The 5 Absolute Best Backend Web Frameworks in 2022

The growth of the internet has influenced the incorporation of web services in businesses immensely. This became especially evident in 2019 with the COVID-19 outbreak. Because of lockdown policies, businesses had to adjust to web-based service provision. So what’s the problem? Well, it meant that most businesses were now primarily focused on their web proficiency. While that is great for consumers, it wasn’t all sunflowers and sunshine for businesses. Web services became quite competitive and consumer attention and interaction was top priority. Business web applications needed to both be easy to build and maintain yet optimally functional. To that end, business owners continually had to use the best web frameworks for web development.

But what is a web framework? And how does it help build scalable web apps easily for optimal consumer interaction?

What Is a Web Development Framework?

You should note that the use of web frameworks did not start after the pandemic. Frameworks like ASP.net were already in use in 2002. But there’s been significant progress in the capabilities of web frameworks since then.

A web framework refers to a software tool intended to automate the overhead involved in the web development process. 

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What Are the Types of Web Frameworks?

A web framework may be either of two types:

1. Client Side Web Framework

These types of web development frameworks are strictly concerned with the user interface. They have nothing to do with web app functionalities and business logic. Instead, it focuses on the section of web applications or web pages visible to users.

2. Server Side Web Framework

The use of a server side framework is primarily for generating backend functionality. This involves data management, web server handling, database manipulation, among other activities.

You can classify web development frameworks based on architecture or programming language. Some server side programming languages include, Python, JavaScript, PHP, and.NET.

Most web frameworks fall under either Model View Controller (MVC architecture) or Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM architecture). It’s worth noting that frontend or backend frameworks may fall under any architecture. This is not the same when classifying by programming language. No backend framework is based off on a frontend programming language.

You can find details on client-side frameworks on top 10 frontend development frameworks. But for the sake of detail, we are only going to discuss server side frameworks.

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Why Use Backend Web Frameworks?

The primary objective of a backend framework is to automate overheads correlating to web development. But some of the best backend frameworks may also help in the following ways:

• Improve scalability and maintainability requirements
• Enhance security and privacy encryptions
• Integrate third party libraries and tools 
• Create robustness and higher performance
• Encourage rapid web development for time-saving
• Most of the best backend web development frameworks are open source. This ultimately mitigates the typically high costs of traditional web development.

These are some of the more general features most backend frameworks possess. However, all backend frameworks are different. Some thrive on aspects where others plummet. So, choosing the best backend framework is honestly based on unique preference, circumstance and requirements.

Best Backend Frameworks in 2022

To help streamline your options, here is a comprehensive list of the overall best backend frameworks in 2022:

1. Django

Django sits atop as the most sought-after python web frameworks^[1] in the market. It is an open source web application framework that uses the Python programming language for all operations. It also functions using the model view controller architecture.

This backend framework requires little to no third-party plugins. And it is one of the most used web frameworks for database-driven complex web projects. This includes CMS (Content Management Systems), social networks, SaaS-solutions and even non-standard complex projects.

It functions well with XML, HTML and JSON format projects. And you’ll typically see it used in enterprise-level web application development. Some famous use cases of the Django framework include; NASA, Spotify, Pinterest, Bitbucket, Instagram and Mozilla. 

Key Features:

•  Excellent scalability owed to caching and reusability tools and features  
•  Provides optimal security from web attacks such as cross-site scripting, SQL injection. CSRF attacks and clickjacking to name a few
•  Supports MVC core architecture, HTTP libraries and ORM (Object Relational Mapper) 
•  Large and vibrant community with well-organized documentation
• Inbuilt authentication tool

2. Ruby on Rails

Ruby on rails is one of the oldest and most popular backend frameworks^[2] till today. It was written with the Ruby programming language. But it combines HTML, JavaScript and CSS in developing web applications.

Many experienced developers consider Ruby on rails as the best backend framework for e-commerce web services and the likes. In fact, over 5,000 web developers^[3] have contributed to the Ruby on Rails program.

Some popular apps using Ruby on rails are; Airbnb, GitHub, Groupon and Hulu.

