In the current technologically advanced age, the success of web developers relies heavily on how quickly they push out finished and functional applications into the market. Even though a wide range of new web development frameworks is available in the market, all of them do not fit the specific needs of each software engineering task. When it comes to software engineering, developers need to consider usage context, software pattern, hosting requirements, learning curve, and so on. Before settling on a framework for software engineering, check out our top 10 most popular web frameworks for 2022
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Which web frameworks were most popular for web development in 2024?
1. Spring
Spring was designed to help developers to deliver large, complex, and high-load java enterprise applications promptly. This capability can be traced back to its utilization of Plain Old Java Object (POJO). React is one of the most popular applications for web development programs in the enterprise, offering developers a straightforward tool for writing backend web applications in java.
Advantages of Spring Framework
- Flexibility in the configuration: It provides the flexibility of using both XML configuration and Java-based annotations for developing enterprise applications.
- Does not reinvention: A wide range of technologies are implemented in the framework, including JDK timers, ORM frameworks, Java EE, and so on, which means developers don’t need to learn or reinvent different features required in the applications.
- Ease of testability: It supports both traditional and new databases making it easier to test codes geared up by simplified injection of test data.
- Well-designed framework: Its impeccably designed MVC framework provides an impressive alternative to legacy web frameworks.
- Provides modularity: With the framework’s modularity, developers can choose from a wide variety of packages or classes easily.
- It does not need a server: It can be activated without the web or application server because the framework provides a lightweight container.
- Consistent transaction management: Using JTA, the framework can be easily scaled up or down both for the local and global transactions due to the design of its transaction management interface that offers a high level of consistency.
Disadvantages of Spring Framework
- Hard to learn: The main disadvantage of Spring is that it is more difficult to learn compared to some of the other frameworks.
- Highly complex: With over 2400 classes, this framework is too complex and complicated for new developers.
- Requires numerous XML: Developments of application require developers to use several XML increasing complexities of projects.
- Lacks clear guidelines: Spring’s documentation lacks no clear guidelines on several topics such as cross-site scripting attacks and request forgery attacks.
- Parallel mechanisms: Too many options can be disadvantageous in software engineering because it creates confusion in the identification and selection of mechanisms.
2. Angular
Most developers consider Angular as one of the best frameworks for software engineering. The angular framework is effective in building powerful, high performance, and large scale web applications. The framework’s popularity stems from thousands of web apps accessible to developers because it is developed and maintained by Google.
Advantages of Angular
- Model-View-Controller (MVC) Architecture: MVC architecture implementation attaches value when creating a client-side app setting the foundation for core features such as data binding. With the architecture, developers can isolate the UI layer from app logic.
- Customized directives: The framework provides custom directives that are suitable for dynamic client-side applications and enables identification and elimination of common coding mistakes.
- Enhanced design architecture: It simplifies the management of components enabling easy onboarding of new programmers and developers after the process has already begun.
- Defined modules: The framework limits the scope of all functions to the module where it was defined and used and addresses the problem of global function exploitation effectively.
Disadvantages of Angular
- Limited SEO options: The main limitation of Angular is poor accessibility for search engine crawlers and limited SEO options.
- Highly complex: The verbosity and complexity of Angular is a major limitation, particularly for new developers using the framework.
- Lacks clear guidelines: The framework’s CLI documentation does not offer substantial details and information required for effective software engineering.
- Steep learning curve: The framework covers a wide array of topics and aspects, making it difficult to learn.
3. Django
Django is one of the oldest and most mature frameworks with a wide array of ready to use solutions that are documented extensively and impeccably. Django was highly popular in 2022 because it helps developers to build quality web applications in projects that require fast development of APIs and web applications. The framework’s versatility and scalability can be exploited to develop and deliver back end web applications quickly with minimal coding.
Advantages of Django
- Easy to learn: Compared to other frameworks, Django is much easier to learn.
- Variety of solutions: The framework provides a wide range of out-of-the-box solutions, making web developments simpler and quicker.
- Reusable codes and features: Developers can reuse code and built-in features.
- Based on Python language: The fact that Django uses one of the most popular programming languages in the world is a major advantage, particularly in problem-solving.
- Great integration: The framework allows for easy integration with different databases such as PostgreSQL and MySQL.
Disadvantages of Django
- Outdated architecture: Even though Django was the best web framework for Python, it has remained static, relying on outdated architectural approaches that are mostly inapplicable to modern software engineering projects.
