Next.js 16 has been released with This release has improvements to Turbopack, caching, and the Next.js architecture.
Next.js is a page-based routing system with support for dynamic routes. It automatically statically optimizes pages when possible, and carries out server-side rendering of pages with blocking data requirements.
This release sees Turbopack being used as the default bundler for all new Next.js projects as it has now reached stability for both development and production builds. The developers say that since its beta release earlier this summer, more than 50% of development sessions and 20% of production builds on Next.js 15.3+ are now running on Turbopack. Turbopack promises production builds that are between two and five times faster, and up to 10× faster Fast Refresh. Turbopack also now supports filesystem caching in development, storing compiler artifacts on disk between runs for significantly faster compile times across restarts, especially in large projects.
A major improvement in this release is the addition of cache components. These are a new set of features designed to make caching in Next.js both more explicit and more flexible. They center around the new "use cache" directive, which can be used to cache pages, components, and functions, and which uses the compiler to automatically generate cache keys wherever it's used. Caching with cache components is entirely opt-in.
Cache components are the final part of Partial Prerendering (PPR), which was first introduced in 2023. Prior to PPR, Next.js had to choose whether to render each URL statically or dynamically. PPR lets developers opt portions of their static pages into dynamic rendering (via Suspense) without sacrificing the fast initial load of fully static pages.
Built-in support for the React Compiler is now stable in Next.js 16 following the React Compiler's 1.0 release. The React compiler automatically memoizes components, reducing unnecessary re-renders with zero manual code changes.
Other improvements include a complete overhaul of the routing and navigation system, making page transitions leaner and faster; and refined caching APIs for more explicit control over cache behavior.
This release also includes a first alpha version of the Build Adapters API. Build Adapters can be used to create custom adapters that hook into the build process, enabling deployment platforms and custom build integrations to modify Next.js configuration or process build output.
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