Working as the brain and backbone of a website, the back end is the most complex part that requires skilled developers to spend time and resources to build. Yet, how can we make the process more efficient and faster, especially when the need for a website is growing? In this case, using back-end web development tools comes in clutch.
In this article, we will review the top 32 tools for back-end web development, as well as different types of technology and what to use.
Server
These powerful servers provide shared resources required by networks, such as file storage, security and encryption, databases, email, and web services. Once you’ve mastered the fundamentals of on-site servers, broaden your knowledge by investigating virtualization, which is how servers are provisioned to house multiple websites.
1. Apache HTTP Server
Apache is the most widely used web server on the internet. It is a free, open-source, cross-platform web server created by the Apache Software Foundation (ASF). It can also be freely installed on Windows, Linux, and macOS.
HTTP also can be used as a standalone server or in conjunction with another web server such as Nginx or Microsoft IIS.
Apache is written in C++ and uses IBM’s MPM (Multi-Processing Module) IPC framework to perform its tasks. The system architecture comprises numerous modules in charge of various functions such as input/output, data compression/decompression, security, and so on to support back-end development.
This plethora of feature options makes it convenient to use and set up. Another thing to mention is powerful URL management features such as virtual hosts and mod rewrite. As a result, it is suitable for any web server requirement, including multi-domain configurations or high-traffic sites with high availability requirements.
- G2 Rate: 4.2/5
- Pricing: from $59 for a month
2. NGINX
NGINX is written in C and handles requests using an asynchronous event-driven model. As a result, it is more efficient than Apache, which employs a multi-threaded mode that can act as a reverse proxy, load balancer, and HTTP cache.
This back-end web development tool also includes powerful URL management features such as virtual hosts and mod rewrite. One of the most significant advantages is the low resource consumption, which allows for event-driven asynchronous architecture, load balancing, and reverses proxy with FastCGI support. This makes it suitable for any web server requirement like Apache.
- G2 Rate: 4.6/5
- Pricing: Free trial and paid
3. Microsoft ISS
Microsoft IIS is a web server that Microsoft created to use with the Windows operating system. It can be used as a standalone server or in conjunction with another web server such as Apache or Nginx.
Microsoft IIS supports a variety of website configurations and provides website security as well as identity and access management. Your website will run more efficiently with caching and compression. IIS is written in C++ and handles requests with the HTTP.sys kernel-mode driver.
It also includes powerful URL management features such as virtual hosts and mod rewrite.
Database
The database is the backbone to make your website dynamic and responsive. It’s responsible for accepting delivered queries, fetching that data, and transferring it back to the front-end to respond to users. These are critical back-end web development tools to make your website function.
1. MongoDB
MongoDB is a popular free and open-source document-oriented database among web developers. This NoSQL database stores and retrieves data using JSON-like documents with optional schemas, providing much-needed scalability and flexibility.
Ad-hoc queries, Indexing, Replication, Load Balancing, File Storage, Aggregation, Transactions, and other features are available in MongoDB. Furthermore, this database’s security and data recovery aspects are far superior to those of other database management systems.
Aside from that, MongoDB is compatible with a wide range of standard programming languages, including C/C++, Java, PHP, Python, Ruby, and others.
- G2 Rate: 4.5/5
- Pricing: Free trial to $57/ month
2. MySQL
MySQL is another popular open-source relational database management system for web-based applications. This is a high-performance back-end web development tool with improved scalability, usability, and reliability.
Furthermore, MySQL supports cross-platform compatibility, robust indexing, SSL for secure connections, powerful data encryption and accuracy, built-in replication support, and various other features.
Meanwhile, MySQL can run on different operating systems and is compatible with many popular programming languages such as PHP, Java, and others. Let us also mention that MySQL is used by numerous well-known websites such as Flickr, Twitter, Facebook, Drupal, Joomla, and many others.
