Why I Choose Inertia.js

By Raymond Perez · May 9, 2025

As primarily a backend developer comfortable in the Laravel ecosystem, I've always been fascinated by modern, reactive user interfaces. Yet the path to becoming proficient in Single Page Applications (SPAs) seemed daunting—requiring deep knowledge of frontend frameworks, state management, routing libraries, and RESTful or GraphQL API design patterns. I wanted the best of both worlds: Laravel's elegant backend with React's reactive frontend, without becoming a complete frontend specialist.

• Key Takeaways
• Background
• What Is Inertia.js?
• Why It Resonates (Personally)
• Familiar Mental Model
• Gradual Learning Curve
• How It Changes Development
• Building Pages, Not APIs
• Server-Side Advantages
• Client-Side Navigation
• Possible Drawbacks
• Abstraction Concerns
• Frontend Fundamentals
• Community Perspectives
• The Criticism
• The Praise
• Practical Differences vs. "Vanilla" React
• Traditional SPA with React
• Inertia.js Approach
• Takeaways
• Questions to Consider
• Frequently Asked Questions
• References and Resources