Introduction
Picking a tech stack for a new project has become stressful for new engineers because a new JavaScript framework is released every week and tech evangelists on Twitter are always touting a new acronym.
Users must receive a result while creating any project, and developers are dedicated to identifying the best method for doing so. Several factors affect application efficiency. The most crucial one is a well-chosen technological stack.
There are many distinct technology stacks available for web application development. For newcomers in particular, it can be intimidating to know what resources are accessible and when to use them. The most prevalent tech stacks for web application development will be examined in this article.
Meet Steve. A non-technical business owner.
Steve invested $50,000 in creating a stunning website. Yet for what he required, it was far too complex. His consumers didn’t even use all of the pages. The finished application was tough to maintain without coding experience and was sluggish on mobile.
It was a complete waste of time and money.
Steve simply needed a straightforward build, it turns out. One that was manageable, light, and compatible with mobile devices.
If he had understood that complex isn’t always better, he could have had the website up and running in half the time and for half the money.
Don’t be like Steve.
What is a Tech Stack?
A programming language, database, and framework stack is referred to as a “tech stack” and is used to build websites and web applications. A typical web development stack typically consists of a combination of the following front-end and back-end technologies:
Frameworks are collections of code created by other developers. These can assist you in creating a web application without having to start from zero.
How to Pick The Right Technology Stack for Web Development?
We will go through the top five elements that determine how to choose a technology stack for web app development.
1. Define project requirements
To select a web technology stack that will meet all of your project requirements, you should conduct extensive research on the most popular web app development tools and languages that can assist in the development of required features for your app.
This is why we strongly advise connecting the developers’ team first to create an inventory of project specifications. This way, you can escape spending money on newfangled technologies that you don’t really need.
2. Development time
If you want the project to be completed in the shortest amount of time possible, selecting ready-made solutions or frameworks that allow for simple integration will reduce the fleet to market. The MEAN stack is one of the most ideal stacks because it reduces total development time through third-party integrations, which speeds up the entire process.
3. Budget of the project
For many businesses, particularly startups, selecting the correct technology stack is one of the most important factors influencing budget. Even though most of the tools are free and open-source, product owners must still employ a development team, which can be expensive. To save money, search for developers who specialize in the most popular technologies. In this manner, you will be able to locate genuine professionals at reasonable prices.
4. Make a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
You should also consider making an MVP. In this instance, the developers will create a basic version of your business concept to test with your target audience. After that, you can decide whether to include additional features to improve rivalry.
Aside from development expenses, you must also consider maintenance and server costs. Choose a serverless architecture for your web service if you want to cut these costs.
5. End-user engagement
Your primary emphasis should be on the user. Whichever technology makes your user’s life easier is the best option for your project. Is it intended for internal or external users? Will your visitors reach your website via laptops, tablets, or smartphones? Will they be using a particular browser? Are they computer-savvy or inexperienced users? Do you require an app to make your material more accessible?
6. Necessity to integrate or migrate
If you have current products that need to be integrated into the new system, the technology you require may be affected. Similarly, if you want to transfer to a legacy system, you may be limited in your options. You may also want to migrate to new technology in the future, so keep some options open for future changes.
7. What Type of design do you want
How appealing must your website or program be? And what is your favored appearance and feel — fancy and cute, or no-nonsense simplicity? Aesthetics may not be as essential as function. Or perhaps looks are everything.
8. Your company personality
How appealing must your website or program be? And what is your favored appearance and feel — fancy and cute, or no-nonsense simplicity? Aesthetics may not be as essential as function. Or perhaps looks are everything.
9. Future scalability
It is also critical to consider the future of web applications when selecting a technology platform for web application development. It must be readily scalable and maintainable if you want it to grow. To accomplish this, you must create a correct and straightforward project structure with a low number of dependencies and employ dependable technologies.
Depending on the nature of the project, you may need to consider several other variables, such as performance, to ensure that the adoption of architecture changes does not result in downtime and significant costs.
10. Time to market
Time to market is another important consideration when selecting the correct technology stack for web development.
Clients should pay special attention to the web application technology stack, which is accessible to most software developers and can reduce the time to release. It is also critical to comprehend whether the chosen technologies allow for additional scalability.
In the case of startups, the sooner you release the idea, the better. This is why you should search for the most widely used and simple-to-use web app development tools and technologies. You will have enough time for a large-scale marketing campaign in this manner.
What Are The Different Tech Stack Options For Developing Web Apps?
