8 Most Popular Web Programming Frameworks (2024)

It’s no secret that the digital world is constantly evolving, and it shows no signs of slowing down. As web application standards continue to improve, the complexity of the technology and coding skills needed grows along with them. An integral part of this is web programming frameworks. In this blog post, we’ll look at some of the most popular web frameworks in 2023 and dive into the intricacies of why they stand out from the rest.

What Are Web Programming Frameworks?

A programming framework provides a pre-built foundation for programmers to build their software applications on. Rather than starting from scratch and coding every aspect of a web application or website from end-to-end, frameworks provide a starting point that has the basics already completed. Think of it as constructing a building from the ground up versus starting from one that already has the structural beams placed and tested for stability.

So what’s so great about frameworks?

• Because they’ve been structured and endorsed by thousands of web developers, they provide a stable foundation for web developers and software engineers to start from.
• They also have many of the initial components already built-in, reducing the amount of repetitive coding needed. Things like libraries, code modules, toolsets, APIs, support programs, compilers, and more may already be integrated.
• With frameworks, coders can use pre-built sections of code to insert the most common website components quickly; things like forms, functions, menus, authentication, security, and more.
• Frameworks still allow for ultimate flexibility and creativity, since they can be completely customized.
• There are thousands of frameworks available for back-end and front-end development.

The Most Popular Web Programming Frameworks

Because frameworks are used every day in the life of a software engineer, every skilled coder needs to know the most popular web frameworks to be successful in this competitive field. Selecting which framework to use largely depends on the specific project, coding languages being used, and personal preference. Let’s take a deeper look at the most popular programming frameworks below.

Django

One of the most common frameworks you will come across as a coder is Django. So let’s start there.

What Is the Django Programming Framework?

Django is a high-level, open-source web framework written in Python, designed to promote rapid development and clean, pragmatic design. It provides a structured foundation for building web applications and streamlines many of the complex aspects of web development. Renowned platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest, and The Washington Post leverage Django for its scalability, security, and flexibility.

What Are the Key Features of Django?

Django, often referred to as the "web framework for perfectionists with deadlines," offers a robust set of features designed to facilitate web development. Some of its most noteworthy features include:

• Object-Relational Mapping (ORM): Allows developers to define database tables as Python classes, streamlining database operations without writing raw SQL queries.
• Admin Interface: An automatically generated, built-in administrative interface that provides a user-friendly way to manage application data.
• Modularity and Reusability: Django follows the "Don't Repeat Yourself" (DRY) principle, encouraging the reuse of code through apps.
• MTV Architecture: Instead of the traditional MVC (Model-View-Controller) pattern, Django uses the Model-Template-View pattern, segregating the application logic, user interface, and data model.
• Middleware Support: A system for process request and response globally before reaching the view or returning to the client.
• Built-in Security: Built-in measures to counteract Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF), SQL Injection, and more.
• Authentication: A comprehensive authentication system that handles user accounts, groups, permissions, and cookie-based user sessions.
• Support for Multiple Databases: Supports various databases, such as PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, and Oracle.
• Caching Framework: Built-in support for caching, enhancing the performance of web applications.

Why Is Django One of the Most In-Demand Web Frameworks?

Django has solidified its position as one of the most popular web frameworks owing to its promise of rapid development combined with a clean, pragmatic design philosophy. Written in one of the world's most popular and versatile programming languages, Django offers an all-inclusive experience.

Ruby on Rails

Ruby on Rails, often referred to as just 'Rails', is another popular programming framework that is written in the Ruby programming language. Ruby on Rails has been widely adopted by many startups and established businesses given how easy it is to learn. Websites like GitHub, Basecamp, Airbnb, and Shopify have been built using Rails.

‍Learn More: Can You Learn Ruby on Rails with No Coding Experience?

What Is the Ruby on Rails Programming Framework?

Ruby on Rails is a Model View Controller (MVC) framework that sets structures for databases, web services, and web pages. It provides developers with default structures to streamline and simplify web application development.

What Are the Key Features of Ruby on Rails?