4. Flask
Flask is a lightweight Python-based microframework developed in 2004 by Armin Ronacher. As a microframework, it does not require particular libraries or tools. Its popularity is attributed to its effectiveness in developing lightweight backend web applications. Also, the fact that it can be used as an alternative to Django in small projects that do not need so many features has contributed to its popularity. Flask can also be used instead of Django in projects with monolithic structure and dependencies.
Advantages of Flask
- Easy to learn: Since it only has a few features, developers can learn quickly how to employ in their web development.
- Great for small projects: Developers in small-scale projects can deliver functional products by exploiting only the most relevant and useful features offered by Django.
- Scalable and extendable: The framework can be extended depending on the scale of the project to create customized web applications.
- Highly flexible: Flask has one of the easiest frameworks to set up, providing immense flexibility during development. Flask Framework is based on Python language.
- Elegance and Simplicity: Flask is not only fast but also delivers elegant coding and simple functionality in small products.
Disadvantages of Flask
- Limited functionality: Flask can be ineffective when it comes to complex software engineering.
- Poor documentation: A majority of the best-course-of-action guidelines are not documented properly.
- Limited application: The framework cannot be used to build asynchronous projects.
5. Laravel
Laravel is an open-source PHP framework based on MVC architectural pattern and was created in 2011 by Taylor Otwell. Even though it is built from Symfony components, its logic is completely different from the logic implemented in its older counterpart. Laravel has gained immense popularity among developers in the recent past due to its benefits in software engineering that outweigh its weak points.
Advantages of Laravel
- Easy to learn: Compared to most of the other frameworks, Laravel is much easier to learn.
- Fast to develop: on, which makes Laravel the favorite framework of thousands of PHP developers.
- Updated via built-in admin panel: The framework is updated consistently, keeping it new and fresh with the latest development trends in business.
- Variety of features: Laravel framework has a wide array of highly effective features for building fast backend web applications. It is regarded as a fully-featured web development framework.
Disadvantages of Laravel
- Buggy: Some bugs have not been fixed since it was developed.
- Compatibility: Legacy systems not easily transferred to Laravel.
6. Ruby on Rails
Ruby on Rails is a free open source server-side MVC backend web development framework developed by David Heinemeier Hansson. Its framework has one of the most developer-friendly programs that provide a pre-defined solution allowing developers to perform repetitive tasks.
Advantages of Ruby on Rails
- Tons of ready solutions: Rails come with a wide variety of ready solutions that allows for the development of different types of applications.
- High standards: The availability of ready solutions and its high standards allow for an easy and accurate selection of the best course of action in different kinds of development situations.
- Great for MVPs: The framework was impeccably designed for fast development with minimum work making suitable for time-sensitive projects.
- Based on Ruby Language: Ruby language can be useful in building back end of applications such as Github and Shopify.
Disadvantages of Ruby on Rails
- Closely connected component: It is based on the MVC architecture that connects all components making it difficult to rectify mistakes made early in the project.
- Limited application: The framework is limited when it comes to the development of complex products to meet specific goals of businesses.
7. React JS
Even though React is a front-end JavaScript library and not a framework, its revolutionary component-based architecture has guaranteed its popularity for software engineering. For most developers, React subscribes to the definition of a web development framework. The main advantages of React for web development include an easy and straight forward interface for the creation of any program and immense reputation due to its association with Facebook and Instagram.
8. Vue JS
Even though the Vue.js framework is the latest framework for web development, it is increasingly becoming one of the most popular among developers due to the wide variety of great features it offers. The advantages of using Vue.js include exploiting its progressive framework in only one portion of a project and the ease in solving problems due to its straightforward architecture.
9. Express
Express is a minimal and flexible free, open-source web application framework for Node.js. The main advantage of this framework is the robust set of features for web and mobile applications that it provides to developers. Some of these features allow developers to dynamically render HTML Pages and set up middlewares. Also, it is based on JavaScript language with a mean software bundle and highly efficient in building APIs.
10. Ember JS
Ember.js is an open-source JavaScript web framework based on the Model–view–view model (MVVM) pattern. The framework allows for the development of highly scalable single-page web applications. The main advantage of Ember JS is that it can be scaled up to build desktop and mobile applications. For instance, it is used as a feature of the iTunes desktop application.