10 Best Backend Frameworks for Web development in 2024

Posted By UPSQODE
14 mins read
Jan 1st, 2024
Table of Contents

Since the pandemic hit, enterprises have been more focussed on taking their business toward virtual platforms. Therefore, the market for web development has remarkably grown with the passing days. Research shows that the software development market is expected to grow by 25% by 2026. To cope with this demand, “Framework” has become an essential part to build scalable, robust, and fast applications.

The framework works as a helping medium for building any web applications or apps. Frameworks are built on top of programming languages. It assists the developers with its inbuilt features to develop and deploys any project fast.

These frameworks are distinguished into two categories i.e “Frontend” or “Backend”. So today with this article, we are going to discuss one of these frameworks “Backend”. Earlier, we also discussed on Best frontend frameworks.

There is plenty number of backend technologies, and it’s really a difficult task to choose one. In this article, we are mentioning the 10 best backend frameworks. So, going through it, will help you to understand the backend, and choose the best for your web development.

Before moving ahead, let’s have a brief idea of a Web application framework.

What is a web application framework?

As we have early mentioned in the beginning, Framework works as a helping medium. But here we will understand this term technically.

A web application framework or simply a “web framework” is a software tool, which supports the development of the web with its web services, web resources, and web APIs. It provides a standard way to build an application easier and faster.

Frameworks are applicable to building both static and dynamic websites. They provide support of libraries for templates, database access, and session management as well as component to store and reuse the codes.

Types of web development frameworks

Web development frameworks are mainly categorized into two categories, Client – side and Server – side

Client-Side Framework

Client-side can also be called “Frontend Framework”, which deals with the User interface of the site. Whatever the user sees like text, images, UI, and interacts with, is part of the client side. It considers the task, that takes place in the user browser. It helps the user to have a seamless user experience.

Server-Side Framework

The server-Side framework can also be called the “Backend Framework”. This site is responsible for carrying out all business logical operations. Like if you are having a login to a site, the backend will execute all the login logic and successfully take you to the site. It renders output and enhances the security of sites from multiple attacks.

In simple words, the frontend framework takes care of UI while the backend is responsible for business logical operations.

What is the purpose of a Backend Framework?

The backend framework facilitates the design of the backend structure of the site and provides ready-made solutions to construct effective web applications. It allows the developers to store the information in the database and provide the output as HTML or other types of files.

The benefit of Backend Framework in Web development
The main benefit of the backend is, it makes development easier and reduces the need of writing code from scratch. Let’s look at its core benefits

  • Time-saving
  • High Performance
  • Faster development
  • Scalability
  • Robustness
  • Powerful security
  • Integrations

The best part is that most of the frameworks are available for free, with premium features and functionalities. Keep reading, to find out the best backend framework.

Best 10 Backend Frameworks for web development

Django of Python

Django is an open-source and fully featured server-side framework, written in Python programming language. It is based on the principle of DRY(Don’t Repeat Yourself) and focuses on code-reusing, which saves time. It follows MVC(Model-View-Controller) architecture.

Django is best considered for building database-driven web applications rapidly and makes use of python features and provides an optional admin interface to perform Create, Read, Update, Delete (CRUD) operations. It is one of the easiest python backend frameworks.

Django offers some out-of-the-box functionalities like Rest API support and is considered one of the best web application frameworks. Many big companies like Google, YouTube, Instagram, Spotify, Pinterest, DropBox, Mozilla, and Disqus uses Django for their website.

Features of Django

Open-source – Django is an open-source and python-based web development framework. It is easy to use and reliable platform.

Batteries-Included – Django considered itself battery-included, which means it includes everything that developer requires.

Security – Django enables developers to protect their sites from various security problems like SQL injections, CSRF attacks, and XSS by default.

Some of the core features of Django are Middleware support, MVC architecture, in-built libraries and packages, and components to solve some cases.

Advantages of Django

Fast Development

Django is an easy-to-use framework, which helps the developer to utilize several elements and speed up the development process. It minimizes the need of writing code again and again for new functionalities. Moreover, it quickly creates MVPs.

