Simple Web Frameworks: A Guide to Web Application Development

Nowadays, web applications are the basis of internet searches, starting from e-commerce sites, information websites, and social media platforms. However, building a web application can be complex. Simple web frameworks are a solution to this problem, as they are software tools with ready-to-use code to make it easier to build web applications quickly.

Simple web frameworks consist of tools and libraries that make it easy to build a web application. They include pre-written code, APIs, reusable components, and a structure to organize your app as needed. Web frameworks provide an easy solution for developers who don’t have to write code from scratch. This article discusses the main simple web frameworks, their characteristics, and the benefits of such frameworks.

Key takeaways:

• Simple web frameworks offer many advantages, such as built-in security features, but have their limitations you need to consider when selecting the one that suits your needs.
• The choice of web frameworks on the market is huge, and each has its own advantages that may be leveraged by your organization.

Simple web framework—the pros and cons

Simple web frameworks are an excellent tool if you need a quick solution, but they also have some downsides. Considering both the pros and cons of the solution, you need to consider whether this solution is a good option for your business.

Simple web frameworks—advantages

Simple web frameworks offer a lot for a user. Depending on the needs, businesses can set up an efficient web application easily and quickly and focus on the unique aspects of their project. Web frameworks usually consist of libraries and tools that include reusable code for routing, database connections, and session management to streamline the development process and increase developer productivity.

Web frameworks also include design patterns to organize the code structure, using, for example, MVC (Model-View-Controller). Moreover, they also provide APIs and middleware that enable extending the functionality of the web app through database integration or integrating with external services or improving security.

Simple web frameworks—disadvantages

However, simple web frameworks also have some cons. As they offer pre-written code and ready components, these features impact the solution’s flexibility, especially if your business needs a complex project. In some cases, the web application’s performance and web services may be slowed down by unnecessary or unused features.

Using a web framework still requires the user to learn how to use it. The learning curve of getting to know specific tools and libraries may be problematic. Moreover, using a particular web framework means you can become dependent on it, and if it gets outdated or doesn’t get updates, it may impact your business.

Considering both advantages and disadvantages is the key to finding the right solution for your business. The web application must fit your business needs.

Types of simple web frameworks

There are different types of web frameworks on the market with various roles:

• Front-end frameworks are used to build the user interface of web applications. These frameworks handle the layout, design, and interaction in browsers.
• Back-end frameworks manage server-side logic, databases, and server communication. They focus on the architecture and functionalities users don’t interact with.
• Full-stack frameworks cover both front-end and back-end development and are used to create a complete web application.

There are many web frameworks available on the market. Each web project has different needs, so choosing the framework will impact the further development of the web application functionalities. Some web frameworks offer full-stack solutions even though their primary focus is on front-end or back-end.

Front-end frameworks

Front-end frameworks focus on building the UI of web apps. These web frameworks include pre-built and pre-designed UI components, such as buttons, forms, navigation bars, modals, and popups. Apart from these elements, they often include features like layout and styling, data binding, and responsive user interface and design.

React.js

React.js is among the most popular web development frameworks available. It was developed by Facebook and is an open-source JavaScript library that allows developers to create complex user interfaces divided into single, reusable components. It was primarily used for building user interfaces for single-page applications.

React’s components can manage their own state, making development scalable and modular. Its key features include a component-based architecture with a collection of reusable components across applications, which promotes clean, maintainable code.

React also often uses JSX. This is a syntax extension for JavaScript that resembles HTML. JSX helps structure component rendering using a syntax known to many developers. The framework is very popular mostly because of its flexibility, efficiency, and multiple tools and libraries.

What kind of applications can be built with React.js? The framework is a great tool for creating modern web applications with dynamic user interfaces. The list of applications include:

• Single-page applications: Such pages do not require a full reload and are dynamically updated. Examples are Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp Web.
• Real-time applications: These apps are constantly updated and used for chatting or messaging, like Discord or Reddit.
• E-commerce platforms: React helps deliver interactive platforms like AirBnB and PayPal, which require efficient state management and fast loading.
• Content streaming services: The framework enabled seamless video streaming because it can handle applications rich in media, like Netflix.

