Ask HN: Modern CSR stack vs. plain old SSR stack: what to choose?

[popfalushi]

I am investigating approaches to frontend development for a new project and can't make up my mind on technologies because frontend became so huge in recent years. Requirements: desktop and mobile website, mobile apps as PWAs, SEO not only for Google, but also for other local search engines which can't render CSR SPAs. Website can be done as MPA except, maybe, chat feature, however it can be dealt with, I think. I am mostly a manager nowadays, development will be done by a contractor with appropriate skills. However I want to be able to know as much about development process as I can, so familiar stack (right now angularjs, 5-6 years ago Spring MVC) is a big plus.

I see these ways:

1. React/Vue/Angular CSR + Spring. I'd go this way, but I see problems with SEO. Advantages: popular stacks, rich libraries of components, division to frontend and backend developers.

2. React/Vue/Angular SSR + Spring Rest. I've got a feeling, that this stack is more complex than it should be -> I will have many problems with it or I'll have to hire better and expensive developers.

3. Spring MVC + JSP (maybe others like Django, RoR, Laravel etc. fall to this category too). Plain old stack. Not so popular and popularity is decreasing every year -> will have trouble finding java fullstack programmers in future, can't reuse many components (I've searched for jsp tag libs - they are poor and were updated more than 2-3 years ago). I think, java programmers went full-backend mostly. Maybe, PHP programmers still mostly fullstack?

4. PHP Laravel Vue SSR. Don't know much about it.

5. Some sort of hybrid: Spring MVC JSP + React/Vue for dynamic components. It is SEO-friendly, familiar, can use many component libraries. Downsides: it requires full stack java developers who know React/Vue.

6. React SSR + Express.

If you had similar choice what have you chosen and why? Are you satisfied with your choice?

[trapsta]

React SSR + Next.JS is easier to get up and running than React SSR + Express