Companies’ digital presence was confined to a static website a decade ago. But because of rapid digital transformation, it has become necessary for companies to build interactive and dynamic web applications today. That is where frontend and backend frameworks for web development come in handy.
Web application development frameworks have made building rich and scalable apps faster and hassle-free. A backend framework for web development works as a foundation for developers to write clean and manageable code. In addition, adding new features and scaling a web app built using an app development framework becomes a breeze.
There are many benefits to building your web app using a framework that we will discuss in the post with the top backend frameworks in 2023. However, first, you must know what a backend framework is.
What is an app development framework?
A software framework is a collection of patterns, processes, tools, and techniques that help you build apps in a structured manner. Software development frameworks are solutions that help software developers organize their work and create apps more efficiently. Most importantly, they allow developers to manage the complexity associated with software development, resulting in less code, more efficiency, and fewer defects.
Furthermore, app frameworks provide a standard way to build, deploy, and maintain web or mobile applications. Such frameworks come equipped with functionality to automate the most common activities. These frameworks come with templating capabilities that allow you to present information in a browser, libraries for database access, session management, and code reuse capabilities.
What Are The Different Types Of Web Frameworks?
Basically, you can find two types of frameworks: frontend/client-side frameworks and backend/server-side frameworks.
If you want to create an elegant and attractive user interface for your app, you want to use frontend/client-side frameworks. Some of the most popular frontend frameworks are Flutter, Angular, Vue JS, and React. These frameworks include a range of ready-to-use UI components that save tons of time and redundant work.
On the flip side, backend/server-side frameworks help web developers with well-structured backend development of a website or web app. Such frameworks offer libraries and tools to streamline common web development tasks, such as URL routing, database interaction, user authentication, push notification, security, performance, etc. Many open-source software frameworks use Model View Controller or MVC architecture, making sophisticated app development easy and manageable.
We have curated a list of the top 10 backend frameworks, coming up after the next section.
Why do you need a robust backend framework?
Backend development frameworks enable us to write (or rewrite) software using a standard, unified development language and continue to support it throughout the software development lifecycle. They provide a predefined structure and environment for applications, offering higher-level programming abstractions, fast compilation, and a wider variety of programming paradigms. Thus, using a framework accelerates app development, thereby time to market.
Other benefits of using the right backend frameworks are:
- App development frameworks ensure code reusability, maintenance, and ease of debugging, which most programming languages overlook.
- Using the right framework can save you from writing long code lines to add standard functionality to your web app or website.
- Most frameworks have built-in security features and mechanisms that let developers safeguard their apps from various cyberattacks, including SQL injection, data tampering, etc.
- Since backend frameworks provide helpful tools and packages, developers can bootstrap the development process without writing code from scratch.
- Frameworks offer programmers a responsive, fast, and efficient coding environment, making the app easy to scale and manage.
Learn about mobile app backend development as well.
List Of Top 10 Backend Frameworks For Your Web Application
1). Laravel
One of today’s most popular web application frameworks is Laravel. It has been named “the PHP framework for the modern web” and is used by some of the web’s largest and most complex applications. Laravel is a powerful framework that lets you build large, complex web applications quickly and efficiently. It’s ideal for building complex, database-driven applications and can be used to build single-page web applications using the Vue JavaScript framework.
Key Features:
- Command-line interface (CLI);
- Blade template engine to create dynamic websites;
- Support MVC architecture for faster app development;
- Excellent community support and documentation;
- Eloquent Object Relational Mapping to build database queries using PHP syntax.
2). Django
Django is a web framework written in Python that aims to be fast, flexible, and secure. It powers some of the most dynamic websites and apps, such as Instagram, Spotify, and YouTube. Django is a web framework that aims to make it easier to build web applications. It comes with an HTTP server and a set of libraries that make it easy to get started building web applications.
This high-level, open-source Python framework also has pre-baked packages, for example, authentication and content management system, and is SEO-optimized. Ultimately, it gives developers a much faster and easier way to build web applications than using other web framework alternatives.
Key Features:
- Highly secure, scalable, and customizable;
- Supports rapid development;
- Extensive community support and comprehensive documentation;
- Comes with batteries-included feature;
- Delivers SEO-optimized solutions.
3). Ruby on Rails
Ruby on Rails is a Ruby-based backend framework for building high-quality web applications in a dynamic web environment. You can create any type of web application without getting bogged down in tedious tasks like managing URLs or setting up databases. Rails framework was initially designed to help application developers build more responsive websites by providing a model-view-controller (MVC) and template-based approach to Web development.
Key Features:
- Localization feature to integrate their pre-designed code for a bigger project;
- Convention over Configuration to make programming easy and more efficient;
- Massive libraries to provide developers with essential tools;
- Automated testing saves time and effort.
4). ExpressJS
Express is an open-source, feature-rich, and blazing-fast web application framework written in Node.js. It provides excellent support for HTTP requests and responses, enabling simple and robust APIs without known security flaws. It is fast and scalable, making building many high-traffic, high-volume web applications easy. Express is also a critical part of MEAN full-stack as a backend technology with AngularJS as a frontend framework and NoSQL databases.
