Unlock the Power of Web Apps: The Best Platform for Web Application Development

Why Are Web Apps Crucial for Your Business?

By now, you have probably recognized many familiar web app names, and you might even be using them in your daily life. This goes to say that web apps are extremely popular due to being accessible anywhere and everywhere. It has also gained popularity due to a few reasons.

• They are easy to maintain and update, with no need for hard drive capacity.
• You do not need permission from various app stores since they are accessible from web browsers.
• They are easily customized.
• Web apps streamline business operations since your data is centered in one place.

As long as you have a clear view and goal in mind of what features and functions you are looking for, the right web app platforms and dedicated team of web developers will help you turn your dream application into reality.

Top 8 Platforms for Web Application Development

With so many web development programs on the market, it can be difficult to know which one to use and in which cases it is best to use a particular programming language. Worry not, as we have compiled a list of the eight best web development tools.

Ruby on Rails

• Developer(s): David Heinemeier Hansson
• Type of Platform: Linux, Cross-platform
• Applications built using the platform: Airbnb, SoundCloud, Square, Shopify, Zendesk, GitHub

Ruby on Rails (Rails), or simply Rails, is an open-source web application framework designed to facilitate the development of fully-fledged web applications. It is built on top of the popular Ruby programming language, making it a popular choice for web development.

As a full-stack framework, Ruby on Rails comes with many pre-built features and offers good developer experiences. These features, like the ability to connect to a database, use a templating engine, and handle routing, enable developers to launch web applications faster than other web frameworks. Many have considered this web developer tool to make the process fun and easier.

When to choose this platform:

• Creating e-commerce sites
• Building stock marketing platforms
• Social networking platforms
• Custom database management systems

Django

• Developer(s): Django Software Foundation
• Type of Platform: Cross-Platform
• Applications built using the platform: YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Spotify, and Dropbox

Django web framework is a Python-based, high-level framework for building secure, maintainable, and fast websites. Developed by skilled developers, Django automates a lot of web development tasks, so you don’t have to worry about rewriting your app. It is renowned for having an admin interface built right in, customizable features, diverse templates, library and community guides, and an active community.

When to choose this platform:

• Data models, databases, and handling intricate data linkages
• Apps with large user bases, heavy traffic, and large number of content
• For apps that need to be highly secure
• Cross-platform apps

Express.js

• Developer(s): TJ Holowaychuk, StrongLoop and others
• Type of Platform: Cross-Platform
• Applications built using the platform: Trello, MySpace, Ghost, Walmart, Uber, PayPal

Express.js consists of numerous middleware to facilitate a smooth development process. This web development tool is a free, open-source, and minimalistic web application framework for the Node.js programming language. It is the frontend component of MEAN Stack, which is a widely used and free JavaScript software stack for web applications and dynamic website development.

When to choose this platform:

• Quickly build RESTful APIs
• Build applications quickly and easily

Flask

• Developer(s): Armin Ronacher
• Type of Platform: Cross-Platform
• Applications built using the platform: Pinterest, Lima, Reddit, Twillo, and Netflix’s Security Monkey

Flask is a lightweight web development framework written in Python. Unlike many other web application development tools, Flask doesn’t have a steep learning curve. With Flask, the code of your project is composed solely of the code contributed by the developers, and there is no code that is responsible for features you do not use. It provides its users with essential tools and components and allows a seamlessly integrated library so web developers can quickly code dynamic and interactive websites.

When to choose this platform:

• Smaller to medium-sized projects
• There is coding flexibility
• You want control over your database
• Rapid prototypes, static websites, or MVPs and microservices

Vue.js

• Developer(s): Evan You
• Type of Platform: Cross-Platform
• Applications built using the platform: Alibaba, Adobe Portfolio, Behance, GitLab, Grammarly

Vue.js is a JavaScript open-source framework for creating user interfaces. Vue.js can be used to build clickable prototypes and support various animations, graphic elements, and interactive components. It also provides web-based bug-fixing tools through its GitHub repository. Moreover, the platform includes an HTML-based template that can be used to update DOM with Vue data, making it easy to create a user interface.

When to choose this platform:

• Quickly build prototypes or MVPs
• Embedding as Web Components on any page.
• Single-Page Application (SPA)
• Gradually integrate a contemporary framework without entirely rewriting your project’s code

Laravel

• Taylor Otwell
• Platform: Linux, MacOS, Windows
• Applications built using the platform: Flarum, October CMS, Canvas

Laravel is another platform worth mentioning among the numerous web development tools. Laravel is an open-source PHP framework that offers a collection of tools and resources used for developing modern PHP applications. Laravel can be used to create single-page web apps for enterprise-level applications. Also, it provides its developer community with a flexible migration system, integrated unit testing support, a template engine, and even a task scheduler for daily, time-consuming tasks.

When to choose this platform:

• Developing applications that require updates and interactions in real time
• When performance is critical
• When you want to speed up your application.

ReactJS

• Developer(s): Facebook
• Type of Platform: Cross-Platform
• Applications built using the platform: Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, Netflix, Airbnb, Uber

If you’re looking to create a modern, responsive web or mobile app user interface, ReactJS is the way to go. ReactJS is an open-source JavaScript library. It makes development easier by allowing you to create reusable components. It uses a virtual DOM to manage state changes and even creates virtual reality sites that provide users with a 360-degree experience. Due to its modular design and large array of tools, React is a must-have for modern web development.

When to choose this platform:

• You want to build highly responsive applications with SEO-friendly features
• User interfaces with regular updates
• User-friendly and fast SPAs

Angular

• Developer(s): Google
• Type of Platform: Cross-Platform
• Applications built using the platform: Lego, Netflix, Upwork

Angular is an open-source front-end framework for web app development that can be applied to the development processes of a variety of applications, including single-page apps (SPA), progressive web apps (PWA), and enterprise apps.

This JavaScript framework has been utilized to create over 12,000 website designs and is designed to address the fundamental issue of HTML by allowing developers to expand the HTML vocabulary for their applications. It can be highly customizable and is compatible with multiple libraries. It has a broad range of UI components that allow web designers to create dynamic web applications in a short amount of time. Additionally, AngularJS is simple to update or modify existing features depending on the development process and business needs.

When to choose this platform:

• Video streaming applications
• Single-page web app
• Dynamic projects with responsive web design

There is no one-size-fits-all web development platform. It ultimately comes down to the business’ vision, goal, and requirements. There are, of course, other great web development platforms like Chrome developer tools, Spring Boot, ASP.NET Core, and the list goes on.