React can be used in many app domains thanks to its flexibility.

Angular

Angular is a free and open-source TypeScript-based framework developed by Google. It is designed to build single-page web applications and provide a dynamic and responsive user experience. Angular uses a component-based architecture that allows it to build reusable user interface elements.

Angular consists of modules that enable grouping related components, directives, services, and pipes. Angular components are the building blocks of apps, making it possible to handle the view and bind data. Angular also includes services that provide functionalities like data storage or HTTP requests.

The framework also has a two-way data binding that synchronizes the data between the model and view. It also has an in-built routing system that helps navigate between views. Moreover, the Angular framework is also used to create native mobile and desktop applications. The framework has also integrated testing utilities such as Karma or Jasmine for unit testing.

What kind of applications can be built with Angular? This framework is commonly used and popular among developers. It is used to create enterprise-level web apps thanks to its scalable architecture. Angular powers many internal Google apps, like Gmail. It can also build the following types of applications:

• Single-page applications: The framework is used to build SPAs, such as Gmail or Forbes, which uses its capabilities to dynamically load content and ensure great user experience.
• Progressive web applications: These apps must offer fast and reliable offline services, such as weather.com and Google Maps.
• Enterprise web applications: The framework ensures a smooth user experience and efficient handling of enterprise-scale requirements, such as those in Microsoft Office 365.
• Applications with animated UI: The framework’s capabilities include creating interactive and visually appealing animations within applications, such as the Disney+ streaming platform.

Angular offers wide adaptability in different platforms and domains.

Expert’s choice: Angular as a framework offers a set of tools for creating web applications. Its main advantage is its efficiency and support for complex user interfaces. It’s also easy to learn for new users.

Vue

Vue is a progressive JavaScript framework for building web user interfaces. It’s an approachable, performant, and versatile framework. Vue uses standard HTLM, CSS, and JavaScript with intuitive API and world-class extensive documentation. The framework offers a reactive, compiler-optimized rendering system and an adaptable and robust ecosystem that can scale between a library and a full-featured framework.

Vue stems from Angular but is more lightweight and flexible. It can be used to create single-page applications, complex web apps, or enhance parts of an already existing project. It uses virtual DOM for faster performance. The framework also uses directives to effectively bind data to DOM. Moreover, Vue components can be stored in one file, streamlining development and debugging.

What kind of apps can be built with Vue? Thanks to the framework’s versatility, it can handle high-traffic applications, from e-commerce to even developer platforms:

• Single-page applications: Vue can be used to create SPAs thanks to its reactive and modular architecture. For example, Grammarly uses Vue in web editor interface.
• Web user interfaces: The framework is perfect for building UI in web apps due to its component based architecture. For example, Behance uses Vue in UI.
• Enterprise web applications: Vue, as a scalable framework, can be used for building enterprise-level applications, such as GitLab.
• Mobile and desktop applications: Vue combined with Ionic Vue and Quasar can be used to build mobile and desktop applications from the same codebase.
• Content management systems (CMS): Vue can be integrated with content management systems, which may enhance functionality. For example, PhotoPrism uses Vue.js.

Vue is a very versatile framework with many possible uses in various domains.

Svelte

Svelte is a modern web development JavaScript framework released in 2016. It is fundamentally different from other popular frameworks as it shifts work to the compile step. This means Svelte apps don’t run a virtual DOM at runtime. The framework compiles components into imperative code, directly manipulating the DOM.

Svelte compiles components at build time instead at runtime. This increases performance and reduces framework overhead in the browser. The framework features SvelteKit, an official application framework that enabled building modern, multi-page web apps. SvelteKit is a great option for server-side rendering (SSR), static site generation (SSG) and single-page applications (SPAs).

Moreover, Svelte doesn’t use virtual DOM, but it updates the COM surgically when the state of an application changes. This speeds up updates. It is a highly reactive framework with state management built directly into the framework. This contributes to simpler reactive programming by automatically updating when variables change.

