What backend language to choose for your application development?

When it comes to choosing technologies to be used for your business app development, you want to be sure that the software house you are about to work with uses the most suitable tech stack for this kind of project. To understand why programmers have chosen a particular language for a given job, you need to learn more about backend programming languages and their applications. 

There are plenty of programming languages. Backend languages are a big group – surely, you have never heard about some of them. The popularity of the backend tech stack has changed over the years. New technologies are being developed or improved. We did a small research to find out which are themost popular programming languages in 2021, and we decided to describe four of them that are often used for backend development. Read more about PHP, Python, Java, and Ruby.

Backend and frontend development – differences and challenges

During an application development process, developers deal with two main tasks: creating backend (also called server-side of an app) and frontend (client-side of an app) of the application. Backend can be simply described as everything that is going on behind the scenes. The end-user does not interact with it directly – he needs the frontend to use the application. Frontend developers focus on designing the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) to make interacting with the product smooth and pleasant. Backend developers, on the other hand, need to build solutions that will ensure rendering the apps’ server-side and create services for processing business logic and accessing databases, file servers, cloud services, and more. 

Both frontend and backend developer teams must face various challenges. On the client-side, it is important to ensure the best user experience and high satisfaction regarding application use. On the server-side, there is a matter of performance, data and system security, and scalability of the product. Each project requires a different approach and that is why choosing a programming language and the right framework is very important for the success of the development process.

How to choose the best backend language for your project?

All backend technologies have their characteristics, development tools, and business applications. There is no ideal backend language for all purposes. Much depends on the developers in a given software house – the languages they know and like. You need to remember that experts who will build your application with the product to be exceptional too – they will suggest to you the best available technologies for backend development.

Popular languages used for building server-side of an app

Java

This backend language was used by companies like LinkedIn or Uber. It is known mostly for its versatility – it can be used in a variety of projects. It is not so beginner-friendly like other popular backend languages, however. Furthermore, it has a lot of open-source libraries that can be used for different purposes, which can speed up the development process. 

There is an important drawback to be mentioned if it comes to coding in Java – as it is rather verbose, more code needs to be written to build the specific features of the application. It ensures the high performance of an app, though. Thanks to multi-threaded processing, it can be used for applications that have to deal for example with effective video streaming. 

It is used for the development of websites, mobile business applications, and desktop software.

PHP

PHP is a backend programming language that was created for website development. It was used by Facebook and WordPress. It has many popular frameworks such as Laravel, Symfony, or Codelgniter which are used by developers to create both simple and complex business solutions. 

PHP is an open-source technology, so programmers can use it (and its frameworks) for free – it affects the costs of developing the business solution. It also enjoys large community support. This, and access to frameworks that provide developers with useful tools, enable a project team to develop the platforms in a relatively short time. 

Still, most websites are built with PHP. It is used for the development of e-commerce platforms but also CMSs such as WordPress. It has multiple applications in business.

Python

This programming language is commonly used in scientific computing, data science, mathematics, and engineering. It has special packages like NumPy and SciPy and libraries like example PyTorch for these purposes. Does that mean that it cannot be used for business application development? Not at all. It has multiple frameworks for backend development – like Django, which was used by many popular platforms such as Spotify or Instagram.

Python has a clear syntax, and it is intuitive to use – it makes it a popular choice for young developers who start to code. It allows creating code that will be easy to read for those who may join the project at a later development stage. As it is popular in many fields, it is one of the fastest-growing backend languages. 

It can be used both for desktop and web app development.

Ruby

This scripting language is commonly used for web applications. At some point, it was used by many well-known brands like Airbnb or Twitter. It is a good choice for quick app development. It is an open-source technology, so it can be modified and improved. 

The big advantage of this language is the community – developers share their ideas and help each other to find solutions for common problems. It will enable your project team to overcome challenges faster and find the best possible methods to deal with problems. Another strong feature of Ruby as a backend language is its simple syntax. 

It can be used for creating prototypes, web and mobile app development.

Other backend programming languages

There are many more backend languages. JavaScript is known as a frontend language, but it may also be used for server-side development. Many new languages are being developed every day and may still conquer the market in the future. A good example would be Swift – the programming language used by Apple for iOS development or Golang (shortly called Go), a low-level language that is gaining popularity very fast. It can be used for developing the server-side of mobile and web applications.

What backend language should you choose?

The front end of your product always should be supported by powerful server-side code. There is no ideal technology, though. Each backend language has its original characteristics and multiple applications. The good thing is that you do not have to decide on your own. Choosing the right tech stack for backend development is not an easy task, and you should not do it in a rush. If you want to develop an application for your company, contact our team – we will carefully analyze your needs and requirements and advise you on the best backend language choice for your particular project.