{"id":810,"date":"2021-06-17T14:03:06","date_gmt":"2021-06-17T14:03:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/suimy.me\/?p=810"},"modified":"2024-05-22T17:05:39","modified_gmt":"2024-05-22T17:05:39","slug":"10-most-popular-web-development-frameworks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/suimy.me\/index.php\/2021\/06\/17\/10-most-popular-web-development-frameworks\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Most Popular Web Development Frameworks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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In this article, you\u2019ll find out what are web development frameworks, how they compare, and which are the most popular ones. Without further ado, let\u2019s dive into the article right away!<\/p>\n

<\/span>What Are Web Development Frameworks?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Frameworks have been designed to help programmers with coding websites, applications, and more. Each of them is a platform that includes\u00a0modules<\/strong>,\u00a0libraries,\u00a0<\/strong>or\u00a0tools<\/strong>, all pre-made and waiting for use. They can not only save time for web developers but also save money. Using frameworks\u00a0contributes to faster web applications deployment<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0overall security of the application<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Of course, it doesn\u2019t mean that you have to follow the framework blindly and leave everything as is. You can alter the details and adjust the web development frameworks to your needs.<\/p>\n

Frameworks can be divided into two categories:\u00a0frontend\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0backend<\/strong>. Each of them has different responsibilities, i.e. the former takes care of the user interface of the web application, along with the user experience, local storage, communication with backend, assets, and even more, whereas the latter does all the calculations, data processing, business logic and operations triggered by the requests.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Most Popular Web Development Frameworks<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/section><\/div>\n
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There are plenty of frameworks out there that you can use for your web applications. The question is which one will suit your needs? For your convenience, we\u2019ve prepared a list of the 10 best web development frameworks that we\u2019re going to take a closer look at!<\/p>\n

<\/span>Backend Web Development Frameworks<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Before we proceed to listing backend web frameworks, let\u2019s briefly explain what backend actually is. Let\u2019s say that you launch your browser, type in your favorite website and browse through it. Things that you do on the website like clicking on the blog, scrolling through posts, or checking out categories, are done at the frontend, whereas every calculation, running the scripts, accessing data, is done in the backend which is responsible for all these processes. Everything that happens in the backend is basically like John Cena because you can\u2019t see it.<\/p>\n

Now that we\u2019ve gotten that out of the way, we\u2019re finally ready to dive into the backend web frameworks, also known as server-side web development frameworks.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Ruby on Rails<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/section><\/div>\n
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Based on the\u00a0MVC architecture<\/a>,\u00a0Ruby on Rails<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 sometimes referred to as\u00a0Rails\u00a0<\/strong>or\u00a0RoR\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 is an open-source web development framework. As the name itself suggests, the framework has been written in the Ruby programming language. Many users have decided on Ruby on Rails, as it features simple syntax and high-performance. Though Rails was created 16 years ago, it\u2019s still loved by the developers to this day.<\/p>\n

RoR has a feature that is called \u201cassumptions<\/strong>\u201d. What it essentially does is making suggestions about the best ways to write the project. By doing so, Ruby on Rails aims to boost user\u2019s productivity.<\/p>\n

Additionally, you should remember that Ruby on Rails web application framework operates with two major principles in mind. The first being the\u00a0DRY methodology<\/strong>, which states that you should not repeat yourself while working on the code. The second principle is the \u201cconvention over configuration<\/strong>\u201d. In other words, the previously mentioned assumptions.<\/p>\n

Being such a popular web application framework, it\u2019s no surprise that\u00a0plenty of big brands use it<\/a>. Shopify, Hulu, or Airbnb are just among many other brands that use Ruby on Rails.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Express<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/section><\/div>\n
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Written in\u00a0JavaScript<\/strong>,\u00a0Express<\/a>\u00a0is an open-source, robust framework that\u2019s widely used by users all around the world. Based on\u00a0Node.js<\/strong>, the framework was flexible enough to win the coders\u2019 hearts as it\u2019s one of the most used frameworks for building web applications.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s worth noting is that JavaScript was initially a client-side programming language running in the browser. Its use in the backend can be attributed to Node.js that allowed JS to be used on the server-side.<\/p>\n