What applications can be built with Svelte? The framework is used for interactive web interfaces for both static and dynamic web apps. It is also a great choice for performance-critical apps. Svelte can be used for the following:

• Single page applications: Svelte was used to develop parts of the Spotify web player to streamline streaming and improve performance.
• Static sites: The framework was used in combination of SvelteKit for Svelte documentation static site thanks to its lightweight nature, which is great for documentation.
• Progressive web apps: The New York Times website uses Svelte to display interactive content and data visualizations.

Svelte is also a great option for building dashboards for large businesses and data visualization.

Back-end frameworks

Back-end frameworks are collections of tools, guidelines, and libraries that simplify the development of web apps’ server-side components. The frameworks handle the back-end operations when a user interacts with a website, including routing, database interactions, security, and server management.

Spring Boot

Spring Boot is an open-source Java-based framework for easier development of stand-alone, production-ready apps. It was built on the Spring framework and allows developers to create Spring apps with minimal configuration. It was designed to simplify the use of the Spring framework.

Spring Boot was created to make it easy to develop production-grade Spring apps and to avoid configuration issues stemming from traditional Java frameworks. It can directly embed web containers like Tomcat, Jetty, or Undertow without the need to deploy web application archive files. The framework can also automatically configure Spring and third-party libraries whenever possible.

The key components of Spring Boot include starter page object models, auto-configuration of libraries, Spring boot command-line interface, Sprint initializer tool or API to help developers bootstrap a new project with dependencies, embedded servers like Tomcat or Jetty, and an actuator with production-ready features.

The versatility of Spring Boot can be used to build the following:

• Microservices: Microservices allow the creation of lightweight distributed systems. Netflix uses Spring Boot to build the microservice infrastructure for content streaming for millions of users.
• RESTful API development: Spring Boot makes it easier to create RESTful APIs. CERN uses Spring Boot for developing REST APIs used for the management of scientific data.
• Web application development: Combined with front-end frameworks, Spring Boot can be used to create full-stack web applications, like Zalando.
• Enterprise application development: Intuit uses Spring Boot to develop financial service software. The framework can handle complex business workflows due to its rich ecosystem.
• Cloud-native applications: Spring Boot is employed by many companies to create and deploy apps in the cloud with minimal configuration. It integrates easily with platforms like AWS and Azure.

The flexibility, ease of setup, and powerful features make Spring Boot a widely used framework.

Expert’s choice: Spring Boot speeds up and simplifies the development of an application in Java. It’s easy to configure thanks to well-structured and clear documentation and supports microservices and various popular technologies.

FastAPI

FastAPI is a high-performance web framework used for building APIs with Python. This modern framework was designed to streamline development while keeping top performance using Python. It was launched in 2018 and became popular due to its speed and ease of use.

FastAPI includes a few key components. One is Pydantic, which is used for data validation based on annotations of Python type. It also has Starlette, which provides core web functionalities like routing, sessions, etc. The framework also includes OpenAPI and JSON schema. These components help automatically generate API documentation and specifications based on the code. It also offers Async support to handle requests efficiently.

FastAPI is known for its high performance and being one of the fastest Python frameworks. It’s also easy to use thanks to built-in support for automatic API documentation. The framework also includes automatic request validation and can handle multiple concurrent requests.

What is FastAPI used for?

• RESTfulAPIs: FastAPI is a great option for developing REST APIs. Netflix employs Fast API to build internal APIs.
• Machine learning models: FastAPI integrates well with data-driven workflows. Microsoft uses FastAPI to deploy ML models.
• IoT systems: The framework is lightweight enough to be employed in IoT applications. For example, Uber uses FastAPI for microservice architecture.

FastAPI offers great possibilities, especially as a framework for machine learning and data-driven applications.

Express.js

Express.js is a web application framework created in 2010. It’s a flexible Node.js framework that allows you to build scalable, high-performing web and mobile applications. This framework is minimal and flexible and is the base for many other Node.js frameworks.

