This post is a follow-up to our previous post on why you should use Next.js for your SaaS.
Are you thinking of building your next SaaS project and not sure what to use? This blog post shares our thoughts on why you should consider using Remix, a full-stack framework for building websites currently being developed at Shopify.
Remix is built by the creators of React Router and React Training
While not as popular as Next.js, Remix is a full-stack framework built by the creators of React Router, the most popular routing library for React.
The wealth of experience and knowledge of the team behind Remix can be seen in the framework itself: it's a very well-thought-out framework that is easy to use and has a lot of potential.
Remix is backed by Shopify
Remix has recently been bought by Shopify, which is a huge vote of confidence in the framework. Shopify is the most popular e-commerce platform in the world, and the team behind Remix will be able to leverage Shopify's resources to make Remix even better.
That also means that Remix will become the framework of choice for building custom e-commerce experiences on Shopify, which used to be referred to as "Hydrogen". The team decided to drop their original implementation based on React's Server Components and instead use Remix.
The backing from Shopify will help Remix gain more traction and popularity, which is certainly good for the framework and the community.
Very simple to get started. It's a router with a few extra features
Remix is definitely a different framework, but it's also very simple at the same time.
The Remix creators say that by learning Remix, you will learn web development and that it's true: Remix adheres to Web Standards and is built on top of the web platform, leaving behind the "express" way like many other frameworks.
Remix can be thought of as a Router with SSR. The API surface is very small and easy to learn, and the documentation is fairly well-written, which should make it easy for you to get started.
Easy to sell your projects
Given its popularity, selling a SaaS built with Remix and React can be easier than selling a project made with a more obscure (or less in-demand) technology.
Being backed by Shopify also means that Remix will be a safe bet for many developers, which will make it easier to sell your projects. With its popularity set to rise, selling a project built with Remix will get simpler and simpler.
Remix offers all the tools to build a modern SaaS
Remix offers all the tools you need to build a modern SaaS.
Let's take a look at some of the features that make Remix a great choice for building a SaaS.
Access to a ton of open-source projects and libraries
Being built using React, you have an incredible number of libraries made by small and large companies at your disposal.
Remix is no different than Next.js in this regard: you can use any React library you want, and Remix will work with it.
Serverless and Edge computing
Unlike Next.js, Remix can be deployed to edge computing platforms such as Cloudflare Workers or Deno: which means, you can get incredible performance for your SaaS.
Not only is faster, but it's also cheaper to run your SaaS on edge computing platforms.
While it's expected that Next.js will follow a similar path, Remix is there today. If you care about maximum performance and minimum cost, Remix is a great choice.
Remix is very fast
Remix is incredibly performant: it's no wonder Shopify decided to make it the framework of choice for building custom e-commerce experiences on Shopify.
Performance is a key factor for eCommerce stores, so we can expect the Remix team to put a lot of effort into making Remix even faster.
Conclusion: is Remix a safe bet for your SaaS?
Remix can still be considered the new kid on the block, but at Makerkit we use it with confidence and are happy to bet on it. It's undeniable that the acquisition by Shopify will help Remix gain stability, reduce the risk of the framework disappearing, and make it a safe choice for using it for building your SaaS.
Makerkit is a SaaS starter template built with Remix for Firebase and Supabase as backends. Our Remix SaaS boilerplate kits can help you kickstart a SaaS in under 5 minutes and deploy it in a matter of hours.
If you want to build your SaaS with Remix, take a look at one of our kits!