As others have noted, if you need a React framework, React Router v7 (in framework mode) is much better than Next.js. I would argue it's a great framework. No over-abstractions, just React on top of standard web technologies.

Don't be scared by the complaints about previous breaking changes (which BTW are inevitable when we still haven't figured out the best approaches to the server/client app architecture) - React Router's current strategy using various flags [1] allows you to prepare for breaking changes well in advance.

[1] https://reactrouter.com/community/api-development-strategy