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Comparison guide

Next-intl vs React-i18next

Side-by-side NPM package comparison

Quick Verdict

Smallest Bundle

React-i18next

10.0 KB gzipped

Most Popular

React-i18next

10.5M weekly downloads

Best Maintained

Next-intl

100/100 maintenance score

Highest Quality

Next-intl

50/100 quality score

Overall Pick

React-i18next

Best all-around based on popularity, size, maintenance & quality

  1. next-intl

    Internationalization (i18n) for Next.js

    4.3M weekly downloads · 12.7 KB gzip · Health 85/100

    0
  2. react-i18next

    Internationalization for react done right. Using the i18next i18n ecosystem.

    10.5M weekly downloads · 10.0 KB gzip · Health 85/100

    0

Choosing between Next-intl and React-i18next? Here's a data-driven comparison based on real npm data — downloads, bundle size, health scores, and more — to help you decide which package fits your project best.

Downloads & Popularity

React-i18next leads with 10.5M weekly downloads — roughly 2.4x more. Next-intl has 4.3M weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.

Bundle Size

React-i18next has the smallest gzipped bundle at 10.0 KB. Next-intl comes in at 12.7 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.

Health Score Comparison

Next-intl has an overall health score of 85/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. React-i18next has an overall health score of 85/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Health scores are calculated from maintenance activity, code quality, security posture, popularity, and stability metrics.

When to Choose Each

Choose Next-intl if you value large community support, actively maintained, strong security track record. Choose React-i18next if you value massive community and ecosystem, actively maintained, strong security track record.

Our Verdict

Both Next-intl and React-i18next are solid choices for JavaScript development. Next-intl has the edge in overall health score (85/100), while each package brings unique strengths to the table. Evaluate them based on your project's priorities — whether that's community size, bundle efficiency, or maintenance activity — and choose the one that aligns best with your requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is next-intl better than react-i18next?
It depends on your needs. Next-intl has a health score of 85/100 while React-i18next scores 85/100. React-i18next has more recorded weekly downloads (10.5M). Consider your specific requirements — bundle size, community support, and feature set — to decide which is the better fit.
Which has a smaller bundle size, next-intl or react-i18next?
React-i18next has the smaller gzipped bundle at 10.0 KB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
How many developers use next-intl vs react-i18next?
React-i18next has more recorded weekly downloads (10.5M). Download counts reflect package installations, not unique developers.
Which is better maintained, next-intl or react-i18next?
Next-intl has a maintenance score of 100/100. Next-intl scores 100/100 and React-i18next scores 100/100 on maintenance.

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