Feature-enrich

It provides a wide variety of tools and features for a quick development process. It offers features like user authentication, sitemaps, content administration, and much more

SEO-Optimized

Django-based apps are SEO-friendly and can be maintained on servers rather than IP addresses.

Scalability

It offers a high level of capabilities and that’s the reason, many businesses work on it, to meet up their business demand.

Versatile

Its ability to create all types of websites makes it versatile in nature. Django is suitable for every kind of website ranging from content management systems to social networking and news sites.

Disadvantages of Django

Not good for small applications

The robust feature of Django makes it perfect to build large and complex applications. But Some of these features are not needed for building small projects and even they create a negative impact on small applications.

Tightly-couple components

Like other frameworks, Django does not keep the components loosely coupled, which led the programmers to deploy all the components at a time.

Laravel of PHP

Laravel is an open-source backend framework of PHP, which was released in 2011. It is based on (Model-View-Controller) architecture.

It contains extensive libraries and API support with an easy interface. It is mainly considered for building blogs, e-commerce sites, and news sites and helps the developer to create custom web apps using the elegant syntax of PHP.

Laravel allows its users multiple ways to access relational databases along with application maintenance and deployment utilities. Many expert Laravel developers have rated it as one of the best software development frameworks. Laravel retains an MIT license and has a source code hosted on GitHub. Some well-known companies like 9GAG, Pfizer, Crowdcube, and Razorpay have used Laravel as their backend framework.

Features of Laravel

Having Command Line Interface – Laravel possesses its own command line interface called “Artisan”. It looks like Linux CLI but very helpful. You can build Modals, and Controllers and even do data migrations with CLI.

Template Engine – Laravel features have template engines, which are designed for building both simple and complex layouts. Its lightweight templates can be used for generating layouts and seeding content. Additionally, it provides JS and CSS code with widgets.

MVC Architecture – Laravel is based on MVC architecture, which efficiently separates the business logic and presentation layer. Laravel MVC offers many functions, which improve the performance of an application as well.

Security – Laravel provides robust security for web applications. It uses Bycript hashed algorithm and generates an encrypted password. As a result, it does not store passwords in plain text.

Advantages of Laravel

Easy Authentication

You can easily implement authentication in Laravel. Its easy configuration method provides simple authentication logic and aids control of access resources

Simple API

Laravel’s Simple API efficiently works with the SwiftMailer library. It offers mail drivers like SMTP, Mandrill, and Amazon SES, which boast. It also offers PHP drivers for sending mail. It provides support for sending notifications across multiple channels. Laravel offers fast application mail sending through local or cloud-based services.

Testing

The test-friendly framework comes with helper methods for testing a web application. It offers PHPUnite support along with a readymade phpunit.xml file for web applications. It provides a simple user interface for form filling, app requests as well as link clicks.

Logs

Exceptions and errors are handled automatically by Laravel projects. Its Monolog logging libraries integration supports multiple log handlers.

Disadvantages of Laravel

Slow Development Speed

Every business owner expects fast application development, therefore speed matters a lot here. Laravel fails to provide fast development as compared to other backend frameworks.

Equivocal Updates

Laravel framework brings updates often. Certain updates of this framework can be dangerous for the developers if they accept them without any precautions.

Express js of Node.js

Express.js is an open-source web development framework of Node.js available under an MIT license. It is also considered a Nodejs standard server framework. It is mainly used for building web applications and API.

Javascript developers use it more, because of its high flexibility. It allows developers to create single pages, multiple pages, and hybrid pages. Along with Angular JS frontend framework. Express is a mean stack backend component with No SQL databases.

It is an unopinionated, minimalist, and fast backend framework. Express.js is considered the best software development framework. Companies like Accenture, Myntra, PayPal, Twitter, etc are working with Express JS.

