Best Web Development Technologies to use

Choosing the right technology stack can be a decisive factor affecting your web development project’s success. For starters, some fundamental questions must be asked about the client’s specific needs, characteristics of the target industry, security requirements, potential scalability, etc. Even the availability of skilled developers on the market can become a crucial variable, as certain technologies are less prevalent than others, which turns the search for able specialists into a challenge at times. There isn’t a single technology that can be considered the ultimate answer to all your web development needs, but the ones we’ve listed below make a solid, comprehensive selection. Read on to learn about the web development technologies we consider the best.

Web Development Technologies – Best Programming Languages

In the context of web development, a programming language makes for a foundation for frameworks and libraries built for specific tasks, e.g., creating web apps. At its core, a programming language contains vocabulary and syntax used to pass instructions that a computer can understand. There are several programming languages used in web development, and we believe the following three to be the cream of the crop.

JavaScript

The World Wide Web wouldn’t exist in the shape we know today if it wasn’t for JavaScript. Currently, as much as 98% of websites use it as a client-side programming language. It’s one of three core technologies powering today’s Internet – the other two being HTML and CSS. All major web browsers contain a dedicated JS engine to execute the code on the end devices. A cornerstone for some of the most successful and popular frameworks, JavaScript has historically been used mainly for front-end development. In recent years though, we can observe its growing prevalence in back-end applications. JavaScript is relatively easy to learn and comes with a plethora of frameworks and libraries. Given the above, choosing JavaScript for your web development technology stack is hardly just an option – it’s a must.

PHP

Unlike JavaScript, PHP is used exclusively for back-end applications processed on web servers. PHP has been around for over 25 years, and its popularity has seen better days, but… it still powers over 77% of all websites, making the competition (like Java or Ruby) look pale in comparison. PHP is used by WordPress, a global site-builder powerhouse, as well as other popular solutions like Drupal and Joomla. There’s still a lot to appreciate PHP for – it’s fast, flexible, has excellent synergy with HTML, works with almost any type of database, and is compatible with all major cloud services. PHP is also regularly updated, and every update comes with a significant speed boost and a set of improvements. Finding skilled PHP developers isn’t difficult, as the technology is well established and widespread. PHP is well alive and kicking, which still makes it an excellent choice for all your server-side shenanigans.

Python

Easy to learn and highly flexible, this general-purpose programming language can be used in both client and server-side applications. Seldom a first choice for front-end developers, but with the addition of relevant frameworks, it becomes a brilliantly efficient full-stack web development toolbox. Python has been used as a base for Google, Netflix, and YouTube websites, which says a lot about its potential and scalability. Universally acclaimed for simple syntax and readability, Python is often picked by aspiring developers as a first language to learn. With its unmatched versatility, and a rich library of modules and frameworks, Python has become one of the fastest-growing programming languages in recent times. It’s not much of a surprise, though, given the vast array of its applications:

Web development (front-end and back-end)
AI and machine learning
Data analytics and visualization
Tasks automation
Programming applications

…and many more. Python will always be your safe bet when choosing a web development technology for projects of varied nature, albeit it’s not ideal for mobile applications.

Web Development Technologies – Front-End

It goes without saying that any discussion about the front-end must start with HTML and CSS. These two are the bread-and-butter of the web development industry, so we consider them by default. But, as you can see below, there’s more to the front-end than hypertext markup and style sheets.

Angular

Created and maintained by Google, Angular is an open-source, TypeScript-based framework for building web and mobile apps, with an emphasis on single-page applications. One of the most significant advantages of Angular is the inclusion of a two-way data binding feature. It gives the developer the ability to see changes made in the application in real-time. Angular also allows for creating multiple independent modules and compiling them later to create a single, dynamic app for end-users. Due to its steep learning curve and complexity, Angular isn’t the best choice for inexperienced dev teams and more straightforward projects.

Angular Pros:

Great for medium and large-scale web applications, where its rich features can be utilized to the full
Ideal for multiplatform solutions, as Angular-based applications can be executed across varied environments

Angular Cons:

Using Angular for small, simple projects is basically an overkill
Not suited for small dev teams without solid expertise
Better avoided if porting legacy JS or jQuery code to Angular is required

React.js and React Native

We’ve grouped these two web development technologies, even though each can be used independently. They both, however, come from the same source and complement each other by covering different aspects of the development process.
React.js is one of the most popular front-end libraries in the world. Created by Facebook as open-source and based on JavaScript, React.js gained a massive following in the dev community for its clean code and impressive performance. It’s great for building single-page apps and designing visually appealing, highly interactive UI’s. React.js isn’t meant for mobile development – this is the domain of React Native framework. React Native allows for building cross-platform mobile apps and can adapt React.js creations to mobile use.