Ruby on Rails provides many features that have contributed to its reputation as a powerful and developer-friendly web application framework. Here are some of the key features that make it one of the most in demand web frameworks, year after year:

• Convention over Configuration (CoC): Sensible defaults that eliminate the need for verbose configurations.
• Don't Repeat Yourself (DRY): Encourages code reusability, ensuring that developers can define functionalities in one place and use them elsewhere.
• Active Record: An Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) system that facilitates the creation, reading, updating, and deletion of records in the database using an object-oriented approach.
• RESTful Architecture: Rails promotes the use of RESTful application design, ensuring that web services can interact seamlessly with other components and applications.
• Asset Pipeline: A feature that allows for the easy management and compression of JavaScript, CSS, and images, enhancing web application performance.
• Bundler: A dependency management tool that ensures the correct versions of gems (libraries) are used in the application.
• Built-In Security Features: Rails has several built-in security mechanisms, such as protection against cross-site scripting (XSS), cross-site request forgery (CSRF), and SQL injection.

Why Is Ruby on Rails One of the Most Popular Web Frameworks?

Ruby on Rails remains one of the most popular web frameworks due to its revolutionary approach to web development and foundational principles that allow developers to craft robust applications quickly. It helps reduce boilerplate code and promotes coding best practices. 

Coupled with a dynamic and object-oriented language like Ruby, Rails provides an intuitive and readable syntax, making development a more organized and pleasant experience. Pair this with its consistent updates and strong community backing, and you’ve got yourself one of the best frameworks.

React

Another popular framework year after year is React. Developed by Facebook, this platform was designed for building user interfaces (UI).

What Is the React Programming Framework?

​​React is an open-source, front-end web framework that is especially well suited for mobile and single-page applications. It uses JavaScript as the core programming language but allows for use with TypeScript and is often used in conjunction with JavaScript XLM (JSX).

What Are the Key Features of React?

​​React offers various features that make it a popular choice for UI building:

• Virtual DOM: Creates a virtual representation of the actual DOM, which allows for efficient updates and rendering.
• Component-Based Architecture: Allows developers to build UIs using reusable components, promoting better organization and facilitating code reuse.
• JSX: JSX is a syntax extension for JavaScript that allows developers to write UI structures within JavaScript.
• Unidirectional Data Flow: One-way data flow is easier to trace how data changes within an application.
• Ecosystem: Rich ecosystem of libraries, tools, and community-driven projects.
• Flexibility: Can be integrated with various backends and has the adaptability to be part of multi-framework applications.
• React Native: Allows developers to use the same principles to build mobile applications for iOS and Android.

Why Is React One of the Most Popular Web Frameworks in 2023?

React stands out as one of the most popular web frameworks due to its ongoing commitment to creating efficient and scalable applications. It enables developers to build maintainable and reusable UI elements and offers optimal rendering performance. The continuous support from Facebook, extensive resources, and the seamless transition to mobile development via React Native also fortify React's dominance in the world of modern web development.

jQuery

jQuery's primary purpose is to allow developers to write less JavaScript code to achieve common web tasks, streamlining operations and ensuring cross-browser compatibility. By abstracting many of the complexities of client-side scripting, jQuery has become a fundamental tool in the web development world.

What Is the jQuery Programming Framework?

jQuery is not a full-blown programming framework in the same sense as Django or Ruby on Rails; rather, it’s a fast, small, and feature-rich JavaScript library. It has been used by Google, Microsoft, IBM, Netflix, Twitter, and more.

What Are the Key Features of jQuery?

jQuery makes web development more efficient and developer-friendly. Here are the key features of this popular framework:

• DOM Manipulation: jQuery provides a powerful set of tools to select, modify, and delete HTML elements.
• Ajax Support: Streamlines asynchronous HTTP requests.
• Animations and Effects: Easily implement animations like fading, sliding, and toggling of elements.
• Cross-Browser Compatibility: Abstracts inconsistencies and bugs across browsers, ensuring code runs reliably on all major browsers without platform-specific tweaks.
• Chaining: Chains multiple methods together, allowing for concise and readable code.
• Lightweight: The core library is compact, ensuring quick loading times and optimized performance.
• HTML5 Support: Compatible with HTML5 elements, for cross-browser consistency.
• JSON Parsing: jQuery provides methods for parsing JSON data.

Why Is jQuery a Popular Programming Framework?

jQuery emerged as a popular programming framework primarily because it addressed and simplified many of the pain points developers encountered with raw JavaScript, particularly cross-browser inconsistencies. Its concise and readable syntax allowed developers to perform complex operations with just a few lines of code. The combination of ease of use, versatility, and the robust support has made jQuery an indispensable tool for many web developers.

