10 Best Web Development Frameworks to Use in 2024 [Updated]
A web application, often referred to as a web app, is a software application that is accessed and interacted with through a web browser over a network, typically the internet. Unlike traditional desktop applications that are launched by your operating system, web applications must be accessed through a web browser. This means that you don’t need to install them on your device, and they can be accessed from any device with a compatible web browser and an internet connection.
Web applications development can serve a variety of purposes and functionalities, ranging from simple tasks like email and online shopping to more complex processes like project management, collaborative document editing, or data analysis. They are typically built using web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and they often interact with a server to retrieve and store data.
A big difference between is that user experience dictates web application design. Web applications and web pages are related concepts, but they serve distinct purposes. A web page is a single document or resource displayed in a web browser, typically containing static content such as text, images, and links. In contrast, a web application is a dynamic and interactive software program accessed through a web browser, enabling users to perform specific tasks or functions.
While a web page primarily presents information, a web application allows users to interact with and manipulate data, often involving complex functionalities such as user authentication, data processing, and real-time updates. Essentially, web pages are static content, whereas web applications provide dynamic and interactive experiences, often featuring multiple interconnected pages or views.
Most mobile applications that appear on smartphones are web apps. Here’s a brief list of common web applications:
- Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms
- Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, and any web-based email programs
- Any self-service customer portal
- Query sites, such as Quora and Google
In this article, I’ll explore the 10 best web development frameworks in 2024.
Whether you want to land a job as a web developer, enhance your portfolio, or build your skills, modern web development has become hugely dependent on web development frameworks.
But what is a web development framework anyway?
If you’re new to the concept, don’t worry. I’ll introduce the idea of a web development framework before diving into our list of the top 10 web development frameworks.
A web development framework is a structured set of tools, libraries, and conventions designed to streamline and simplify the process of building web applications. These frameworks provide a foundation and pre-established structure, allowing developers to focus on application-specific features rather than dealing with low-level details.
Web development frameworks typically include components for both front-end and back-end development. On the front end, they offer tools for creating responsive user interfaces, handling user interactions, and managing data flow. For the back end, they provide a framework for server-side logic, database interactions, and other server-related tasks.
Examples of popular web development frameworks include Django and Flask for Python, Ruby on Rails for Ruby, Angular and React for JavaScript, and Laravel for PHP. The use of frameworks enhances code organization, scalability, and maintainability, while also promoting best web application development services within the development community.
Let’s now look at some key aspects of web development frameworks:
Pre-written Code: Frameworks provide a structure for web applications so you don’t have to code from scratch, including basic functions for managing data and displaying it on web pages.
Libraries and Tools: They often come with libraries for database access, templating frameworks, and session management, and they often promote code reuse.
Security Features: Frameworks also offer security features to protect against threats like SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and others.
Efficiency and Speed: By providing a structured environment, frameworks can make the development process faster and more efficient.
MVC Architecture: Many frameworks follow the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern, which separates the data model with business rules (Model), the user interface (View), and the user input (Controller).
Community and Support: Most web development frameworks have strong communities and support. This means there’s a wealth of documentation, forums, and third-party tools available.
Great. Now that we have the basics let’s look at the most popular web frameworks in 2024.
To keep things simple, we’ll look at this from two perspectives: back-end and front-end.
The Best Backend Frameworks for Web Development
I’ve tried to include a range of web development frameworks with varying strengths and pros, so whatever you choose, you’ll be ready to create powerful, scalable, and efficient server-side applications.
Backend frameworks for web development are software frameworks specifically designed to facilitate the creation and maintenance of the server-side of web applications. These frameworks provide a structured environment for developers to build the server logic, handle database operations, manage user authentication, and handle other server-side tasks. Backend frameworks abstract away much of the complexity involved in server-side development, offering pre-built modules and conventions that make it easier to develop scalable and maintainable web applications. Here are some popular backend frameworks:
Express.js (Node.js):
Express.js is a minimal and flexible Node.js web application framework that provides a robust set of features for web and mobile applications. It is widely used for building RESTful APIs and is known for its simplicity, speed, and scalability.
In general, Express is ideal for designing complex functionalities with less code and more flexibility.
The middleware in Express.js also helps to process requests and responses, making it a breeze to implement functionalities like parsing incoming requests or setting up cookies.
Express.js doesn’t enforce strict conventions; it also offers me the freedom to structure my application as I see fit.
This flexibility is particularly great for projects that require a custom setup or integration with other tools and libraries.
Django (Python):
Django is a high-level Python web framework that encourages rapid development and clean, pragmatic design. It follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architectural pattern and includes an Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) system for database operations. Django is known for its emphasis on automating as much as possible.
