Popular web app development programming languages for 2023

Choosing the right web app development programming languages is incredibly important to the long-term success of your software. There are a number of world-leading programming languages to choose from ranging from JavaScript which is the most popular with 65.3% of developers around the world according to Statista. Each programming language offers unique benefits which will be suitable for some projects and not others, therefore it is essential to find the right one that will suit your project, teams, budgets, and resource availability.

Here we will look at the top web app development programming languages, looking at the pros and cons of each to help you choose the right one for you. 

JavaScript

JavaScript is the scripting language used to build web pages which are more than just static pages. If you are looking at a web page that has animation, dynamically moving or updating content, and interactive maps, it is more than likely created using JavaScript. A day-to-day use of JavaScript is when you’re typing your search in Google and it shows a suggestion of searches, that is JavaScript.  

The web app development trinity

JavaScript used in collaboration with HTML and CSS creates the ‘backbone’ of web app development and more than likely any web app or page you come across will involve the three. JavaScript builds on HTML and CSS to build the page. Here we will look at JavaScript in more detail in terms of its key benefits and limitations.

The pros of using JavaScript for web app development

• Speed – JavaScript is an interpreted language therefore, the development is much speedier compared to some of the other programming languages such as Java.
• Simple – It is one of the easiest programming languages to learn and understand adding to its popularity.
• Popular – JavaScript is the most popular programming language in the world due to its ease, speed, simplicity and the fact that it supports most modern browsers. Some of the biggest brands in the world use it including the likes of Google and Facebook.
• Community – With its popularity you benefit from the huge community which can provide assistance should you require it.
• Cost – JavaScript allows for speedier development which reduces overall costs. Additionally, it is a cost-effective solution to create dynamic content.
• Interoperability – JavaScript is great for use in collaboration with other programming languages such as Angular JS and React JS. This offers developer versatility, again adding to its popularity.

The limitations of using JavaScript for web all development 

• Security – security can be a concern with JavaScript as the code is viewable to the user, which can be altered. This would comprise the security of the data.
• Browser and platforms differences – It may not work on some of the older browsers and platforms, therefore it needs to be tested across all major platforms and browsers.
• Debugging – This can be difficult to debug which can pose a challenge for developers.

Python

Python is one of the most preferred programming languages when it comes to web app development due to the number of benefits on offer. Multiple Python frameworks can be employed to build web applications which include Django and Dash. Here we will look at the key benefits and limitations of Python for web app development.

The benefits of Python for web app development

• Library support – With an extensive range of libraries it makes it significantly easier to build a variety of web apps gaming apps and machine learning apps without using external libraries.
• Simple syntax – The simple syntax of Python makes it easier to use.
• Variety of frameworks – Python offers a wide variety of frameworks used for multiple types of development ranging from web pages to web apps.
• Less coding - Python does not require extensive coding which adds to its popularity.
• Free to use – Python is an open-source programming language meaning it is free for developers to use, which can reduce the development costs
• Large community - As it is one of the most popular programming languages in the world, there is a huge community which can provide assistance.

The limitations of Python for web app development

• Speed limitations – Python is known to be a little slower for coding due to its dynamically typed and interpreted programming nature.
• Consumption of memory space – Python require a large amount of space, therefore if you are building a web app that needs to optimise memory, python may not be the ideal solution.
• No ideal for mobile – Python may not be the ideal option for mobile app development due to the low rate of processing a program and the memory consumption.

Ruby

Ruby on Rails (ROR) is an open-source framework widely used for web app development. Ruby is the programming language that the framework is written in. It has some innovative functionalities which make it stand out and are often why it's used and they include table migrations and scaffolds.

The pros of using Ruby for web app development

• Best practice – Ruby is known as an ‘opinionated’ language which means that it shows you the best practice in line with industry best practices.
• Cost-efficiency – As it is an open-source programming language it is free to use, therefore reducing the overall cost of development.
• Speed – You can avoid writing repetitive code with the use of existing plugins and modules.
• Testing and debugging – Ruby has built-in testing tools which makes testing and debugging a lot easier than some of the other languages.
• Community – There is a large community base for Ruby, therefore advice and information can be found.
• Security – Built-in security features such as default security mechanism ensures security.

The limitation of using Ruby for web app development  

• Slow performance – which makes it harder to scale with a larger user base. A prime example of this is Twitter, who struggled with ROR and had to adapt to Scala solutions.
• Limitations with flexibility – As it follows the industry's best practices for web app development, there are limitations when it comes to flexibility.
• Declining popularity – Trends show the popularity of Ruby has decreased over time in comparison to other frameworks and languages such as Django with Python.

PHP

PHP is another popular programming language that is widely used to develop web apps. It is an open-source platform that is server side which makes it incredibly easy to learn. Here we will look at PHP for web app development in more detail.

The key benefits of PHP for web app development

• Supporting tools – as it is one of the most mature languages, there are extensive tools libraries and supporting platforms to support development.
• Ease of use – Due to the nature of the language (server side) it is easy to learn, and it is one of the most commonly taught languages for entry-level developers.
• Open source – It is cost-effective as it is an open-source language.
• Freedom with operating systems – PHP apps can be hosted on a wide number of popular operating systems including IBM, Linux, Windows MASOS and more.

The limitation of PHP for web app development

• Declining popularity – Can be considered compared to some of the more modern languages such as Python which are similar to natural language, therefore it is seeing a decline in popularity.
• Performance issues – PHP is a slow language as it cannot effectively deal with a higher number of requests, making it considerably slow in comparison to other programming languages.

Choosing the right programming language for you

Choosing the right programming language will affect several factors as previously mentioned including development time, resources, maintenance and cost. Therefore choosing the right programming language for your web app development is key. If you do not have the expertise in-house to make this decision, then consider seeking expert advice which can save you long-term costs and ensure your app is built in a future-proof way.

Ardent web app development services

Ardent has been building secure, scalable and future-proof web apps for over a decade. Our highly skilled software developers proficient in many lead web app development programming languages deliver excellence to our clients every day. If you are looking for a web app development company that has a proven track record of success, with expertise to help you navigate app development from the programming language of choice to the right technology for you, we can help. Get in touch to find out more or to set up a discovery call to find out how we can help.

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