Not only that, Express also contributes to the easy and fast creation of various APIs. API is an abbreviation for Application Programming Interface. Essentially, its task is to allow communication between two apps.<\/p>\n

When your application grows larger and larger, it becomes convoluted and more complex. A logical and wise way to handle it would be to break up the application into microservice architectures in Node.js that would untangle and divide the specific sections of the app. It allows the developer to work on different sections of the application independently, without risking that it would ruin the entire program.<\/p>\n

To code microservice architecture you can use a programming language or a framework. In the latter case, Express could be an ideal choice.<\/p>\n

Coming back to Express, this popular web framework is not only appreciated by the regular users, but it\u2019s also used by some of the biggest companies like Uber, NASA, LinkedIn, or Netflix, and these are just a\u00a0few companies among many that do so<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Laravel<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/section><\/div>\n
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Based on the\u00a0MVC (Model-View-Controller) architectural pattern<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Symfony<\/strong>,\u00a0Laravel<\/a>\u00a0is appreciated by many users as it\u2019s the most popular open-source PHP development tool. Even though rookies may find it difficult to understand at first due to the framework\u2019s heavy documentation, once you get to know it, it becomes much clearer.<\/p>\n

Known for its\u00a0simple, yet elegant syntax<\/strong>, Laravel comes with an out-of-the-box API. The framework aims to make programming an\u00a0easier\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0more pleasant<\/strong>\u00a0experience, while at the same time allowing you to create large-scale web projects. Unfortunately, performance-wise, it loses to frameworks such as Django or Express.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Laravel includes a feature that\u2019s called\u00a0packages<\/strong>. What they do is help the developer complete the project in a faster and more efficient way. Instead of coding certain features, the developer can use pre-made packages. Different packages are responsible for different functionalities, for example, if your application requires user verification, instead of coding it from scratch, you can use the package that\u2019s responsible for it. Thanks to these packages, Laravel has a lower entry threshold.<\/p>\n

Since the Laravel PHP framework is so popular, here are just a\u00a0few companies that use it<\/a>: Pfizer, BBC, or 9GAG.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Django<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/section><\/div>\n
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Yet another server-side web framework,\u00a0Django<\/a>\u00a0is a\u00a0Python-based<\/strong>\u00a0tool that offers\u00a0secure and safe solutions<\/strong>\u00a0for building web applications. What\u2019s worth noting is that Django\u00a0works on both Windows\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Linux<\/strong>, making it a\u00a0multi-platform framework<\/strong>. It\u2019s also based on the MVT (Model-View-Template) architectural pattern and includes\u00a0Object-Relational Mapping<\/strong>\u00a0which helps access sessions, databases, and more.<\/p>\n

Django is a very versatile web development framework, as it can be used for programming almost any kind of website, starting from social media, through blogs, to news sites or wikis, and can work with every client-side framework. Additionally, Django follows Python\u2019s philosophy of batteries included which means additional features and tools.<\/p>\n

Django web framework is used by\u00a0many known companies<\/a>, among them, you can find brands such as YouTube, Instagram, Spotify, or DropBox.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Spring<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/section><\/div>\n
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Being one of the most popular\u00a0Java\u00a0<\/strong>backend frameworks,\u00a0Spring<\/a>\u00a0works based on the\u00a0MVC architectural pattern<\/strong>. It can attribute its popularity to flexibility, security, and community support.<\/p>\n

Thanks to Spring being modular, you can choose which parts of the framework you would like to use. Some of the framework features include\u00a0transaction management<\/strong>,\u00a0Inversion of Control<\/strong>, or\u00a0Dependency Injection<\/strong>. Thanks to them a developer can deliver great web services to end-users.<\/p>\n

In its more complex forms, Spring is often used in corporate environments or in large projects.<\/p>\n

