If you are a founder of a company or a CEO or a CTO or other stakeholder, then many times you need to decide how to build a software product. But many a times these people face trouble deciding about the tech stack for their web application.

They are confused for the following things:

whether to use Python or Java as a language
node.js or Flask/Django as a web framework
what is the best front-end option: Angular, React or VueJS
Which database to use – MySQL, Postgres or MongoDB
Should you self-host with Apache or Nginx on DigitalOcean or just go with Amazon AWS

If you too are going for Web Application Development and you still have these types of questions in mind and you don’t know where to start, then this article can help you to make your decision.
Tech stack is actually the combination of programming languages, tools and frameworks which the developers use to build web and mobile applications. Mainly there are two main components in any application i.e. client side and server side, also known as front end and back end.
A stack is created when we build one layer of application atop the other, with the help of codes and hardware modules ranging from generic to specific. A tech stack contains different layers of components/servers that developers use to build software applications and solutions. We have many choice of tech stacks in the web development world hence people sometimes get confused. Generally, people pick something which is easier to learn but it should not be the only criteria of selection.

Factors to be Considered While Choosing a Web Tech Stack

There are many kinds of tech stacks available for wordpress Developers. You can use the below guidelines to choose the right one for your project.

Type of Project

The type of project always plays an important role in determining the right stack.

oSmall Projects

If the project is small and you need to deliver it in less time, then simple technologies like WordPress CMS can be used; especially if the requirement is to build a working prototype which has to be delivered within a strict timeline.

oMid-range projects

If the project is small to mid-level, then it would need a combination of programming languages as the developers would need something which can provide them various functionalities and easy integration across multiple platforms. Web applications under these projects are Ecommerce websites, finance related websites, major government projects etc. In these projects, Java and C# are the most commonly used programming languages.

oComplex Projects

In complex projects the developers have to create web apps having lots of functionalities. In these projects, they have to work with many programming languages and various web technologies. Such projects would be social networks, large Ecommerce marketplaces etc. While working on the size of the project, it is also important to look at the business goals as technologies used would directly influence the business goals nevertheless the aim is to provide smooth customer experience.

Team’s Expertise and Knowledge Base

This is also an important factor as the level of expertise the developer team possesses on working with various technology stacks impacts the project development. Even after deciding on the technology stack the developer team will have to maintain the application even after launching it. The expertise is so much important as the developer may face many issues when they would be writing codes. And to find a solution, the team has to be highly experienced. Also the project has a deadline therefore the work should be quite fast. You also have to make sure that the web tech stack you choose has a huge developer community and rich documentation.

Time to Market (TTM)

It is not easy to plan a date of the product launch and finishing it on time. Hence Time to Market is an important factor when you pick a tech stack. If the development and testing phase of a project take lots of time, then there is a high chance that you will not be able to complete it on time before the launch date. The lesser the time you take to develop the app, the cheaper it will be for the company. TTM heavily depends on the technology stack you choose for the web app.

Scalability

Scalability means the ability of the application or website to handle more work. As the number of users goes up, the application must be able to handle the growth, including the seasonal spikes. Hence the developers should choose a stack that will accommodate future growth of the app.

Cost of Development

Although most of the popular tools and frameworks are free and open source but still you may have to subscribe to them by paying fees to get access to the advanced features. Hence it is important to find out how much you are willing to spend on an Mobile App Development project. Hence weigh the balance of cost of using a particular stack vs. the usability of its features and functionalities before making the final decision.

Most Popular Technology Stacks

Now let’s discuss about some of the most popular tech stacks that developers use in their projects. You can read about them and decide which is best fit for you.

.NET Stack

.NET is a feature rich, highly tested framework which lets you build dynamic and interactive web apps. Both C# and .NET framework form the centerpiece of the Microsoft’s technology stack. .NET Stack has about 60 frameworks, platforms, SDKs, IDEs, libraries etc. spread over 13 layers. This includes CLI languages like C#, F#, VB.NET etc. Interoperability, language independence, portability, security and speed are the main features of .NET tech stack.

LAMP Stack

LAMP stacks consist of the most popular open source software components. The main components of LAMP are Linux operating system, the Apache HTTP Server, the MySQL RDBMS, and the PHP programming language. LAMP works well for both dynamic websites and applications. It is highly flexible and customizable and very easy to use. PHP is interchangeable with the languages Perl and Python. WAMP (Windows/Apache/MySQL/PHP), LAPP (Linux/Apache/PostgreSQL/PHP), MAMP (Mac OS X/Apache/MySQL/PHP) and XAMPP (Linux, Mac OS X, Windows/Apache/MySQL/PHP, Perl) are the variations of LAMP.

MEAN Stack

MEAN Stack is an open source, free JavaScript software stack which developers use for building dynamic web apps and websites. The MEA stack consists of MongoDB – a NoSQL database, Express.js – a web app framework which runs on Node.js, Angular JS (or Angular) JavaScript MVC framework which runs in browser JavaScript engines, and Node.js – an execution domain for event driven server side and networking applications. As the support programs are coded in JavaScript hence MEAN stack makes it easier for developers to code the application for both server side and client side execution environments and that too in language uniformity. It supports MVC pattern, is open source and is also mobile friendly.

Conclusion

We have just discussed about the factors which you need to consider while choosing a technology stack for your web application and also about the different tech stacks currently in use today. These steps will definitely give you an idea about how to select the right one for your project. First you need to understand your project requirements properly in order to choose the right technologies for it. You can understand the pros and cons of each and take a realistic decision. You should have a talented, skilled and professional web development team which can choose the right tools for creating a scalable and highly functional web application which carries all the potential to become successful.

Steps for Choosing a Technology Stack for Your Web Application Development Project