Top 10 Backend Frameworks in 2022
Tags: backend, beginners, api
Published: 2022-10-22 09:18:42

A web app consists of two layers - **frontend** and **backend**. Frontend refers to the presentational layer which is visible to the end users. It includes **structure, style and behaviour** of different elements on the screen. Backend, also known as server-side layer, refers to the layer which runs on the server and is not visible to the users, and holds the data required by the frontend. It includes the server-side logic of the web app, like APIs, app security, authentication and authorization.

In this blog, I am going to talk about the **Backend** layer. The most common languages used for building backend are:

* Python
* Java
* Rails
* PHP
* C#
* Go
* JavaScript

There are a bunch of frameworks built on the top of these languages which make backend development easier and smoother. I will be talking about some of the most popular frameworks used worldwide. So, without any delay, let's jump right into it!

 1. [Django](#django)
 2. [Ruby on Rails](#ruby-on-rails)
 3. [Laravel](#laravel)
 4. [Express](#express)
 5. [Spring](#spring)
 6. [ASP.NET Core](#asp.net-core)
 7. [Flask](#flask)
 8. [CakePHP](#cakephp)
 9. [FastAPI](#fastapi)
10. [Fastify](#fastify)

## Django

![Django](https://res.cloudinary.com/jishnupsamal/image/upload/v1666421132/jishnupsamal/uploads/2022/django-logo_ofdjsv.png)
*Source: [Django Software Foundation](https://djangoproject.com)*

[Django](https://djangoproject.com) is a high-level Python web framework. It is an Model-View-Template(MVT)-based, open-source web application development framework. It was released in 2005. It comes with batteries included. Some popular websites using Django are [Instagram](https://instagram.com "Instagram"), [Mozilla](https://mozilla.org "Mozilla Foundation"), [Disqus](https://disqus.com "Disqus"), [Bitbucket](https://bitbucket.org "Bitbucket"), [Nextdoor](https://nextdoor.com "Nextdoor") and [Clubhouse](https://clubhouse.com "Clubhouse").

### Pros

1. Developer-friendly
2. Security built-in
3. Scalable
4. Versatile

### Cons

1. Relatively slower
2. Not for smaller projects

## Ruby on Rails

![Ruby on Rails](https://res.cloudinary.com/jishnupsamal/image/upload/v1666421068/jishnupsamal/uploads/2022/Ruby_On_Rails_Logo_fyxbhy.svg)
*Source: [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ruby_On_Rails_Logo.svg)*

[Ruby on Rails](https://rubyonrails.org/), popularly called Rails, is web application framework written in Ruby programming language. It is based on Model-View-Controller(MVC)-based full-stack web development framework. It is based on the philosophy of Convention over Configuration (CoC), Don't Repeat Yourself (DRY) and the ActiveRecord pattern. Some popular websites built using Ruby on Rails are [Airbnb](https://airbnb.com "Airbnb"), [Bloomberg](https://bloomberg.com "Bloomberg L.P."), [Crunchbase](https://crunchbase.com "Crunchbase"), [Dribbble](https://dribbble.com "Dribbble"), [GitHub](https://github.com "GitHub") and [Shopify](https://shopify.com "Shopify").

### Pros

1. Rapid Development
2. Security
3. Easy Frontend Integration

### Cons

1. Lack of proper documentation
2. Slow runtime speed

## Laravel

![Laravel](https://res.cloudinary.com/jishnupsamal/image/upload/v1666421181/jishnupsamal/uploads/2022/laravel-logo_wv1ug3.png)
*Source: [Laravel](https://github.com/laravel/art)*

[Laravel](https://laravel.com/) is a web app framework written in PHP. It is open source and is based on Model-View-Controller (MVC) architectural pattern. It was released in 2011. Famous websites built using Laravel are [Invoice Ninja](https://www.invoiceninja.com/ "Invoice Ninja"), [Alison](https://alison.com/ "Alison"), [Barchart](https://www.barchart.com/), [MyRank](https://myrank.co.in/), [AlphaCoders](https://alphacoders.com/ "AlphaCoders"), [Laracasts](https://laracasts.com/) and [Laravel.io](https://laravel.io/).

#### Pros

1. Excellent Queue Management
2. Easy Mail Integration
3. Expansive Documentation

#### Cons

1. Slow Development
2. High Learning Curve
3. Less community support

## Express

![Express](https://res.cloudinary.com/jishnupsamal/image/upload/v1666421132/jishnupsamal/uploads/2022/Expressjs_ordtm5.png)
*Source: [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Expressjs.png)*

[Express](https://expressjs.com), or Express.js, is a Node.js based web framework written in JavaScript. It is the standard web framework for Node.js. Express is popularly used in JavaScript development stacks like MEAN, MERN and MEVN along with MongoDB and JavaScript frontend frameworks. Some popular websites using Express are [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com "Unsplash"), [MDBootstrap](https://mdbootstrap.com), [Paypal](https://paypal.com), [Coursera](https://coursera.org), [Atlassian](https://atlassian.com), [Shopee](https://shopee.co.id) and [Docker Hub](https://hub.docker.com).

