
• No SRR by Default − Astro does not support server-side rendering by default. It supports SSR by using adapters.
• No middleware − Astro does not support middleware component as there in Next.js.
• Not Recommended for full-stack websites − Astro is not recommended for full-stack websites. Astro is designed for content-rich websites.

How Does Astro Works?

The flowchart below shows the working of Astro framework. Astro supports any frontend framework for UI code, which then combined with backend code to generate full stack website. The static websites can be hosted on platforms like GitHub, Firebase, and AWS S3, while server-rendered websites are commonly hosted on Vercel, Netlify, or AWS S3.

Astro JS vs Next JS vs React JS

The table below compares Astro with Next.js and React.js.