Features of Express JS

Fast Server-Side Rendering – As Express is a framework of Node js, it allows the developers to utilize its many features in different stages. With Express, developers can execute the code instantly with few lines of code rather than high-volume code. The web development speed is faster in Express js compared to working only with Node js

Debugging – Debugging is a common issue, that every development stage faces, and finding the cause of the bug is more difficult sometimes. Thanks to the Express debugging system, which lets the developers easily find out the parts causing bugs.

Template-Engine – Express template engine, which helps the developer to create dynamic web page content by developing HTML pages on the server side.

Advantages of Express js

Enables single programming languages

Express js allows developers to utilize Javascript language in both the front and backend sides. So they don’t require to use any other language for server-side. That way development becomes easier because most browser supports Javascript.

Easy learning Curve

As Javascript is the more preferable language, and the majority of frontend developers rely on it. Therefore with JS knowledge, it won’t take much effort to learn Express as a backend.

Enables High-Performance

Express uses Javascript v8 engine support for interpreting, which facilitates JS code into machine code and makes the code implementation easier. This can automatically fasten the execution speed which in turn improves the performance of an application.

Disadvantages of Express js

Not good for Large Projects

It is perfectly suitable for small-sized or middle-sized projects, but as per the experts, it doesn’t work well with large-size projects because of middleware.

Doesn’t provide high-security

Express does not provide any high-level security, it depends on the web developers how they are implementing security features in their web development.

Ruby on Rails of Ruby

Ruby on Rails also known as “Rails” or “ROR” is an open-source backend framework written in Ruby language. It follows MVC architecture with default database structure. It focuses on two basic principles DRY(Don’t Repeat Yourself) and COC(Convention Over Configuration). It is considered one of the best web application frameworks.

It helps the developers to create, manage and analyze the application separately. It uses XML and JSON for data transfers while Javascript, CSS, and HTML for user-interfacing. ROR is used by GitHub, Airbnb, Netflix, and Crunchbase.

Features of Ruby on Rails

Scaffolding – This feature helps the developers to decide the working of an app database. According to this, code is created automatically.

MVC Architecture – It follows globally used MVC architecture, which we have discussed earlier, it separates both the logic and view layer.

Test-friendly – ROR offers an easy-to-use unit testing setup called Rspec. It provides an easy way to test an application through separate calls.

Advantages of Ruby on Rails

Time Saver

Ruby on Rails offers numerous modules and plugins, which reduces the time for developers to create standard codes. In this way, development completes in less time.

Easy Scalability

It offers great scalability to the users. Even if you are working on a small project, you can ROR can expand it significantly. Scalability is one of the major reasons for many companies opting for ROR.

Reliable and Accurate

ROR has automated testing functionality, which offers test-driven techniques. This technique helps the developers to execute the code with few errors and provides better consistency. This feature of ROR makes it more authentic and easy to handle.

Disadvantages of Ruby on Rails

Slow Runtime speed

Slow runtime speed is the major drawback of ROR and creates a problem for many users. It can badly affect high-traffic applications.

Documentation

Ruby on Rails does not provide good documentation. Therefore, it becomes difficult for programmers to find the solution for any libraries and gems.

CakePHP of PHP

CakePHP is another open-source framework of PHP. It is available under an MIT license, based on the concept of Ruby on Rails. It smoothens the process of development, deployment, and maintaining an application.

CakePHP enables you to solve problems quickly by using conventions over configuration. Developers considered it one of the best frameworks for software development to work. Companies using CakePHP in their tech stacks are Deloitte, Walls.io, SeatGeek, and House Party.

Features of CakePHP

Provides Easy Database integration with CRUD support

  • It is based on MVC architecture
  • Contains components for Cookies, Sessions, Email, and Request handling
  • Compatible with multiple PHP versions
  • Contains in-built validation
  • CakePHP applications are flexible in nature

Advantages of CakePHP

ORM

ORM stands for object-relational mapping, it’s a data converting technique, which is used to convert data for incompatible systems. Its ORM features help the users to perform CRUD and database operations easily.

Reusability

The backend lets the developers create reusable code parts across multiple projects. It offers many tools and plugins for the developer’s convenience.

