# Next.js getStaticProps vs getServerSideProps

`getStaticProps` and `getServerSideProps` are two methods that allow you to fetch data and pre-render pages. The main difference between them lies in how and when the data fetching and page rendering occur.

1. `getStaticProps`:
    
    * This function is used for pre-rendering static pages at build time.
        
    * It runs during the build process and not at request time.
        
    * The data fetched in `getStaticProps` is used to pre-render the page as HTML.
        
    * The generated HTML is then reused for each request.
        
    * This method is suitable for pages that do not require frequent data updates.
        
    * When the data changes, you need to rebuild the entire application to reflect the updates.
        
2. `getServerSideProps`:
    
    * This function is used for server-side rendering (SSR) at request time.
        
    * It runs on every request made to the page.
        
    * The data fetched in `getServerSideProps` is used to dynamically generate the page's HTML.
        
    * This method is suitable for pages that require frequently updated data or require access to session-specific data.
        
    * As the data fetching happens on each request, changes to the data are immediately reflected when the page is requested.
        

To summarize, `getStaticProps` is used for pre-rendering pages at build time with static data that doesn't change frequently, while `getServerSideProps` is used for server-side rendering with dynamic data that may change on each request. The choice between them depends on the specific requirements of your application and the data you need to fetch.