Its key components include middleware functions, handling HTTP requests, route responses and data processing. Express.js offers robust functionalities that help manage different app URLs supporting HTTP verbs like GET, POST, and DELETE. It also supports many templating engines that enable developers to generate dynamic HTML content. Moreover, Express offers built-in error-handling capabilities.

Express.js is known for its flexibility and offering web developers full control over patterns and structure. The framework also allows developers to add third-party libraries and plugins. Its lightweight nature ensures fast request execution, making it great for scalable apps. Express.js is also fully compatible with Node.js.

What apps can be built with Express.js?

• RESTful APIs: Express.js is used by AccuWeather to provide weather data services using a RESTful API. The data can then be integrated into other apps or platforms, ensuring fast data access.
• Real-time web applications: Express.js is also employed by Uber’s platform. It requires constant live communication between drivers and riders. The framework handles backend services for geolocation, pricing, and real-time updates.

Express.js is widely used thanks to its capabilities and lightweight framework nature.

Laravel

Laravel is a free, open-source PHP framework. It was released in 2011 and was designed for building web applications using elegant syntax. The framework was created to offer an accessible development experience for web developers. It was built as an alternative to the CodeIgniter framework that offered built-in support for authentication, routing and more.

Laravel is widely employed in e-commerce, content management systems, social networks, and API-driven apps. The key components of the framework include the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture and a powerful routing mechanism that enables developers to easily define URL routes. It also includes a flexible templating engine that helps build dynamic web application interfaces, combining PHP with HTML. Moreover, it offers the Artisan CLI (Command Line Interface) that automates repetitive tasks like unit testing or database migrations.

The framework has built-in authentication and authorization features. It also offers automated task scheduling through its command scheduler. Laravel also enables building APIs with minimal boilerplate code and offers security measures against common vulnerabilities, such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and cross-site request forgery (CSRF).

What applications can be built using Laravel?

• Enterprise-level applications: Laravel is a great option for building enterprise applications thanks to its scalability, robust architecture, and ability to handle complex logic. Deltanet Travel uses Laravel to handle booking systems and travel management.
• E-commerce platforms: Laravel offers modularity that helps build a customized shopping application and many features for building online stores. Aimeos, Vanilo, and Bagisto leverage Laravel in their e-commerce business models.
• API-driven applications: Laravel is a great choice for integrating headless CMS platforms. It allows developers to manage content across various platforms through a seamless API layer.

Thanks to its robustness, Laravel is a popular choice for e-commerce solutions and enterprise-grade applications.

Full-stack frameworks

Full-stack frameworks offer a complete solution for the application. These frameworks include both front-end and back-end components and everything necessary to handle client-side and server-side features. This includes user interactions, data processing, and content serving from the database to the user interface. Such frameworks help developers build apps quickly through pre-built functionalities and unified architecture.

Expert insight: Technologies like JavaScript or Typescript allow developers to write front-end and back-end with a Node.js runtime environment. This solution is not optimal as it may lead to performance bottlenecks or security issues.

Ruby on Rails

Ruby on Rails is a full-stack web framework with a comprehensive structure for web applications. It’s built on the MVC architecture and lets developers create both front-end and back-end components within one framework.

Ruby on Rails uses the architectural pattern of Model-View-Controller. The model part manages the data and logic of the app. The view component handles the UI and presentation in HTML, CSS and JavaScript. The controller takes care of the app’s flow direction and connects models and views. Ruby on Rails also integrates with databases in order to manage database interactions.

The key features of Ruby on Rails include RESTful architecture, Object-Relational Mapping for database management, and generating boilerplate code for basic CRUD operations (Create, Read, Update, Delete.) Ruby on Rails also focuses on convention over configuration, so developers can save time configuring settings.

What applications are built with Ruby on Rails? The framework is used to create dynamic websites, e-commerce platforms, and CMS. Examples of apps created with Ruby on Rails include:

• API-driven applications: GitHub utilizes Ruby on Rails for collaborative coding and storing code. It also utilizes APIs to integrate with other tools and services.
• Full-stack web applications: Ruby on Rails powers the front-end and back-end of Kickstarter. It helps manage payments and managing projects. The framework is also used by Fiverr for backend operations such as user management, payments or messaging with dynamic front-end features.
• Single page application: Ruby on Rails also handles server-side rendering and dynamic updates of Airbnb.