- G2 Rate: 4.4/5
- Pricing: $2,000 to $10,000/ year
3. Redis
If you handle large database requests regularly, Redis can significantly improve site speed and reduce database requests (and hence the cost of maintaining your site).
Redis is a free and open-source tool for caching data in NoSQL databases. Most programming languages are supported, including JavaScript, Java, Python, PHP, and others.
Some large corporations have turned to Redis to help them manage their data. Redis is used by companies such as Twitter, Pinterest, Craigslist. If it can handle that load, it can bear any data you can throw.
- G2 Rate: 4.5/5
- Pricing: Free
Frameworks
There are many tools available to developers today that make things easier for both beginners and experts. Backend web frameworks are among them. It is a structured foundational source code to help you build a website quicker without starting from scratch.
1. Laravel
If you’re looking for a PHP-based web framework, Laravel is widely regarded as the best option. It’s free, open-source, and specifically designed to build a Symfony-based web application with an MVC architecture. If you need to concentrate on back-end development, experts recommend this framework.
The Benefits of Using Laravel
- Laravel includes numerous security features. It also employs an algorithm (the Bcrypt Hashing Algorithm) to generate highly secure passwords.
- You can use Laravel’s built-in templates to create layouts and content.
- Laravel provides widgets with CSS and JS code in addition to PHP.
- Ideal for developing complicated projects.
- A simple API that works with the Swift Mailer library.
Who should use Laravel?
Laravel is not suitable for beginners. It’s overly complicated if you’re trying to manage a simple or small project. Thus, Laravel is only for experienced developers.
2. Ruby on Rails
Ruby on Rails is a web app development framework built around the Ruby programming language. It’s also free to use. Although Ruby is not the most popular programming language, Ruby on Rails is a popular back-end web framework because it simplifies the programming process and provides automated testing and libraries.
Ruby on Rails’ advantages
- It saves time by running automated tests on the code written by developers.
- Ruby on Rails is highly versatile and adaptable. It gives developers complete control over their projects: they can choose how the application database should function. The framework would then generate the code automatically with the developers’ instructions. Once again, this is a method of making things easier and faster.
Who should use Ruby on Rails?
This type of web development framework is suitable for learners or beginners.
3. Django
Django is a Python-based open-source web framework that makes web development easier and less time-consuming. Its architectural pattern is model-template-views (MTV). Some of the reasons for this framework’s immense popularity and demand are its notable features such as extensibility, rapid development, scalability, security, a large community, and many more. Businesses use Django for various web development purposes, including social networking platforms, scientific computing platforms, content management systems, and others. Instagram, Mozilla, Pinterest, and other well-known websites all use Django. If you want to learn Python web development, Django is a great place to start.
Other frameworks to consider include Angular, Meteor, Spring, and NodeJS.
Integrated Development Environment
An integrated development environment (IDE) combines standard back-end developer tools and a single graphical user interface (GUI). IDEs help centralize the essential tools required to write and test software.
These instruments typically include:
- An editor created to work with code (with, for example, syntax highlighting and auto-completion)
- Tools for development, execution, and debugging
- Source control IDEs, which combine tools for software editing, building, testing, and packaging, help software developers code more efficiently. This will increase your team’s productivity.
Some of the best back-end web development tools for IDE are:
1. JetBrains
JetBrains offers developers various IDEs, including IntelliJ, Goland, PyCharm, and others. Their IDEs are widely used for popular programming languages, including Python, C, C++, Go, Swift, and Ruby.
2. Code vs. (Microsoft)
Microsoft Visual Studio Code, also known as VS Code, is a source-code editor. Because it is free and open source, anyone can use it. It is well-known for its simple user interface and abundance of plugins.
3. Sublime
Sublime is a free cross-platform source code editor. It supports various features, including split editing, command palettes, multiple selections, plugin APIs, and more. It is well-known as a user-friendly code editor with a low learning curve for new developers.