Security

Security is a major problem, that almost every framework has to face and handle carefully. But CakePHP is just different from other frameworks, as it has in-built security features like CSRF protection, SQL injection, input prevention, and many more to protect the application from various security threats.

No Pre-Configuration Needed

There is no burden to configure Linux, Apache, and MySQL setup. As it can automatically detect the configurations, which are needed.

Disadvantages of CakePHP

Updating Routes

Using CakePHP, you have to face the issue of updating routes, for making URLs as compared to other frameworks.

Difficulties in Migrating Versions

Developers might feel difficulties in migrating from 2 to 3 versions of CakePHP. It doesn’t support any backward compatibility changes, as a result, developers can have difficulties moving to the updated version.

Flask of Python

Flask is a lightweight microweb framework, based on Python. It is considered a microweb framework because it does not require any tools or libraries. It is used for developing Python-based web applications. It is also one of the easiest frameworks to learn for beginners.

This backend framework provides reusable codes, which can be used to build web applications. Pinterest, Twilio, Netflix, LinkedIn, Uber, Reddit, etc are the popular companies using Flask.

Features of Flask

  • Using Flask, secure Cookies can be created
  • A light-weight framework of Python
  • The backend is based on Unicode
  • Offers debugging features and development server

Advantages of Flask

Flexible

Flask framework is flexible because its components and modules can be easily modified whenever required. It is extremely easy to configure.

High Performance

Due to its fewer abstraction layers between the user and database, cache, and requests, it is capable to provide a high level of performance to the users.

Microframework

It is a microframework, as it does not require any tools or libraries. It is designed to get quickly started with web application development to scale, with the ability to scale up large applications.

Disadvantages of Flask

Not a good choice for big Projects

This python-based framework could be time-consuming if you are opting for it for large projects.

No Admin and Authentication

It is one of the major drawbacks of Flask, as it does not provide any admin and authentication for the user login system.

ASP .NET Core of C#

ASP.NET Core is an open-source web development framework by Microsoft. It’s a successor of ASP.NET, which is used to build web apps on the .NET platform. This modular framework runs on both .NET Framework, Windows, and cross-platform.

ASP.NET Core various support for the life-cycle, which meets the requirements of your app. It is used by popular companies like Alibaba Travels, Cognizant,Via Varejo, LiteTube, etc.

Features of ASP .NET

  • It is faster than other popular web development frameworks
  • It is platform-independent, it can be run and deployed on various platforms like Windows, Linux, macOS, and Docker.
  • Contains Command-line tools and extensions for popular editors.
  • Asynchronous in nature

Advantages of ASP .NET Core

Cross-Platform Support

The new ASP.NET provides support for all platforms. It’s a cross-platform solution for building web applications for various platforms like Windows, Linux, macOS, and Docker. This uses the same C# code in every platform.

Requires Less Coding

This backend framework requires minimal coding, which means you can execute your work with fewer lines of statements. Less coding indicates less developing time to build an application.

Better Performance

It is one of the biggest advantages of the ASP.NET Core framework. The latest updates and improvements help the developers to improve the code and enhance the performance of an application.

Disadvantages of ASP .NET Core

Expensive Framework

Compared to other frameworks, ASP.NET Core is an expensive framework, because for using it, you will need licensed Visual Studio, Windows, and SQL Server. That’s why hosting providers also charge more to host this application.

Security

The security of ASP.NET Core is susceptible in absence of user login, email verification, and password verification. Developers might need to pay more while getting more security features.

Spring Boot of Java

Spring Boot is an open-source microservices framework. It is based on the Java language. It is used to build unique and production-ready spring applications.

Java applications can use the core features of this framework. It allows you to build REST API with fewer configurations. Companies like Udemy, Trivago, Fifth Walk, iFood, etc are using Spring Boot for their web application development.

Features of Spring Boot

  • Startup banners can be modified using a banner.txt file to their classpath.
  • Spring Boot offers lazy initialization, which can lower the time needed for the application to start.
  • Developers can use SpringApplicationBuilder if they want to build fluent API.