Key Features:

• Encourages rapid development with ready-made modules and plugins. Backend developers using this framework effectively minimize build time typically required for building web applications.
• MVC architecture support, the most commonly used web application architecture
• With the help of automated testing, web developers enjoy excellent error handling and gradual quality development
• Ruby on Rails uses Convention over Configuration
• There’s no need for writing SQL code to develop queries. A web developer only needs to write code in Ruby syntax. The Active Record library used by Ruby on Rails translates it to SQL queries
•  Unit testing with RSpec

3. Laravel

Laravel is the best choice for backend development using PHP scripting language. Many consider it the best software for backend web development. And was is one of the most popular backend frameworks as of March 2021. Other PHP frameworks like Symfony and Codelgniter are lesser alternatives.

It is an open source web framework distributed under the MIT license and written in PHP.

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Key Features:

• Great API support that functions smoothly with the SwiftMailer library
• The template engine of Laravel is comprehensive. It is usable for generating complex layouts and even sports widgets with functional JS and CSS code
• Eloquent Object Relational Mapping
• Laravel users enjoy excellent exception and error handling. In addition, it has monolog logging library integration while making provision for multiple log handlers
• Ease of implementing authentication and authorization logic
• Developers get several ways of accessing relational databases
• Laracasts is a tutorial website for web developers in the Laravel/PHP ecosystem
• Laravel provides users with a dedicated dependency manager under a modular packaging system

4. ExpressJS

The first JS framework on this list is one of the most popular backend frameworks by 23.82% according to a Stackoverflow Survey^[4]. Many companies like Uber, MySpace, Myntra, IBM, and Accenture all use Express.JS for web app development.

It is a lightweight web application framework for Node.JS, distributed under the MIT License. The pioneering author, TJ Hilowaychuk best describes it as a Sinatra-inspired server. That illustration represents the minimalist feel it has which makes its operation easy and highly flexible.

Key Features:

• Since JavaScript is one of the most commonly-used programming languages, using Express proffers a simple learning curve. The entire development process becomes straightforward with Express. Developers can handle both frontend and backend tasks in a JavaScript runtime environment
• Supports sophisticated URL routing mechanism
• Inbuilt debugging system
• Excellent for creating REST APIs for web and mobile applications using Node.JS
• It functions as the backend component of development stacks like MEAN and MEVN stack. It also works together with the MongoDB database software
• Offers middleware and a range of HTTP utility methods

5. Flask

Flask is a popular micro web framework written in Python. It's a micro web framework because it does not require components that need functions from third-party libraries. This implies it has no database abstraction layer or form validation component.

Rather than run on the browser, it runs on the web server. Modern web applications from companies such as Netflix, LinkedIn, Lyft, Airbnb and the likes, all use the Flask framework.

Key Features:

• Compared with Django, it is a relatively easy-to-learn Python framework.
• With much less abstraction layers between user and database, performance is optimal
• You can use the Werkzeug toolkit to create a WSGI-compliant web application
• It makes use of extensions for various open authentication technologies or RESTful request dispatching
• Built-in web server and debugger
• Unicode support
• Uses Jinja2 for functional template building

Notable Mentions

Some of the most used backend frameworks further includes:

• Meteor: Which is on the top end of some of the most popular web development frameworks. It is an alternatively great JS framework to Express with exceptional scaling, monitoring, and deployment features. It can generate cross-platform code and supports instant prototyping.

• Spring/ Spring boot: Which is a Java-based open source software working as an inversion of control container. Some notable features include its built-in support for Undertow, Tomcat and Jetty. The fluent builder API and banner customization are also worth noting.

Conclusion

There is clearly a growing adaptation of web-based services in businesses. As a result, well-built web applications have grown to offer competitive functionalities for optimal customer experience. Business owners using older technologies that can’t compete with the capabilities provided by newer technologies suffer largely for it.

The good news is that it doesn't have to be you. The efficacy of any web service is a result of efficient resources, practices and particular tools involved in its development process.Thankfully, integrating any of the popular backend frameworks listed above provides you access to those innovative resources and tools.

Of course, choosing the right backend framework should not be primarily based on popularity or general consensus. Your unique requirements determine what backend framework is best for you.

The primary aim of a web development framework is to reduce how much code you have to write. But if your requirement for lessened work rates is beyond the scope of any web framework then No Code or Low Code platforms is just the thing for you.