React Server Components: The Future of Web Development

React Server Components (RSC) are not just a performance optimisation — they change the mental model for building Next.js apps. Most of Statotech's products now use the App Router with RSC by default. Here is what we have learned.

The key shift

In the old Pages Router, data fetching happened in getServerSideProps or getStaticProps — separate from the component. With Server Components, you fetch data directly inside the component. No API routes needed for internal data.

What stays client-side

Anything that needs interactivity — form state, click handlers, browser APIs — stays a Client Component with the "use client" directive. The boundary is explicit and intentional.

Performance in practice

On the School ERP dashboard, switching to Server Components reduced the JavaScript bundle by 40%. The data-heavy pages load faster because the work happens on the server, and the browser receives ready-to-display HTML instead of a loading skeleton.