Advantages of Spring Boot

  • Spring-based applications are easy to develop with Java or Groovy.
  • Reduces development and increases the productivity rate
  • Provides a lot of plugins to work with embedded and in-memory databases easily.
  • It is based on “Opinionated Defaults Configuration”, which reduces the developer’s effort.
  • Configurations of Boilerplate are not required

Disadvantages of SpringBoot

Not well for Monolithic Services

Spring Boot works very well with microservices, but when it comes to creating monolithic services, it is not a good choice.

Less Control

It creates a lack of control over applications, due to unaccustomed dependencies which can increase the size of application files.

Not Good for Freshers

If you are not having any knowledge of Spring ecosystem and AOP programming, then you may find difficulties in learning it.

Koa.js

Koa.js is a next-generation web development framework based on Node js. It is designed by the Express team with the aim of developing web applications and APIs smaller and more robust.

Koa.js provides minimal interfaces to build any application. It is a small framework but contains the required tools, which are needed to build software. Its web applications are quite flexible. Paralect, airCloset, Shimo Website, Pie, etc are the companies using Koa.js in their tech stacks.

Features of Koa.js

Smaller Footprint – Koajs is a lightweight framework, it has a smaller footprint than any other Node js framework. It is used for building server-side applications. It helps the user scale their applications based on their various requirements and needs.

Future-Proof Framework – Compared with other Node js frameworks, Koa.js is distinct in nature. It has built ECMAScript 2015 and ECMAScript 6. It incorporates generators with ECMA Script 2015, which helps the developers to build an application for a more extended period.

Better Error Handling – Using middleware efficiently, Koa.js facilitates and improves error handling.

Advantages of Koa.js

  • Offers fast application development
  • Easily scalable and flexible
  • You can easily integrate third-party services and middleware
  • Easy to learn for beginners
  • Can be customized easily as per the project requirements

Disadvantages of Koa.js

Not compatible

This framework is dependent on the generators, that’s why it is not compatible with middleware like Node js.

Less Community

Koa.js is comparatively new to the market. So it has gained less community with 33k starts and 3.2k forks on GitHub.

No Built-in Routing

It is one of the major drawbacks of Koa, as it has no built-in routing, so developers might have to install it separately

.NET Core of C#

Last but not least of our list of backend frameworks, .NET Core is another open-source web development framework maintained by Microsoft. It is a cross-platform framework, which is used to create server-side applications, that runs on various platforms like Windows, Linux, and Mac.

It is the successor of .NET and is considered one of the best software development framework. Companies like Samsung, Microsoft, Intell, and Cisco are using . NET.

Features of .NET

  • It is a cross-platform framework.
  • Not only supports C#, but also supports other languages like C++, VB.net, XAML, and Typescript.
  • Can be used to create a broad range of applications
  • Provides high-level security.

Advantages of .NET

Consistently

.NET manages every process effortlessly, if any process has errors, it handles another process consistently.

Reliability

Applications built with .NET are very much reliable and can perform seamlessly for a longer period. That’s why it is more useful for web applications.

Productivity

The programming structure and libraries of .NET enhance the performance of the web application which in turn increases its productivity.

Disadvantages of .NET

Vendor lock-in

It’s a major drawback of this framework, any changes in the application can impact the project done under this framework.

Unstable with new releases

Whether any new features or updates come, it makes the framework unstable.

Licensing Cost

While building an application with .NET, you have to pay an extra amount for the .NET family. Like in order to use it, you have to pay for Visual Studio, windows, and SQL.

The Conclusion

Now, This is the end of this article. Above, we have provided detailed information on the best 10 backend frameworks for web development, this article might help you to make the right decision for your project. Before taking a decision, please study your project requirements and their complexity, then choose the one, which can fulfill all your requirements and needs successfully.

If you need more consultants, please feel free to contact UPSQODE – a top software development company, providing robust web solutions for many years. We will be glad to help you.

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