Top 10 Backend Frameworks for Developers

The backend framework is a set of important tools to make the work of web developers easier. Without this framework, the website development process will take a lot of time and resources, so the complexity of development can increase significantly.

This is detrimental, especially for businesses that depend on development efficiency and product launch speed. There are well over 1 billion sites on the World Wide Web (1,106,671,903 according to Netcraft’s June 2023 Web Server Survey compared to 1,146,976,964 in June 2022). This not only illustrates the high number of online presences but also shows the important role of web development in making a business successful.

In this article, I will explain what backend frameworks are and list the best recommendations for designing and developing websites. Come on, watch the discussion until the end!

What is a Backend Framework?

The backend framework is a special ecosystem in the form of a collection of tools and modules to help develop website architecture. Framework provides a framework that can automate steps of the development process, thus having a major impact on the efficiency and final results of the project.

In addition to speeding up development, backend frameworks also offer many important benefits in terms of scalability, integration, and security. This allows developers to build websites that are consistent, high-performing, and more robust against potential cyberattacks. Here are some points that explain these benefits:

Scalability: Offers a flexible framework, where a framework can be used continuously to design two or more websites, from the basics to the most complex.

Integration: Simplifies integration with pre-built tools.

Security: Provides security mechanisms from various angles, including encryption, authentication, and data validation.

Also Read: Web Development: Front-end & Back-end Basics

Of the many backend frameworks, Laravel is the most popular framework and is the main choice for developers. This is proven by data from statisticsanddata.org. This notes that Laravel received the most user votes in 2023 with 71.9 thousand repository stars, followed by Django with 67.9 thousand, and Spring with 64.4 thousand.

The Web frameworks are classified into two different types, namely client-side and server-side. Client-side web frameworks only focus on the interface and user experience. Meanwhile, the server-side web framework includes backend functions such as database management, web servers, and so on.

Recommended Backend Framework

After understanding backend frameworks, now is the time to find out some recommendations for the best backend frameworks for web development in 2024. Come on, take a look at the list of recommendations below.

Also Read: What is an IDE (Integrated development environment)

1. Node js

Node js is a JavaScript runtime environment for building scalable websites and web applications. This framework uses an event-driven architecture and a non-blocking I/O model, making it suitable for real-time applications and microservices. Apart from that, Node js also provides NPM (Node Package Manager) to facilitate access to a wider range of open-source libraries and modules.

2. Ruby on Rails (ROR)

Ruby on Rails is a full-stack framework written in Ruby and can run on several operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and Mac OS. This framework comes with a complete toolkit that includes core frontend and backend features. Rails provides more conventions than configuration and follows the MVC (Model-View-Controller) architectural pattern so you can focus on the important aspects of development.

3. Laravel: Widely used PHP Framework

Laravel is a PHP backend framework that is famous for its complete features and simple syntax. This framework features Eloquent ORM to help developers interact with databases using PHP without having to write SQL queries directly. The Laravel ecosystem also has some powerful tools, including routing tools, authentication, caching, and much more. This makes it suitable for developing modern web apps.

Also Read: Web Servers: How it Works, Functions, and Examples

4. Spring: A Java backend framework

The next recommended backend framework is Spring, which is a Java-based open-source framework. Coming with interesting features such as Spring Boot, Spring can simplify the creation of microservices while optimizing the development of websites and Java applications.

Like Ruby on Rails, Spring also emphasizes convention over configuration. This provides a better opportunity for developers to focus on designing business logic.

5. ASP.NET: A backend framework made by Microsoft

ASP.NET is a backend framework by Microsoft for developing websites and web applications. With full support for the C# and VB.NET programming languages, this framework not only makes development easier but also builds a strong and dynamic API (Application Programming Interface). Apart from that, ASP.NET also provides many tools, libraries, and other components so that Microsoft product integration can be done better.

6. Express.js: a backend framework built on Node js

Express.js is a backend framework built on Node js. This framework offers a minimalist approach to make it easier for developers to create dynamic web pages and RESTful APIs. In terms of features, Express.js has middleware integration to give you the freedom to choose additional components or tools that suit your project.

Also Read: What Is AJAX? JQuery AJAX with example.

7. AngularJs: JavaScript framework made by Google

Next, there is AngularJs which is an open-source JavaScript framework made by Google. This framework creates single-page web apps and dynamic user interfaces that are interactive. AngularJs also provides routing features, data binding, and component-based architectural tools needed in developing web applications using a structured approach.

8. Django: open-source Python backend framework

Django is an open-source Python framework designed to make developing web-based applications easier. Additionally, this backend framework comes with built-in features like database management, an admin panel, and user authentication.

As a high-level backend framework, Django uses the MVC architectural model to separate logic, presentation, and data into different components. Therefore, this is quite effective in optimizing design and project delivery time.

Also Read: How to work with Session and Cookies in CodeIgniter

9. CakePHP: backend framework Inspired by Ruby on Rails

CakePHP is a backend framework capable of improving development efficiency and continuous preservation. Inspired by Ruby on Rails, CakePHP has a simple syntax as well as a set of conventions that make code maintenance easy.

Hopefully, this list of top 10 Backend Frameworks for developers will help you decide what suits you best. If you want to learn any of them, comment down below and let me know your thoughts.