Laravel

Another one of the most popular programming frameworks is Laravel. Alongside its strong ecosystem and passionate community, prominent companies such as Deltanet Travel, Neighborhood Lender, and MyRank use it for its flexibility, maintainability, and rich feature set.

What Is the Laravel Programming Framework?

Laravel is a contemporary, open-source PHP web application framework known for its expressive, elegant syntax and streamlined approach to web development. It simplifies often challenging tasks and has a suite of tools and expressive coding conventions to help novices and experts craft applications with efficiency.

What Are the Key Features of Laravel?

Laravel is one of the leading PHP frameworks and offers a host of features that streamline web application development:

• Eloquent ORM (Object-Relational Mapping): Allows for an active record implementation, making it easier to interact with databases using object-oriented syntax.
• MVC Architecture: Follows the Model-View-Controller design pattern.
• Blade Templating Engine: An intuitive and flexible templating engine that allows for the easy integration of PHP code into views.
• Security: In-built mechanisms to protect from cross-site request forgery (CSRF), cross-site scripting (XSS), and SQL injection.
• Artisan: A command-line interface with a number of helpful commands for common tasks, and the ability for developers to add their own custom commands.
• Laravel Dusk: An end-to-end browser testing tool, making it easier to test JavaScript-enabled applications.
• Package Development: Allows for easy creation and integration of packages to extend its core functionalities.
• Automatic Pagination: Simplifies the process of implementing pagination, reducing the complexity of generating instances for views.
• RESTful Resource Controllers: Makes implementing a RESTful API or web service straightforward.
• Caching: Provides an expressive API to various caching systems.

Why Is Laravel One of the Most Popular Web Frameworks?

Laravel has firmly established itself as one of the most popular web frameworks in 2023, and its rise can be attributed to its expressive and elegant syntax that enhances the clarity and quality of code. The framework is meticulously designed to alleviate the burdens of development, streamlining common tasks found in many web projects. It empowers developers to craft scalable and maintainable applications.

Angular (Angular.js)

With its focus on simplifying both the development and the testing of such applications, Angular offers a coherent framework for client-side architectures. Renowned for its scalability and performance, Angular is leveraged by various large-scale applications and platforms. Global corporations, including Google, Forbes, Wix, and Microsoft Office's home portal, rely on Angular for their web application needs.

What Is the Angular Programming Framework?

Angular is a dynamic, open-source, front-end web application framework led and maintained by the Angular Team at Google and a community of individuals and organizations. Built primarily in TypeScript, it's designed for building rich single-page applications (SPAs) with complex functionalities, providing a platform that makes it easier to combine declarative templates, dependency injection, end-to-end tooling, and integrated best practices.

What Are the Key Features of Angular?

Angular is a robust framework with several standout features that have made it a popular choice among developers:

• Two-Way Data Binding: Automatically synchronizes the data between the model and the view components, reducing the amount of boilerplate code.
• Dependency Injection: Angular's dependency injection system facilitates the process of building modular and efficient services.
• Directives: Allows developers to create custom HTML tags and attributes.
• Model-View-Controller (MVC) Architecture: Angular makes it easier to implement the MVC pattern.
• Routing: With Angular Router, it's straightforward to build SPAs where navigation between views, lazy loading, and different stages of navigation are efficiently managed.
• Angular CLI (Command Line Interface): A comprehensive tool to initialize, develop, scaffold, and maintain Angular applications.
• Observable-Based: Uses RxJS, allowing for efficient management of asynchronous operations and handling multiple values over time.
• Ahead-of-Time (AOT) Compilation: Converts Angular HTML and TypeScript code into efficient JavaScript code before the browser downloads and runs it.
• Cross-Platform Development: Angular supports web, mobile web, native mobile, and native desktop applications, making it versatile for diverse project needs.

Why Is Angular One of the Most Popular Web Frameworks in 2023?

Angular’s open-source nature allows developers to collaboratively innovate and evolve the framework in tandem with emerging tech trends. It streamlines the process of developing intricate applications, automates the synchronization between the model and the view, and makes real-time updates a breeze. The ensemble of these features and the relentless community support are pivotal reasons why Angular continues to be a go-to choice for developers in 2023.

Meteor

Meteor is yet another common framework you should be aware of. Startups, individual developers, and some enterprises use Meteor for its real-time capabilities and streamlined development process to quickly prototype and deploy scalable web and mobile applications.

What Is the Meteor Programming Framework?

Meteor is a full-stack JavaScript platform designed for developing modern web and mobile applications. It brings together all the components you need to build applications with a focus on simplicity and ease-of-use.