Terminal
In web development, a terminal is text-based and serves as the command-line interface (CLI) into which you can type commands. A shell interprets these commands and instructs the operating system to carry them out.
Because web developers spend a significant amount of time using terminals, they must be as functional and convenient as possible.
1. Iterm2
iTerm2 is the successor to iTerm. So, it is compatible with Macs running macOS 10.14 or later and is licensed under GPL-2.0 or later. Split panes, a hotkey window, an advanced find-on-page search feature, autocomplete, and copy/paste options are among its main features. It is also highly configurable, allowing developers to tailor it to their specific requirements.
G2 Rate: 4.8/5
2. Zsh
This tool for back-end web development is an open-source framework to manage your Zsh configuration driven by the community. It collects thousands of useful third-party plugins and themes for the Z shell, which help to transform the terminal and allow developers to work more quickly. The Z shell (Zsh) is a Unix shell that can be used as an interactive login shell and a shell scripting command interpreter.
3. Fish
Fish is a Unix shell designed with interactivity and usability in mind. It is intended to provide features to users by default rather than through configuration, making life easier for web developers. Fish is classified as an ‘exotic’ shell because it does not strictly adhere to POSIX shell standards. It is popular because its default features save developers time and make it user-friendly.
Version Control
Version control software is required to assist developers in managing changes, organizing revisions, and effectively collaborating with team members. This tools keeps track of all changes for back-end web development in a database. If errors occur, developers can use this software to compare code versions to determine how to correct bugs. This enables changes to be implemented without affecting team members.
1. Git
Git is free and open-source software for distributed version control and tracking changes in any set of files. It is a free, open-source, and lightweight version control tool. Its low-cost local branching, convenient staging areas, and multiple workflows enable rapid development.
2. GitHub
GitHub is a web-based repository that aids in code management and sharing local file changes with a remote repository. It is primarily used to host Git repositories.
3. GitLab
Again, this is a web-based repository with various tools for version control and overall DevOps. GitLab offers a comprehensive version control solution in a single platform, making it easier to implement version control.
Containerization and orchestration
Containerization is the process of packaging software code with all required components, such as libraries, frameworks, and other dependencies, into its own “container.” The management of the various containers used in back-end web development is known as orchestration.
The container deployment, management, scaling, and networking automation is known as container orchestration. To effectively orchestrate containers and keep projects organized and streamlined, developers require specific tools.
1. Docker
Docker is a collection of platform-as-a-service products that deliver containers via OS-level virtualization. Containers can be treated as highly lightweight, modular virtual machines with Docker. It is incredibly flexible, allowing you to create, deploy, copy, and move them from one environment to another, allowing developers to move seamlessly and optimize website performance.
- G2 Rate: 4.6/5
- Pricing: From free to $24/ month
2. Kubernetes
Kubernetes is an open-source container orchestration platform that enables large-scale management of distributed, containerized applications. You tell Kubernetes where you want your software to run, and the platform handles almost everything related to container deployment and management. Kubernetes has grown in popularity due to its high workflow portability, flexibility, and lack of fragmentation.
- G2 Rate: 4.6/5
- Pricing: from $12 to $163/ month
API/Web testing tools
A programming interface (API) is a method for two or more computer programs to communicate with one another. Testing these endpoints to ensure functionality and seamless interfacing with other back-end web development components is critical.
API/Web testing tools typically examine an application program interface (API) to ensure it provides the functionality, security, performance, and reliability expected. The tests can be run on the API directly or as part of integration testing.
1. Postman
Postman is an API platform that enables the creation and use of APIs by streamlining collaboration and simplifying each step of the API lifecycle. This back-end web development tool is extremely popular, with over 20 million developers using it. It has an easy-to-use interface, allows developers to create different testing environments, and has a wide range of functionalities.