Key Features:
- Offers widely-used NodeJS features eliminating the need for writing high-volume code;
- Middleware to access the client request, database, error handling, etc.;
- Great routing API;
- Blazing fast template engine for dynamic web page content development.
5). Flask
Flask is a simple and easy-to-use Python microframework used to build simple yet powerful web applications and APIs. It is written in Python and is based on the WSGI specification. You can also use it to implement REST APIs.
Flask is lightweight, offering a minimal learning curve and a minimal set of dependencies. Besides, it is an opinionated web framework that encourages you to use structured design and unambiguous code in your applications.
Key Features:
- Werkzeug toolkit for building WSGI-compatible web applications;
- In-Built Development Server with an engaging debugger;
- Flask enables writing minimal code and rapid deployment as a microservice;
- Few abstraction layers in Flask encourage high performance;
- RESTful Request Dispatching for building RESTful APIs.
6). CakePHP
CakePHP is written using object-oriented programming techniques for the rapid development and deployment of websites. It became the largest PHP framework in use, powering many of the world’s largest websites. It is especially notable for its approach to model-view-controller pattern and support for various database backends.
CakePHP provides a rapid framework that encourages developers to build applications and websites quickly and allows for a clean separation of logic and markup.
Key Features:
- Employs data mapping, convention over Configuration, active record, and several other popular concepts;
- feature-rich inbuilt ORM to perform database operations;
- CRUD functionality to create, read, update, and delete entities quickly;
- Localization, caching flexibility, MVC architecture, and multiple PHP version compatibility.
7). ASP .NET Core
ASP.NET Core is a set of technologies that makes it easier and faster to build modern, cloud-enabled, and Internet-connected web applications with .NET. The web framework is highly flexible and open. Moreover, it brings various exciting features, providing developers with a rich experience. Furthermore, ASP .NET Core is a cross-platform, open-source framework that runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux and supports different CPU architectures.
Key Features:
- Cross-platform web framework and requires lesser coding;
- Allows runtime components, APIs, languages, and compilers to develop quickly;
- Minimal coding means lesser maintenance;
8). Spring Boot
Spring boot is a Java-based open-source framework used to build cloud-deployed, microservices-based applications that continuously evolve. In addition, it is a fast, lightweight, and secure framework that simplifies the development process by eliminating application setup and Configuration with auto-configuration.
Key Features:
- Supports Event-driven app and Cloud-Native development, Batch processing, and more;
- Efficient Dependency management;
- No need for complex XML configuration;
9). Next JS
Next JS is an open-source JavaScript framework that helps you build single-page JS-based applications faster and with less code. It provides everything you need to build a web app: a framework, a library of building blocks, and an ecosystem of services for building, deploying, and managing your app.
Besides, it offers an intuitive, easy-to-use interface to build and edit HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files. So, you can focus on building your app instead of building your syntax.
Key Features:
- Built-in CSS support to easily import CSS files from JS;
- Lightweight and highly customizable with a hot reload feature;
- Automatic routing and Code Splitting.
10). Phoenix
Phoenix is a web framework built with the Elixir programming language. Elixir, a dynamic language that runs on the Erlang VM, is used for producing reliable, low-latency, fault-tolerant, and distributed systems. The framework comprises increasingly necessary qualities required for modern web application development in today’s rapidly changing web ecosystem.
Key Features:
- Using Erlang VM features helps Phoenix developers to incorporate scaling and real-time systems;
- New concepts of the framework enhance Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture;
- In-built Presence and Channel technologies facilitate real-time interaction between developers.
Frequently Asked Questions About Backend Frameworks for web development
What is called a Backend framework?
A server-side or backend framework provides a structure to simplify the web development process, automating common tasks and providing a standard way to build and deploy the web apps.
Why use a web development framework?
Using a reliable web development framework offers multiple benefits, for example;
- Save time and effort
- Increase scalability and code maintainability
- Enhance security and performance
How to choose a web framework?
There is a myriad of frameworks available that can overwhelm you in choosing the right one for your project. Hence, when you want to pick a suitable framework, studying the below aspects will help you.
- Documentation of the framework
- Framework functionality that suits your requirements
- Coding standards and internal policies
- Framework community and support system
What are the top backend frameworks for web development in 2023?
As we have listed, the top 10 backend frameworks in 2023 are:
- Laravel
- Django
- Ruby on Rails
- ExpressJS
- Flask
- CakePHP
- ASP.NET COre
- Spring Boot
- Next JS
- Phoenix
Which Backend Framework Will You Use?
So, after looking into the top 10 backend frameworks, you must know how choosing the right one is crucial. However, the growing number of popular web frameworks can confuse anyone. Hence, you should seek expert advice to ensure you pick the apt one for your web presence requirements. Because choosing the wrong framework can be an obstacle, raising challenges in your web development.
If you find yourself in a situation where you cannot decide on the appropriate framework, consult with our professionals. Our web development mastermind will help you identify the perfect framework for your project with the optimum features and functionality.