What is the difference between hydration and client-side rendering?

What is the difference between hydration and client-side rendering?

Hydration is the process of taking server-rendered HTML and making it interactive by attaching JavaScript. Client-side rendering (CSR) means rendering content in the browser using JavaScript, often fetching data after the initial load.

Why would I choose hydration over client-side rendering?

Hydration can improve performance and SEO since the initial HTML is served from the server, allowing for faster first contentful paint and better indexing by search engines.

Are there any downsides to using hydration?

Yes, hydration can lead to a longer initial load time compared to CSR, as it requires both server and client resources to render the page.

Can you give an example of when to use each method?

Use hydration for content-heavy sites that benefit from SEO, like blogs. Use CSR for highly interactive applications where SEO is less critical, like dashboards.