Spring Java framework is used by various brands and institutions, from\u00a0stores like Zalando to universities like MIT<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Frontend Web Development Frameworks<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Since we\u2019re now done with listing backend development frameworks, let\u2019s give client-side frameworks a go! In frontend, the programmers work their magic to turn the code into a visible and pleasant web apps UI. The major difference between the frontend frameworks and backend is that the client-side is concerned with the user interface and user experience on the website, whereas the backend relates to the server-side.<\/p>\n

That being said, let\u2019s now focus on the frontend web frameworks.<\/p>\n

<\/span>React<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/section><\/div>\n
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Although\u00a0React<\/a>\u00a0is categorized as an\u00a0open-source library<\/strong>, it serves the purpose of a framework. Along with its large supporting community and a plethora of plugins, React is widely used among developers. When used with\u00a0extensions<\/a>\u00a0like Create React App, Material UI, or Redux, React becomes a great and robust framework, even though it\u2019s a frontend library.<\/p>\n

It was developed by Facebook in 2013 and is maintained by it to this day. What\u2019s worth mentioning is that React has a cross-platform twin known as React Native. It\u2019s widely used in mobile application development.<\/p>\n

Since React is Facebook\u2019s framework, it\u2019s pretty obvious that it\u2019s one of the companies that use it. Among others, you can find brands like\u00a0Skype, Salesforce, Pinterest, and more<\/a>.<\/p>\n

According to a\u00a0survey conducted by Stack Overflow<\/a>, React was one of the most loved web frameworks on the entire market in 2020. The same result seems to be\u00a0confirmed by a survey conducted by Tsh.io<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Besides, you\u2019ll definitely get a thumbs up from Mark Zuckerberg if you like and use React.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Angular<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/section><\/div>\n
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Angular<\/a>\u00a0is definitely a popular framework for delivering advanced web apps based on\u00a0TypeScript<\/strong>. Created by Google in 2016, Angular is a flexible and reliable framework, often used for developing web applications.<\/p>\n

One of the best features of the framework is the\u00a0Command Line Interface<\/strong>\u00a0that allows the user to generate parts of the code instead of creating them by hand during the development process. Even though Angular is not SEO-friendly, it can still be tweaked for SEO optimization.<\/p>\n

Angular wouldn\u2019t be a recommended option for those who wish to release the MVP unless you\u2019re certain that you\u2019d like to use it.<\/p>\n

Originally, Angular was written in JavaScript but don\u2019t let that fact misguide you. Indeed, it was based on JavaScript at first, though later it was rewritten from scratch in the TypeScript language that is fully compliant with its predecessor.<\/p>\n

But\u00a0who exactly uses Angular<\/a>? Well, here are some of the many companies that use Angular in their web development: Samsung, PayPal, Forbes, or Gmail.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Vue<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/section><\/div>\n
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Similarly to Angular,\u00a0Vue<\/a>\u00a0was based on\u00a0JavaScript\u00a0<\/strong>but rewritten in\u00a0TypeScript<\/strong>. However, the similarities to other web application frameworks will most likely end here. Vue web framework has been created as an individual project and in time evolved into what it is today.<\/p>\n

A big advantage of Vue is that it\u2019s\u00a0progressive<\/strong>, which means that even if you started your development process with a different framework, you can still use Vue on another part of the project. Due to Vue being a reactive framework, any changes made during the development will be visible in\u00a0DOM \u2013 Document Object Model<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Although not supported by Facebook or Google, Vue is still one of the most popular frameworks. It\u2019s the lightest and fastest out of the big three, i.e. Angular, Vue, and React. All these things make Vue an ideal choice for single-page apps.<\/p>\n

Vue is also chosen by a\u00a0large variety of leading companies<\/a>, among them you can find brands such as Apple, Google, BMW, or Nintendo.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Svelte<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/section><\/div>\n
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Imagine you\u2019re on a trail \u2013 hiking, or sitting on the beach near the ocean. You take a deep breath of that pure air. Quite refreshing, isn\u2019t it? Now,\u00a0Svelte<\/a>\u00a0is that breath of fresh air but to the Single Page Applications environment.<\/p>\n

