The Best Back-end For React Web Applications
React is a front-end JavaScript library for developing interactive UI. Like any other frontend library, it is happy to be served by any back-end technology such as Node, Python, PHP, Ruby, or Java.
However, the server side is a significant part of every web application that highly determines the app performance, scalability, and ease of app development and maintenance.
Therefore it’s critical to choose a suitable back-end technology if you are building a highly performant and scalable full-stack application.
In this article, we will discuss the top back-end technologies with their features, what can be the best React.js back-end and how to efficiently build React web apps with the best tech stack.
Top back-end technologies to use with React
There are lots of things you must consider while choosing a back-end technology but the most important thing is, which technology is more comfortable for your software project, and your development team.
Here are a few back-end technologies that you can use with React framework.
- Node.js and Express.js
Node.js with Express.js is the most compatible backend pairing used with the React.js frontend. Express.js is the opinionated backend framework for Node.js and the library is used for many other web frameworks based on Node.
Node.js, Express.js, and React.js all of these use the same JavaScript language simplifying modern app development.
Advantages of using Node.js
- Node.js uses speed optimized powerful V8 engine to address any number of users and their queries.
- Developers can use React code directly in the Node.js environment. As Node.js uses Javascript, it’s lightweight and has a fast processing speed.
- Node.js has several built-in APIs and React DOM has components designed to work with Node.js, which makes it best for server-side rendering.
- Builds isomorphic app running JS code on the client as well as server.
- Uses JSON and MongoDB databases and avoids data transformation.
- Implements event-driven non-blocking architecture for I/O intensive operations.
When developers should use Node.js+Express.js with React?
- If the developer team has a great experience with javascript, Express, and Node development environments.
- Want to launch an MVP? Looking forward to growing your website in the future.
- Has a plan to build e-commerce or any other website that needs to handle multiple simultaneous requests at the same time.
To know more about Node.js and why to use it for your app backend read this article.
2. Django
Django is a Python-based free and open-sourced web framework. Though with Django, you will have to manage both server-side and front-end libraries separately, it is still considered an effective and reliable option for full-stack app development with React as front-end.
Advantages of using Django
- It supports many features such as Multi-Language processing and has a vibrant ecosystem of stable libraries and MVC layouts that supports common development needs.
- It is highly adaptable to the most commonly used language Python.
- It is one of the most scalable backend options used with React as it supports a vast number of APIs and functionalities.
When should developers use Django with React?
- If the development team has good experience in Python language and Django framework.
- Want to build secure and scalable web applications?
- Aim to simplify code management. Django offers a manageable configuration as STATICFILES config will React quickly.
3. Laravel a PHP framework
Laravel is a well-known open-source PHP framework. Laravel 5 and above can be used with React.js to create a universal application. For server rendering, you can use REST API and React with a Node server.
Advantages of using Laravel
- Faster page loading
- No need for SEO for web app
- No need for CSRF Token security.
- Easy to maintain.
- Saves bandwidth as you do not need complete HTML for every page change
When developers should use Laravel with React
- When security is the prime for the app. Laravel uses a Bcrypt hashing algorithm which means it never saves any password in the database.
- Offers a range of built-in templates to make development easier and simpler.
- Want to keep your website server healthy while lowering deployment costs?
4. Ruby on Rail
Another ideal framework for React backend development is Ruby on Rails. It is a server-side web application framework written in Ruby. The framework offers particular commands with the name “react-rails”.
Advantages of using Ruby on Rail
- Ruby on rail has great bug-testing features that run during the coding process as well as on runtime.
- The technology helps to reduce web app response time by ensuring that each layer remains independent of the other to minimize chaos during maintenance, testing, and deployment.
- It adapts strict mechanisms to ensure the safety of the code and the database.
When developers should use Ruby on Rail with React
- If you have limited development time and cost.
- Want to improve server response time? Ruby on rail reduces the server request time by 80 to 90%.
- Want to reduce memory usage while improving memory performance?
So, what can be the best back-end for React web applications in 2022?
From the above discussion, we can conclude that React.js can work best with Node.js along with Express.js and MongoDB. Further, it is much easier and best for server-side rendering.
Moreover, if your project doesn’t require superfast rendering or it’s perfectly fine to use any other back-end technology that you love to use, it doesn’t matter much. The only thing is, if you are not using Node.js with React.js then it will be a little difficult to integrate React’s frontend with the backend.
In fact, it’s OK as you do not have to worry about the environment in which the JS is running, as it all runs in the browser.
Overall, every back-end technology has its pros and cons. So one needs to come down with preferences based on the project requirements, developers’ ease, time, and budget limitations. So, it’s always wise to pick your tech stack according to your needs.
Well, now you know about the best back-end technologies that can be used with React. Let’s find out how you can efficiently build React.js applications with the world’s first ProCode development platform- DhiWise.
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DhiWise React web builder offers a perfect environment for React application development. It helps you achieve the optimum in the minimum time and cost. It enables you to adopt a customer-first approach and a courtesy of the Tailwind CSS framework.
Uplifts developers productivity
The platform helps developers to leverage the power of React such as component reusability, flexibility to write custom components, scalability, building rich UI, code stability, and more that ultimately uplift developers’ productivity.
Figma to React code in minutes
Under the hood, the DhiWise React web builder utilizes its intelligent component identifier to determine reusable code components across the screen and also lets you transform the complete prototype into a functional app.
Developer friendly intuitive design
The platform is intuitively designed considering the developer’s convenience, with its view manager developer can pick the exact view from the list as per the nature of existing components and validation.
Scales better
Its unique action creator allows developers to add social, off-page, on-page, and in-app navigation to make your app react in a certain way.
Google Authentication
You can pair static elements of React web apps with Google authenticator to improve the app usage experience.
Vercel deployment
The “Deploy on Vercel” feature in DhiWise React web app builder lets developers deploy their React.js app code on Vercel in a few simple steps.
Beyond all these, the platform also supports backend technologies such as Node.js, Express.js, MongoDB, MySQL, and Laravel. So, you do not need to go anywhere else to build React app backend.
Seems amazing, right?
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