Confused by all the acronyms? This blog breaks down CSR, SSR, SSG, ISR, Streaming, and PPR — so you know when to use what (and why).

What Even Is Rendering?

Let’s keep it simple:
Rendering is how your browser takes code and turns it into a visible website.

Depending on your app’s needs, this rendering can happen:

• On your own device (called the client),
• On a server before it reaches you,
• Or even ahead of time — like prepping meals before guests arrive.

Different rendering strategies give you different trade-offs: speed, SEO, personalization, or freshness.

1. Client-Side Rendering (CSR)

Like buying IKEA furniture — you get the parts and build it at home.

• The browser loads a blank HTML and some JavaScript.
• The JavaScript builds the UI after the page loads.
• Everything happens in the browser (the client).

Best for: Interactive apps like dashboards or tools where SEO isn’t a top concern.
Example: Single Page Apps built with plain React.

2. Server-Side Rendering (SSR)

Like ordering food from a restaurant — it’s cooked and served fresh every time.

• The page is built on the server each time a user visits.
• The user gets a fully-rendered HTML page instantly.
• It’s dynamic — changes every time based on user or data.

Best for: News sites, dashboards, or apps that need SEO and fresh content.
Example: Next.js pages using getServerSideProps.

3. Static Site Generation (SSG)

Like baking cupcakes before the party starts.

• Pages are generated once during build time.
• Each user gets the same fast, pre-built HTML.
• Perfect for content that doesn’t change often.

Best for: Blogs, documentation, landing pages.
Example: Next.js pages using getStaticProps.

SSG in action 🍪 Pre-rendered pages, served fresh and fast.

4. Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR)

Like baking your cupcakes, but letting some get refreshed behind the scenes when needed.

• Pages are pre-built like in SSG.
• When the content changes, a fresh version is created in the background.
• You set how often a page should be revalidated.

Best for: Product pages, blogs that get occasional updates.
Example: Next.js pages with revalidate in getStaticProps.

5. Streaming / React Server Components (RSC)

Like watching Netflix — you get the video in chunks so you can start watching immediately.

• Instead of sending the whole page at once, it streams the page in parts.
• React Server Components let you render parts of your app on the server, reducing JavaScript on the client.
• Users see content faster, even before everything is ready.

Best for: Complex apps that care about speed and user experience.
Example: Next.js apps built with the new app directory.

6. Partial Prerendering (PPR)

Like serving the crust of your pizza first and letting the toppings load after — but you never feel the wait.

• PPR is the latest strategy introduced in Next.js 14+.
• It lets you prerender parts of the page statically, and fill in dynamic parts later.
• You get the speed of static rendering and the freshness of dynamic content — without a jarring loading state.

Best for: Pages that are partly static (like headers/layout) and partly dynamic (like user data or feeds).
Example: Next.js 14+ using React Server Components and prerender configuration.

When to Use What?

Here’s a quick way to think about it:

Use CSR for highly interactive apps (where SEO doesn’t matter much).

Example: A project management dashboard like Trello or Notion.

Use SSR for dynamic content that changes per user (and you need SEO).

Example: A user’s personalized news feed like Reddit or a dynamic job board like LinkedIn Jobs.

Use SSG for static pages like blogs and marketing sites.

Example: Company landing pages like Vercel.com or blog sites like dev.to.

Use ISR for mostly static pages that change occasionally.

Example: E-commerce product pages like Amazon or Nike.com where data changes but not instantly.

Use Streaming / RSC when you want a smoother user experience and performance.

Example: The logged-in experience of Spotify Web or YouTube Studio.

Use PPR when your page is a mix of static and dynamic — it’s the sweet spot!

Example: A user profile page on Twitter/X where the layout stays the same, but tweets and followers are dynamic.

TL;DR

• CSR: Built in the browser. Great for apps, bad for SEO.
• SSR: Built on the server every time. Fresh, SEO-friendly.
• SSG: Prebuilt at deploy time. Super fast, but not dynamic.
• ISR: Prebuilt with background updates. Best of both worlds.
• Streaming: Send chunks of UI as they’re ready. Smooth experience.
• PPR: Static + dynamic mix. Super smart, super fast.

Final Toughts

Rendering used to be simple — now we have choices.
And that’s actually a superpower, not a problem.

By picking the right rendering method (or combining a few), you can build web apps that are:

• fast
• SEO-friendly
• personalized
• and delightful to use

Don’t stress over memorizing acronyms like CSR, SSR, or PPR.
Just focus on the one goal that matters:

Show the user what they need, as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Rendering done right = speed 💨

Behind the Scenes: This Blog Uses On-Demand ISR

That means the page you’re reading was pre-rendered for speed, but it only updates when I choose to revalidate it (instead of automatically after a set time).
It’s the best of both worlds: fast like static pages, flexible like dynamic ones.

Curious how it works? 👉 Here’s how I built my blog system with ISR

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