Many different tech stacks can be used for web application development
1. MEAN Stack
[MongoDB + Express.js + Angular.js + Node.js]
The MEAN stack is a JavaScript web platform used to build websites such as YouTube, Netflix, and PayPal. MEAN is an excellent technology stack for those who are already acquainted with JavaScript or who want to accelerate their development process.
It is a popular web development stack that is also known as a monolithic stack because all of its components are tightly coupled and all server-side code is written in JavaScript. MEAN stack data movement is bidirectional.
Benefits:
- Easy to implement
- Seamless data transfer
- Effective prototyping abilities
- Reusable and cloud-friendly
- Real-time and interactive apps
- Reduces development costs
2. MERN Stack
[MongoDB + Express.js + React.js + Node.js]
Employs the React JavaScript library as its front-end framework. MERN is used by businesses such as Dropbox, Facebook, and Airbnb. MERN has many of the same advantages as the MEAN stack, but React has a more gradual learning slope than Angular.js.
Benefits
- Adaptable code integrating
- Open-source framework
- Low Development costs.
- Three-tier building design
- Stable and flexible development procedure
3. MEVN Stack
[MongoDB + Express.js +Vue.js + Node.js]
MEVN’s front-end technology is Vue.js, rather than Angular.js or React. Vue.js is a JavaScript framework for creating user interfaces that is one of the most common on the market. Alibaba, Behance, and GitLab have all used the MEVN stack to create their websites.
Benefits
- Use of a single language at all stages of web development
- Web development procedure that is more efficient and faster
- MVC architecture to improve management
- Quick and simple instruction
- Platform agnostic
4. PERN Stack
[PostgreSQL + Express + React + Node.js]
PostgreSQL appears to be increasing in popularity because it provides extensive support for NoSQL features, as well as transactional and standard compliance. It is developed in the C programming language.
Benefits
- Available in a variety of dialects.
- Extremely Extensible.
- Ensures data security.
- Constructs fault-tolerant systems.
- A strong access-control mechanism
- Encourages international personalities.
5. LAMP Stack
[Linux + Apache + MySQL + PHP]
Because it was one of the first open-source software stacks, the LAMP stack is regarded as the platform of choice for developing new custom web apps. LAMP stack is used by famous open-source web applications such as WordPress and Drupal.
LAMP is a classic technology stack that runs many popular websites such as Facebook, Wikipedia, and Tumblr.
Benefits
- secure Architecture
- Long-standing encryption practice
- Efficient in dealing with dynamic sites with frequent content changes
- Flexibility in selecting the appropriate components for particular business requirements
So, Which stack should you use?
To supplement this guide, we’ve chosen to present you with a few of the most effective web development tech stacks for various business sizes. Edition 2024!
If you are a startup:
Startups frequently need to create an app quickly while also saving money. For this, open-source, relatively simple options such as Python with a regular library and Django as a framework are available. It’s a well-known technology stack linked with simplicity and functionality. It can be used in conjunction with a MySQL database and JavaScript components.
If you are a small or medium-sized business, MEAN or MERN stacks may be the best choice.
MEAN is an acronym that stands for Angular.js (frontend framework), Node.js (cross-platform server), Express.js (backend), and MongoDB. (database). It is a collection of JS technologies that can assist you in developing high-performance, responsive applications with excellent user experience.
MERN – same technology, but Angular.js has been superseded by React.js. You may want to use this stack because of the benefits of React, such as HTML-like layout and SEO friendliness. The first makes it simpler to use, while the second makes it easier to rank your web app at the top of search engines, thereby improving marketing efforts.
If you are a Enterprise:
The MEAN set is well-suited to MVC design and is simple to upgrade. And MERN is ideal for creating mobile applications, particularly large-scale ones, with complex UI that must appear simple.
Keep in mind that these are typically the best web development technology stack choices for a specific company volume. Each initiative is distinct in terms of its agenda, marketing objectives, business positions and needs, and so on.
Final Thoughts
By thinking about it from a business standpoint, you’ll hopefully be able to choose something you’re comfortable developing in with confidence that it will meet their needs in the future.
We know the technology, they know the business, and the solution is somewhere in the middle. Let’s start thinking about the long-term implications of our decisions and be deliberate about what we strap into someone’s company for years.
Now is the time to collaborate and start creating something meaningful that will shape your business and millions of users’ lives.
Rajat Chauhan is the Manager of Digital Marketing at Ace Infoway, where he is a full-stack marketer with a deadly focus on better writing and disciplined creativity while implementing growth strategies for organizational goals.