Server Components vs Client Components: The Mental Model Shift Every Vite Developer Needs

As Vite developers move to Next.js and App Router, they must shift their mental model to understand React Server Components (RSC), which execute exclusively on the server and don't hydrate on the client. This allows for zero bundle impact, direct backend access, and no lifecycle or state management. To avoid common mistakes, Vite developers should not add 'use client' to every file, as this would turn their Next.js app into a slow Vite app.