- G2 Rate: 4.6/5
- Pricing: Free to $100/ month
2. Curl
Curl is a free and open-source command-line tool and URL-transfer library. It communicates with a web or application server by specifying a URL and sending or receiving data. Curl runs on almost every platform and supports multiple protocols, including HTTP and HTTPS. This makes it ideal for testing communication from nearly any device, ranging from a local server to many edge devices.
3. Selenium
Selenium provides tools and libraries for browser automation. It is popular because it enables rapid, repeatable web-app testing, allowing developers to deploy new releases more quickly and confidently.
G2 Rate: 4.4/5
SQL Clients
This type of connectivity is provided by software known as a structured query language (SQL) client connection. In Microsoft programming languages, SQL client software is most commonly used.
This connection technology is specifically designed to send data to an external database via the Internet. SQL Clients are essential database management tools. A good SQL client allows developers to manage or maintain their databases during back-end web development accurately.
1. DBeaver
This is a SQL client software application and database administration tool that is cross-platform and open source. DBeaver is widely used because it is free, easy to use, and platform agnostic. It provides extensive DBMS support, easy data movement between databases, automatic driver downloads, and data import and export.
2. PgAdmin
pgAdmin is an open-source PostgreSQL graphical user interface (GUI) administration tool. It can manage PostgreSQL and EDB Advanced Server 10 and higher on Linux, Unix, macOS, and Windows. This back-end web development tool can be configured to run on any cloud server and accessed from all major operating systems. It has a lot of features and is very flexible.
G2 Rate: 4.2/5
3. DataGrip (JetBrains)
JetBrains DataGrip is a robust database management environment for SQL that runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux. It is intended for database queries, creation, and management. Databases can be used locally, remotely, or in the cloud. DataGrip features intelligent code completion, code inspections, on-the-fly error highlighting, quick fixes, and refactoring. It saves you time by streamlining the SQL code-writing process.
- G2 rate: 4.6/5
- Pricing: $89 to $199
4. DbVisualiser
DbVisualizer is a database administration, development, and analysis tool. It is compatible with all major operating systems and connects to all commercially viable database engines. This makes it ideal for back-end web developers working on virtually any project.
Project Management Tools
When working on a development project, some management tools can help the leader, and team members work seamlessly with each other. We encourage you to use these tools if your projects are complex with lots of people.
1. Slack
Slack is a popular team messaging platform. It enables you to create various project channels and subject-based messaging boards and securely share important documents. By bringing people together to work as one unified team, Slack transforms the way organizations communicate.
2. Jira
Jira is a software application for bug tracking, issue tracking, and project management. It enables teams to communicate effectively with one another and with clients by allowing for highly efficient, customizable workflow management. It’s also well-liked for its straightforward reporting, user-friendly dashboard, and extensive integration capabilities.
3. Trello
Trello is a web-based list-making application in the Kanban style for managing and collaborating with team members on back-end development projects. Its boards are great for visual organization because they allow for a lot of detail on each card and show team members who are working on what at any given time.
| A robust website does not only depend on the back-end but also a responsive front-end. Learn how these 28 front-end web development tools make the job much easier, quicker and more UX/UI-friendly | |
Choosing The Right Back-end Web Development Tools
We can easily get lost in the sea full of back-end web development tools. There are so many choices in the market, so how can we know which is the best? The fact is that there is no right or wrong answer. Some tools can complete multiple tasks, while others are made for specific areas.
Of course, you don’t want to spend too much time and finances testing every back-end web dev tool you know. So before making the final decision, consider these tips:
- Identify where your needs are: Do you want to automate this particular step or the whole process in general? Which action can be completed manually with precision without the help of software? And if you do it manually, will it slow down the back-end development process?
- Consider the skills required to use the tools. Some tools require more developing experience, while some are perfect for beginners and junior developers.
- Consider the cost and integration ability with other back-end or front-end tools.
Using some tips and our detailed review of the best back-end web development tools, we hope you can make the right choice for your projects. Each tool has pros and cons, so you might need more than one tool for successful back end web development.
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