Next Lite is a minimal, opinionated Next.js starter template that replaces React with Preact at build time to produce a lighter bundle than the default create-next-app scaffold.
What is Next Lite?
Next Lite is a full-featured yet minimalist Next.js starter template maintained in the dayvista/next-light GitHub repository. It takes a fresh Next.js project and pre-configures it with state management, form handling, Tailwind CSS, theme switching, input sanitization, and TypeScript, producing a production bundle that the readme states weighs 58kb versus create-next-app's 77kb. The template is open source under the MIT License.
Key Features
- Preact instead of React — Substitutes React with Preact at build time, cutting the runtime size while keeping a similar component API.
- Jotai state management — Includes the roughly 2kb Jotai library for atomic and flexible state management.
- React Hook Form — Ships with React Hook Form for extensible form validation with minimal re-renders.
- Tailwind CSS — Configures Tailwind CSS for utility-first styling with minimal impact on bundle size.
- next-themes — Adds next-themes for dark mode and color theme support out of the box.
- isomorphic-dompurify — Bundles isomorphic-dompurify to sanitize user-supplied DOM input and form data.
- TypeScript — Written in TypeScript for type safety across the template.
- One-click Vercel deployment — Includes a deploy button that lets you launch the template directly on Vercel.
Who is it for?
- Next.js developers who want a lean, opinionated starting point without manually wiring up state, forms, and styling libraries.
- Front-end teams shipping production apps that need form management and state handling preconfigured and type-safe.
- Bundle-size-conscious developers who prefer Preact's smaller runtime to React's default footprint.
What can you do with Next Lite?
- Spin up a new project quickly: Use the "Use this template" button on GitHub to generate a new repository, then deploy with the included Vercel button.
- Build forms with validation: Leverage React Hook Form to create forms and validate input with minimal re-renders.
- Add a dark mode toggle: Use next-themes to switch between light and dark themes across your app.
- Sanitize user-generated content: Use isomorphic-dompurify to clean form and DOM input before rendering.
How does Next Lite work?
The template is a GitHub repository with a "Use this template" button, so you can generate a new project in one click. After cloning or generating, install dependencies and run the Next.js development server; the Preact swap, Tailwind setup, and library integrations are already configured. You can also deploy directly to Vercel from the provided button.
Alternatives
- create-next-app — The official Next.js scaffold; it creates a standard React-based project but the readme claims a larger bundle size.
FAQ
Is Next Lite free to use?
Yes, Next Lite is open source and distributed under the MIT License, so you can use, modify, and distribute it freely.
What is the bundle size of Next Lite?
According to the repository readme, the template produces a bundle of about 58kb, compared to create-next-app's 77kb.
Does Next Lite include TypeScript?
Yes, the template is written in TypeScript and is pre-configured for type-safe development.
Can I deploy Next Lite to Vercel?
Yes, the readme includes a one-click deploy button that routes through Vercel.
The template includes Jotai, React Hook Form, Tailwind CSS, next-themes, and isomorphic-dompurify.
