Comparison

react-meta-seo vs react-helmet vs Next.js Metadata

Feature	react-helmet	react-helmet-async	Next.js Metadata	react-meta-seo
React Version	Any	Any	18+	19+ only
Approach	Side effects	Side effects	Framework magic	Native hoisting
Bundle Size	16kB	14kB	N/A (built-in)	<5kB
Hydration Cost	~15ms	~12ms	~8ms	0ms ⚡
Provider Required	❌ No	✅ Yes	❌ No (framework)	❌ No
Server Components	❌ No	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Streaming Compatible	❌ No	⚠️ Partial	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Framework Agnostic	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ Next.js only	✅ Yes
TypeScript Support	⚠️ Basic	⚠️ Basic	✅ Full	✅ Full
Schema Validation	❌ None	❌ None	❌ None	✅ Dev warnings
Sitemap CLI	❌ Manual	❌ Manual	⚠️ Partial (SSG)	✅ Built-in
Social Preview	❌ No	❌ No	❌ No	✅ Dev overlay
Duplicate Detection	❌ No	❌ No	⚠️ Build errors	✅ Dev warnings

When to use react-meta-seo

✅ You're using React 19+
✅ You need framework-agnostic SEO (works with Vite, Remix, etc.)
✅ You want zero runtime overhead
✅ You value type safety and dev validation

When NOT to use react-meta-seo

❌ You're stuck on React 18 or earlier (use react-helmet-async)
❌ You're using Next.js and prefer framework conventions (use Next.js Metadata API)