#### Pros

1. Scalability
2. Less Development time

#### Cons

1. Performance issues
2. Problems with callbacks

## Spring

![Spring](https://res.cloudinary.com/jishnupsamal/image/upload/v1666421069/jishnupsamal/uploads/2022/Spring_Framework_Logo_mfydkf.png)
*Source: [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spring_Framework_Logo_2018.svg)*

[Spring](https://spring.io) is a open source web application framework written in Java programming language. It is based on Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture. It is one of the most widely used frameworks for developing web applications.

#### Pros

1. Fast
2. Flexible & Light Weight

#### Cons

1. High Learning Curve
2. Lots of XML
3. Lack of documentation

## ASP.NET Core

![ASP.NET Core](https://res.cloudinary.com/jishnupsamal/image/upload/v1666421181/jishnupsamal/uploads/2022/NET_Core_Logo_caevil.png)
*Source: [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:.NET_Core_Logo.svg)*

[ASP.NET](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/aspnet/what-is-aspnet) is a popular, free and open-source web-development framework for building web apps on the [.NET platform](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/dotnet/what-is-dotnet). It is successor to ASP.NET. It is based on Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern. It is developed by Microsoft. Some popular websites using ASP.NET Core are [C# Corner](https://c-sharpcorner.com), [Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/), [Namecheap](https://namecheap.com) and [mxtoolbox](https://mxtoolbox.com).

#### Pros

1. Fast
2. Flexible
3. Scalable

#### Cons

1. High Learning Curve
2. Windows-based Development Tools

## Flask

![Flask](https://res.cloudinary.com/jishnupsamal/image/upload/v1666421069/jishnupsamal/uploads/2022/Flask_logo_yeh3vg.png)
*Source: [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flask_logo.svg)*

[Flask](https://flask.palletsprojects.com) is a micro web framework written in Python. It is called a micro framework because it does has in-built support for database, form validation, authentication and authorization. It is a minimalistic web framework sufficient for small and simple projects. It is the second most popular web framework in Python community after [Django](#django). Some popular apps using Flask are  [Pinterest](https://pinterest.com "Pinterest") and [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com "LinkedIn").

#### Pros

1. Minimalistic
2. Lightweight
3. Scalable and Flexible
4. Expansive Documentation

#### Cons

1. Not suitable for large projects
2. High Maintenance Costs

## CakePHP

![CakePHP](https://res.cloudinary.com/jishnupsamal/image/upload/v1666421132/jishnupsamal/uploads/2022/cakephp_logo_zb8xbq.jpg)
*Source: [CakePHP](https://cakephp.org/logos)*

[CakePHP](https://cakephp.org/) is a Model-View-Controller (MVC) based open source web application framework written in PHP. It uses software design patterns like ActiveRecord, Convention over Configuration (CoC), Association Data Mapping and Front Controller. Some websites using CakePHP are [coconala](https://coconala.com) and [GoodFirms](https://goodfirms.co).

#### Pros

1. Flexible
2. Better Queue Support
3. Easy to Learn

#### Cons

1. Lack of Documentation
2. Not suited for large websites

## FastAPI

![FastAPI](https://res.cloudinary.com/jishnupsamal/image/upload/v1666421133/jishnupsamal/uploads/2022/FastAPI_logo_j8tzyq.png)
*Source: [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FastAPI_logo.png)*

[FastAPI](https://fastapi.tiangolo.com) is a free and open source web framework, mainly used for building REST APIs, in Python. It is based on API standards like [OpenAPI](https://www.openapis.org/) and [JSON Schema](https://json-schema.org/).

#### Pros

1. Robust & Fast
2. Easy to Learn
3. Standard-based

#### Cons

1. No singleton in Dependency Injection

## Fastify

![Fastify](https://res.cloudinary.com/jishnupsamal/image/upload/v1666421068/jishnupsamal/uploads/2022/fastify_logo_cnt3cf.svg)
*Source: [Fastify](https://github.com/fastify/graphics)*

Fastify is a web framework written in JavaScript. It is focused on better developer experience with the least overhead and a powerful plugin architecture. It is one of the fastest web frameworks. It is inspired by [Express](#express) and Hapi.

#### Pros

1. Performance
2. Flexible
3. Easy Development

#### Cons

1. Certain third party libraries are not supported like passport.js and websocket.

## Final Thoughts

There are many backend frameworks other than those mentioned above. No framework is the best. It, really, depends on the project you are working. For example, if you want to deploy a Machine Learning model, I would recommend using microframework like Flask or FastAPI for it. Likewise, if you want to build an ERP portal, then I would recommend using Django or Ruby on Rails or any other full stack framework of your choice.

Which web framework do you use? Do let me know in the comments.

Thank you for reading my blog. Hope you liked it.

*Originally published on [jishnupsamal.me](https://jishnupsamal.me/blog/top-10-backend-frameworks-in-2022?utm_source=dev.to&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=jishnu%27s+blog)*