Ruby on Rails is a popular choice for full-stack web development due to its flexibility and speed.

Node.js

Node.js is an open-source, cross-platform JavaScript runtime environment that allows developers to execute JavaScript code on the server side. It allows for building scalable full-stack web applications. It was created in 2009, and the main goal was to enable JavaScript to run on the server side using Google Chrome’s V8 engine to compile JavaScript into native machine code.

The key components of Node.js as a full-stack web framework include using React, Angular, or Vue.js for the front-end. For the back-end, Node.js makes it possible to run JavaScript on the server and is often paired with Express.js to manage sessions and databases, and to handle HTTP requests. Node.js is often combined with MongoDB. It can handle database queries asynchronously to achieve efficient processing.

The key features of Node.js include its ability to handle multiple connections simultaneously and not block the execution thread. Moreover, Node.js executes asynchronous operations without holding the program’s main flow. It also uses a single thread to handle requests and event loops for concurrent processing, which makes it scalable. Node Package Manager grants access to packages and libraries that extend the framework’s functionality.

What applications can be built with Node.js? The framework can be used, for example, to create:

• Single page applications: Node/js can be used as back-end for SPAs to power the server-side logic. Trello employs Node.js for back-end API development and to handle data storage and real-time updates.
• API-driven applications: Node.js can be used to build scalable APIs to communicate between front-end and back-end. LinkedIn uses Node.js for the server-side logic and handling API requests, along with user interaction data on the platform.
• Real-time applications: Applications such as chats and collaborative tools can leverage Node.js for constant updates in real-time. Uber uses Node.js to handle real-time data, location tracking, and user requests.

Node.js is a flexible full-stack framework that can be used to build dynamic and scalable applications.

Expert’s choice: Node.js makes it possible to create scalable web applications.

Final thoughts

Web applications are the core of online activity in various fields. However, building such apps can be complex. Simple web development frameworks offer a solution to that complexity by providing tools, libraries, pre-written code, and reusable components, enabling rapid development. These greatly streamline the development process. Still, such web frameworks have both advantages and disadvantages.

Front-end, back-end, and full-stack frameworks have different purposes. That’s why it’s advised to ask an expert which one is the best web development framework for your business. At Neontri, web framework experts can find a robust and scalable web application solution that would fit your company perfectly. Our certified specialists can take care of a custom solution for your business to help your company grow, reach more clients, and increase revenue by providing tailored features.

FAQ

How does a simple web framework differ from a full-stack framework?

Simple web frameworks focus on specific tasks, are lightweight, and suitable for specific, focused projects. Simple web frameworks handle tasks like routing or APIs, but they lacks some full development tools. Full-stack web frameworks provide a comprehensive toolkit that can cover front-end and back-end but involve other problems, such as security issues.

Can I scale my application using a simple web framework?

A simple web framework can scale an application. Depending on the framework and its scalability capabilities, additional tools or services may be necessary to handle the process. Some web frameworks may lack features to handle load balancing, caching, or database management. Then, it’s necessary to incorporate third-party solutions.

Are simple web frameworks secure?

Usually, web frameworks have built-in security features, such as encryption. However, not all web frameworks address the security issues. In some cases, the built-in features are not sufficient, and it’s necessary to add an extra layer of security.

Can I integrate third-party services with a simple web framework?

Yes, it is possible to integrate third-party services to a simple web framework. If you need a payment gateway, API, cloud store, or other functionalities, it’s possible to find ones that easily integrate with the specific framework. Still, it may be necessary to include additional libraries or plugins to do so.

Are simple web frameworks compatible with cloud services?

Simple web frameworks are compatible with cloud services. Depending on the framework, it may be necessary to configure them manually for cloud deployment. This involves integrating with AWS, Azure, etc.