We understand that many of the readers may not be as technically experienced as usual developers; hence we have created this blog in such a way that it will be beneficial for the technical as well as non-technical readers.
What is the main aim of a client, or the business person who is financing the web development project? That the product works seamlessly for any number of users across any vertical. However, the solution to this response is not very simple. Hence, we have decided to help you out in selecting the perfect technology stack.
How To Choose Web Application Development Technology Stacks?
Before answering that question, we need to understand what web application technology stacks are and how they work. So, we can bifurcate the entire web development process into 2 parts:
Client Side Programming
The client side, also known as the frontend technologies of web application development is the part that the user sees and interacts with. For instance, the website on which you are reading this blog.
Everything that you see right now from the text, images, spacing, and that small notification button in the bottom right corner; everything comes in the front end.
Every technology that makes this happen is the technology stack of a website.
When people talk about front-end technology stacks, you must have heard terms like HTML 5 and CSS 3. So, what are those? HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) make the objects on the screen look the way they appear.
HTML helps the browser in displaying the content of the webpage as it is designed, and CSS styles the content of the page. And, the mediator managing these two is called a Bootstrap framework.
JavaScript (JS) is another term tossed around in front-end development. JavaScript is what makes webpages interactive. So, the drag, scroll, and pressing actions that respond are due to JavaScript.
Server-Side Programming
Server-Side Programming Languages
The server side has a programming language based on which the whole back-end technology stack is chosen, and websites and web applications are developed. So, some of the top programming languages that you can choose from are:
Server Side Frameworks
The frameworks are tools that help developers code the backend in a specific programming language. Hence, different frameworks are used for different languages and development needs. So, some of the top backend frameworks that you can choose from are:
Node.JS is a JavaScript runtime that is widely used for backend programming.
SEE ALSO: What is ExpressJS in Node JS? – Backend Framework For Web Apps
Most Common Databases for Web Development
The storage unit for all the data on your website is a database. Hence, all the information that the users request for is stored using a database. So, to store all the data you may choose from the most commonly used databases: Relational Database (RDB) and Non-Relational Database (NRDB).
Relational databases represent and store data just like a spreadsheet, in rows and tables. Further, this database is based on relational algebra. However, on the other hand non-relational database stores data in subsections, so not the whole file but only a part of the database is called when requested.
Some of the top Databases for Web Developers
Best Open Source Web Servers
The server side is nothing without the servers. In short, it is the system that handles client requests from websites and applications.
Some of the top open-source web servers that you can choose from are:
Choose From Technology Stacks
Some projects need quite more than just a single technology or a small set of stacks. You may lack the knowledge of customizing your own technology stack; hence we are mentioning the most popular web technology stacks used by developers worldwide. When you need such “bulk” of technologies, you can opt from any of the following web development stacks.
LAMP Stack
LAMP was one of the earliest stacks to get popular amongst developers. It is made up of open-source software with the key stacks being
The LAMP stack works seamlessly for websites as well as web applications. Being open source, this stack can be used in combination with other software development stack of open-source nature. A detailed look at LAMP stack shows you that the OS Linux is very stable, secure and free being open source.
You can also interchange the PHP programming language with Perl or Python. Similarly, the server can be replaced from Apache to Nginx and the database from MySQL to MariaDB.
There are other variations of LAMP stack such as
MEAN Stack
Now you must have understood that these stack names are just rearrangements of the initial letters of a group of technologies that they offer. So what does MEAN stack offer? Let’s find out
SEE ALSO: Which is better, Firebase or MongoDB?
Mean stack is a collection of open source technologies primarily based on JavaScript. MongoDB makes it simpler to send and receive data between the client and server-side by saving data in a binary JSON format.
Express.JS was inspired by a one-time popular Ruby framework, Sinatra. It assists developers in building software using JavaScript on the server side. Angular.JS reduces time to market by eliminating tons of code with its features of data binding and dependency injection.
Angular.JS is also capable of running on smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktop, and even smart TVs. Finally, Node.JS offers a lightweight and efficient runtime environment because it works on Chrome V8 JS engine.
There is an alternative to MEAN stack in MERN (MongoDB/Express.JS/React.JS/Node.JS). If your developers are expert in MEAN stack, they are in a way full stack developers as they can single-handedly build the client side and server side of your web app.
See Also: Mern vs Mean: Which Is a Smart Choice for Web Development?
Python-Django Stack
This duo technology stack is formed on the base of the Python programming language. Here the language used is Python and the framework chosen is Django (also written in Python). This stack provides Apache web server with MySQL for its database use.
The benefit of using the Python-Django stack is that it offers a very rapid development while parallelly maintaining the quality of development. It is the perfect choice of web development stacks when you need to create an MVP of your web application or build a web software in a limited timeframe.
.NET Stack
The .NET framework is a very robust and thoroughly tested one that is capable of developing dynamic web applications. The .NET framework and C# programming language are the centerpiece jewel of Microsoft’s tech stack
You can also call .NET stack as a part of the more massive overflow stack which is expert in fulfilling client and server side development needs. The most exciting thing about this stack is that it has over 60 frameworks, libraries, platforms, SDKs, etc., spread across more than 13 layers.
This makes the stack highly interoperable and independent in terms of programming language. It is one of the most secure stack, able to avoid all major types of attacks. The speed of development and portability of the solution is a solid feature of the .NET stack.
Ruby on Rails Stack
Ruby on Rails (ROR) stack offers a very high library integration. The developers call these libraries as gems. So when a developer says they added a Gem to their app, it means they added a library.
The framework is highly scalable and has a built-in database, and is also compatible with MySQL.
In MySQL, if you want to pull up data from the database from multiple tables, you write 3 or 4 lines of code. In Ruby, you can do that in 3 words. This type of speed makes the development time cut short on a vast scale.
How to Choose a Technology Stack for Web Application Development?
You can learn all about these stacks all day and yet feel very confused when you have to settle for your project finally. Hence a better approach is to see how other successful businesses and enterprises chose their web application stack. The decision to choose the right tech stack also depends on the web application idea that you are implementing.
Although, the ones mentioned here are not to be considered the final word. Your needs may differ from what they had in their minds. Still, you can learn from these technology stack examples.
Social Media Networks (Eg: Facebook & Instagram Tech Stack)
Programming Language
Database
Frameworks
JavaScript UI Libraries
Other Tools
Collaboration Tools & SaaS Products (Eg. Hive & Slack Tech Stack)
Programming Language
Database
Frameworks
Web Servers
eCommerce Platform (eBay & Amazon Tech Stack)
Programming Language
Database
Frameworks
Web Servers
JavaScript Libraries
Learning Platform (Eg. Udacity & Coursera Tech Stack)
Programming Language
Frameworks
Other Tools
Cloud Storage
Database
Web Servers
Q&A Forums (Eg. Reddit & Quora Tech Stack)
Programming Language
Database
Frameworks
Web Servers
Other Tools
Information & Blogging Website (Product Hunt & Medium Tech Stack)
Programming Language
Database
Frameworks
Web Servers
Get updates of the latest tech news
Register with your email ID to get the first bite of the most trending news.
Word of Advice
The best technology stack for web applications mentioned here is not the only one that you have to choose from. We have tried to bring you the best technology stacks for web development that are prevailing in 2023. The web application technology stacks are ever-growing, and this web stack list will be inclusive with time.
We hope you make the right choice with your web stacks. It is a bit of advice that besides doing your own research, you should talk to development experts who can guide you more firmly towards the right options.