Django is also highly regarded for its security features, as it helps developers like you and me to avoid common security mistakes by providing a framework that has been engineered to “do the right things” to protect the website automatically.
Ruby on Rails (Ruby):
Ruby on Rails, often referred to as Rails, is a full-stack web application framework written in Ruby. It follows the convention over configuration (CoC) and doesn’t repeat itself (DRY) principles, emphasizing simplicity and developer productivity.
Rails is also famous for its full-stack nature, covering both front-end and back-end development. This includes everything from the presentation layer (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) to the database interactions. This integrated approach means that you can build a complete application with Rails alone without needing to juggle multiple different frameworks or languages.
Spring Boot (Java):
Spring Boot is an extension of the Spring framework and simplifies the development of production-ready Java-based applications. It comes with built-in features like dependency injection, configuration management, and an embedded web server, making it easy to get started with Java web development.
One of its stand-out features is dependency injection. This might sound complicated, but really, it’s just a design pattern where objects don’t create their dependencies themselves but instead have them provided by an external source (like the Spring Framework).
The idea here is to have more modular, testable, and maintainable code.
Another key aspect of Spring is its aspect-oriented programming (AOP) support, which separates cross-cutting concerns (like logging and security) from the business logic.
This is awesome, as it not only makes the code cleaner but also easier to maintain and scale.
Laravel (PHP):
Laravel is a PHP web application framework known for its elegant syntax and expressive features. It follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern and provides tools for tasks such as routing, caching, and authentication. Laravel is popular for building modern PHP applications.
Something that really stands out to me is that Laravel is much loved for its ability to simplify tasks common in PHP projects, like authentication, routing, sessions, and caching.
Another striking feature of Laravel is its elegant and expressive syntax, designed to make the development process not only easier but also more enjoyable.
Laravel also comes with its own lightweight templating engine called Blade, which is intuitive and helps create amazing layouts with its control structures.
This web development framework also includes a wide range of tools and features to help with tasks like queues, real-time events, and scheduled jobs, making it highly suitable for building modern, real-time web applications.
This emphasis on testing ensures that your application is as bug-free as possible. Sounds good to me!
The Best Frontend Frameworks For Web Development
Okay, now let’s dive into the best front-end frameworks for web development.
Whether you want to create a structured, enterprise-level application with TypeScript or want the flexibility of JavaScript’s leading library, I’ve got you covered with these client-side frameworks.
Angular:
Let’s kick things off with Angular. If you didn’t already know, this is a powerful, open-source web application from Google that’s used by tech giants like PayPal.
As one of the most popular JavaScript frameworks, I really like using Angular when I need a comprehensive way to build efficient and sophisticated single-page applications (SPAs).
Angularjs also stands out for its rich set of features like two-way data binding, form handling, routing, and dependency injection, all of which streamline the development process and improve productivity.
Unlike libraries that focus on the view layer, Angular provides a complete framework, including tools for testing, developing, and deploying applications.
React:
Okay, okay, before you say it, I know React is a JS library, not a framework!
But for most web developers, this distinction does not matter, and many see it as one of the most popular JavaScript frameworks! Even massive tech giants like Uber have React in their tech stack!
It’s also one of my favourite libraries for web development, so I have a soft spot for it! Trust me, if you cut your teeth writing HTML, CSS, and AJAX code for web development before the emergence of JavaScript and JS frameworks, you’ll understand why I like it so much!
That said, React is ideal for building user interfaces and is well-liked for its efficiency and flexibility in creating interactive and complex web applications.
Developed by Facebook, React focuses on building reusable components that manage state, which leads to more predictable code that’s easier to debug.
React also has strong community support, a rich ecosystem, and widespread adoption, cementing its status as a global go-to tool for web developers.
Vue:
Vue.js is another JavaScript framework renowned for its simplicity and flexibility, and it’s often used for building user interfaces and single-page applications.
Designed to be incremental in its adoption, Vue can be integrated into developers’ existing projects in a piecemeal way. I like this because it gives you the option to see how you like Vue before making a major commitment to using it for development.
That said, if you prefer, you can use it to build complex applications from the ground up! Vue’s core library focuses on the view layer, making it easy to pick up and integrate with other libraries or existing projects. It’s also well-suited to sophisticated SPAs when combined with supporting libraries. Check out a Vue.js course if this is something you’re intrigued by.
Conclusion:
So there you have it, the 10 best web development frameworks in 2024.
Whether you’re looking to land a job as a web developer, enhance your portfolio, or boost your skills, web development frameworks are one of the best ways to stay ahead of the curve in modern web development.
Even if you’re new to the world of web development frameworks, I hope you now have a better idea of what they are and why they’re so useful.
Which one is your favourite? And are there any others you’d like to see us include on our list of web development frameworks? Let us know in the comments below.