What Are the Key Features of Meteor?

Meteor boasts several key features that make it a compelling choice for developers:

• Full-Stack Solution: With Meteor, developers can build applications in pure JavaScript, allowing the same code to run on both the client and server sides.
• Real-Time By Default: Real-time capability, where changes made to the database immediately reflect in the user interface, providing an interactive user experience.
• Reactive Programming Principles: The web application's UI is seamlessly and automatically updated when the underlying data changes.
• Hot Code Reloading: Allows developers to see their changes instantly without having to refresh the page.
• Rich Package Ecosystem: Meteor offers a vast ecosystem of smart packages, which can be easily added to enhance functionality without needing to write extensive code.
• Data Synchronization: Distributed Data Protocol (DDP) synchronizes data between the client and server. This allows for efficient data transfer and ensures that the application remains responsive even with large amounts of data.
• Optimistic UI: This feature allows the UI to update instantaneously from user interactions, providing feedback before the server has confirmed the action, resulting in a snappy user experience.
• MongoDB Integration: Out of the box, Meteor integrates seamlessly with MongoDB, a popular NoSQL database, to store application data.
• Modular Architecture: Meteor allows for the easy addition or removal of its components, so developers can choose only the parts they need, ensuring lean and efficient applications.

Why Is Meteor One of the Most Popular Programming Frameworks?

Meteor has soared in popularity because of its promise of simplicity and efficiency. By offering a full-stack solution, it enables developers to build powerful applications with a single language. Its real-time capabilities, coupled with a vast ecosystem of smart packages mean that startups and developers can rapidly prototype and deploy dynamic, responsive applications.

Vue

Renowned for its simplicity, reactivity, and performance, Vue has been embraced by individual developers, startups, and even large enterprises seeking a flexible and efficient solution for their front-end development needs.

What Is the Vue Programming Framework?

Vue is an open-source, progressive JavaScript framework primarily used for building user interfaces and single-page applications. Its core library focuses on the view layer, making it easy to integrate with other libraries or existing projects. Due to its adaptable architecture, it's seen adoption across a spectrum of applications, from simple projects to complex large-scale applications.

What Are the Key Features of Vue?

Vue offers several distinctive features that cater to its appeal and effectiveness as a front-end framework:

• Reactivity: Vue's data-binding feature allows for a seamless connection between the view and the model. Any changes in your data reflect instantly in the UI and vice versa.
• Component-Based: Vue allows developers to build applications by composing reusable components, enhancing modularity and maintainability.
• Virtual DOM: Similar to React, Vue utilizes a virtual DOM, which optimizes rendering and improves the app's performance by minimizing the amount of DOM manipulation required.
• Template Syntax: Vue offers a simple templating syntax that allows developers to declaratively render dynamic data into the DOM.
• Transitions & Animations: Vue provides various ways to apply transition effects when items enter, update, or leave the DOM.
• Computed Properties: For more complex logic, Vue's computed properties allow data transformations or computations to be cached and only re-evaluated when underlying dependencies change.
• Directives: These are prefixed tokens in the template that provide directives to the compiler. Examples include v-bind for binding attributes, v-for for rendering a list, and v-if for conditional rendering.
• Vue Router: Vue's official router for building single-page applications with routing capabilities.

Why Is Vue One of the Most Popular Web Frameworks?

Vue has surged in popularity among developers and businesses alike, primarily because of its simplicity and ease of integration. Its gentle learning curve makes it an accessible choice for beginners while still offering the depth required by seasoned developers. Vue's design ensures scalability and maintainability.

Why Use a Programming Framework?

Web development frameworks have fundamentally transformed the landscape of web creation, offering a multitude of advantages that cater to both developers and businesses. The drastic improvement in efficiency that they offer is a stand-alone feature in and of itself, but there’s so much more! You should use frameworks in coding for these three — plus many more — reasons: 

1. Frameworks are equipped with a plethora of tools and packages designed to expedite the development process. This not only eliminates the need for writing lengthy codes from scratch but also means a significant reduction in development time and costs. As a result, developers can focus on the more intricate aspects of a project.
2. Frameworks have built-in mechanisms that facilitate the detection and debugging of errors. This means that websites and applications are not only more stable but also offer a more reliable user experience while making debugging hassle-free.
3. Frameworks are typically designed with robust security measures in place, enhancing the security of websites and applications.

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