React Pros:

Excellent for creating interactive web applications
Offers highly efficient server-side rendering enhancing SEO capabilities across different platforms and search engines
Allows for reusing the same components in different parts of the application

React Cons:

Not suited for projects where interactive features are scarce
Due to its rapidly evolving nature, existing documentation quickly becomes obsolete
Very challenging for dev teams without extensive JavaScript knowledge

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Vue.js

Another open-source, JavaScript-based framework, Vue.js, is widely recognized for its simplicity and ease of use. Even though it’s explicitly aimed at creating UI’s, Vue.js offers end-to-end application development for both desktop and mobile. Much like Angular, it comes with two-way data binding and Virtual DOM features.

Vue.js Pros:

One of the best web development technologies for building Progressive Web Apps
Performance-focused and SEO-friendly
Easy integration with other frameworks and libraries

Vue.js Cons:

Limited functionality (compared to Angular and React) makes it unsuitable for large-scale projects
Language barrier – most of the original documentation is available predominantly in Chinese
Not many experienced Vue.js developers available in the market outside China

Web Development Technologies – Back-End

Symfony

PHP-based Symfony combines the best of both worlds – it’s feature-packed and flexible while remaining simple to use and easy to learn at the same time. Compared to many other back-end frameworks, Symfony excels at speeding up the development process. It boasts a system of reusable components and bundles, dramatically reducing repetitive tasks and effectively cutting down the development’s time and costs.

Symfony Pros:

Flexible and scalable, a great choice for large-scale projects
High performance with limited use of server resources
Very well supported by a thriving community and rich documentation

Symfony Cons:

Older versions of Symfony marred with performance issues
Migrating legacy software to a new Symfony version can be cumbersome

Laravel

Considered Symfony’s biggest rival, Laravel holds its own in terms of performance and accessibility. Its elegant and comprehensible syntax turns the coding process into quite an enjoyable and time-efficient activity, which, to be honest, is rarely the case with back-end technologies. Laravel supports Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture and contains a built-in authentication and authorization system.

Laravel Pros:

A clean and well-structured code
Perfect for small and medium-sized web applications

Laravel Cons:

Due to its lightweight nature, Laravel contains only a limited set of features. More challenging projects require the introduction of third-party tools
Framework updates often cause backward compatibility issues

Node.js

The introduction of Node.js has made JavaScript language widely available for back-end purposes. Node.js isn’t a framework nor a library – it’s actually a runtime environment that allows developers to run JavaScript code outside a browser. Node.js can be used for building fast network applications, extremely scalable thanks to its ability to handle vast numbers of simultaneous connections. Node.js is utilized in the front-end as well.

Node.js Pros:

Allows for sharing the same code between client and server sides
Its asynchronous event-driven I/O facilitates handling thousands of concurrent user requests

Node.js Cons:

Not suited for complex, CPU-heavy tasks
Requires skilled JavaScript development team

Django

The only Python-based framework on this list, Django, is successfully utilized in both front-end and back-end solutions. Like the language it’s built with, Django is exceptionally beginner-friendly and relatively easy to master. It’s highly scalable and flexible, making it an excellent choice for end-to-end development, regardless of the project’s scope. Thanks to its streamlined structure, Django ensures rapid development velocity. It’s currently one of the fastest-growing frameworks and most versatile web development technologies in the market.

Django Pros:

Lightning-fast development
It comes with an abundance of embedded functionalities
Ensures a high level of security thanks to built-in SQL injection and cross-site scripting protection modules

Django Cons:

It’s not lightweight and may not be best suited for smaller-scale projects
Django is monolithic, which means the developers cannot employ their own file structure

The Decision That Matters

A lot can go wrong when you pick web development technology unsuitable for your project. And it’s not only about potentially wasted time or budget required to deliver a product of acceptable quality. Some solutions, which may be ideal for now, will show their limitations once your business grows. At this point, the only option left is to rewrite the app completely. And that is why it’s so important to choose software specialists experienced enough to see the bigger picture. At Develtio, we know our web development technologies by heart, so you can rest assured that the one we bet on is the one you’ll win with.