Designed to be a\u00a0fast and efficient<\/strong>\u00a0web development framework, Svelte does things a little bit differently, compared to other popular web frameworks. Typically, frameworks like Angular or Vue use the user\u2019s website to load their own components.<\/p>\n

A different thing happens with Svelte, as it\u00a0compiles the JavaScript in its vanilla version<\/strong>, instead of virtual DOM. It not only makes the performance better but also contributes to the overall developer experience.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Foundation<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/section><\/div>\n
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Designed for use by larger companies,\u00a0Foundation<\/a>\u00a0is one of these frameworks that are harder to grasp. However, that doesn\u2019t change the fact that it\u2019s a great web development framework, ideal for HTML or CSS, or for those who are already experienced with other frameworks.<\/p>\n

Developed with responsivity in mind, Foundation is a\u00a0mix of HTML, JavaScript,\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0CSS<\/strong>\u00a0which allows the user to create interesting projects. What\u2019s more, due to Foundation being such a collection, it works well on various platforms, whether it\u2019s desktop, tablet, or especially mobile phones, since the framework focuses on\u00a0mobile app development<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Since Foundation is not your typical web framework, you might wonder who uses it? Well, for example,\u00a0Workday or Macy\u2019s<\/a>!<\/p>\n

<\/span>Framework vs Library \u2013 What\u2019s The Difference?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/section><\/div>\n
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There is a common misconception when it comes to frameworks and libraries, particularly with jQuery. What seems to be the cause of the problem is the \u201cInversion of Control<\/strong>\u201d, so let\u2019s explain it briefly.<\/p>\n

When using a framework, you\u2019re the one that\u2019s being guided. What it means is that a framework is in charge of the flow. It features a set of rules on how you should follow the development. It\u2019s pretty much like driving Tesla, but it\u2019s actually the car driving you.<\/p>\n

The opposite situation happens with libraries. When using these web resources, the application flow is in your hands. You decide on what you want to use and how you want to use it. In this case, it\u2019s the other way around, you drive the ol\u2019 American muscle.<\/p>\n

Is one better than the other? It all depends on your needs. Sometimes it\u2019s better to use a framework like Angular or Vue if you want to develop a bigger application. On the other hand, when you want to add something to your project, sometimes it\u2019s better to use a library, like jQuery \u2013 which we\u2019re gonna dive into right now.<\/p>\n

<\/span>jQuery<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/section><\/div>\n
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Many web developers choose\u00a0jQuery<\/a>\u00a0because it\u2019s\u00a0fast<\/strong>,\u00a0reliable<\/strong>, and\u00a0easy to use<\/strong>. It includes plenty of features that users find appealing, from being fast and easy to learn to make JavaScript programming even simpler. Additionally, with jQuery, you can create\u00a0dynamic Flash-like animations<\/strong>\u00a0that can even be viewed on Apple devices.<\/p>\n

Many developers choose to start with the jQuery library as it not only features the mentioned animations but can also handle\u00a0Ajax queries<\/strong>. Additionally, while using jQuery you can refresh one part of the website instead of refreshing the entire platform. To start using it, you only have to add one file with the library to your project and your set!<\/p>\n

Taking into consideration everything we mentioned above, jQuery makes a great library for already experienced users. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said when it comes to beginners.<\/p>\n

Even though unfriendly towards rookies, jQuery is very popular among big brands such as\u00a0Twitter, Udemy, Reddit, LinkedIn, and many more<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Key Takeaways<\/strong><\/h2>\n

We\u2019ve compared and listed the most popular web frameworks, both for backend and frontend. Now you should have a general overview of the most popular web development frameworks and that should bring you closer to choosing one for yourself and your business logic. If you\u2019re still hesitating and would like to know more, get in touch with us! We\u2019d be happy to help.<\/p>\n

Either way, for your convenience, let\u2019s take a quick look at a small recap of the article:<\/p>\n