Top 6 Open Source Frameworks for Backend Web Development

In this present IT era, web development is one of the most common words which most of the people is acquainted with. In my last article, I have discussed the top 10 Open Source Framework for Frontend Web Development. Now in this article, I am going to talk about some of the best Backend Web Development Frameworks.

As there are many options available in this sector for backend web development and most of them are easily available and licensed as open-source, but that does not mean all of them are great at all the aspects. Especially if you are new in this field you need to use some framework which offers you the ease of use and ease of learning with great features so that you can use your imagination to create an intuitive website or web-based solution.

Without a good Backend framework, any website would be incomplete as the admin would control the site and the contents from the backend, and if the backend quality is not up to the mark, then website management become very difficult and non-transparent. Also, the backend frameworks contain the extensive libraries, APIs, web servers, and all other admin and developer level functions.

All the function and design of the backend is actually responsible for the database and features to be worked perfectly. A strong backend design actually works as the spine of the website itself as it ensures proper communication with the front end and Admin-end functionality.

Here is the list for the best Open Source Frameworks for Backend web development according to my experience & research and user experiences.

ASP.NET

Here comes one of the most famous and the most used web development framework of all, ASP.NET. As we all know ASP.NET framework is an open-source project and also a cross-platform project which runs on Linux, Windows, and macOS. In ASP.NET the Windows Forms, WPF, and UWP are being used to build Windows applications. Also along with the .NET framework, the developer doesn’t need to migrate an existing application, hence it becomes easier for the developers to switch from one framework to another.

Features

• Using .NET libraries or NuGet packages the developer can implement code across all the .NET implementations (even in 3^rd party .NET based scripts), such as NET Core.
• With the .NET Standard 2.0., the compatibility code of ASP.NET allows the Standard/.NET Core projects to be called in .NET Framework libraries.
• .NET Framework also enables to use of 3^rd party technologies which are not available for .NET Core, like ASP.NET Web Forms, ASP.NET Web Pages, Workflow Services (WCF + WF in a single service and WCF Data Services), WCF services implementation, Workflow-related services (Windows Workflow Foundation (WF), etc.
• Cross-platform functionality is a big pro as it runs on macOS, Linux, and Windows.
• The performance is quite impressive.
• The side-by-side version makes it easy to maintain the script error-free.
• Support of New APIs makes this the first choice for most of the experienced and pro developers.
• Open source and free to use.

Ruby on Rails

One of the most popular server-side or backend web development framework is Ruby on Rails which is written in Ruby language. Ruby on Rails supports the utilization of configuration, like MVC and DRY. Ruby is an object-arranged framework, good for creating a lightweight web-based application and enhances the adaptability. Of course Ruby on Rails supports the 3^rd party application collaboration by enabling exceptional traits. So, you can create a diverse backend by adding 3^rd party features as well.

Features

• Ruby on Rails is a database-backed web application as per the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern.
• Working on Ruby on Rails needs less time & effort, as the codes are relatively smaller to achieve the deemed results. In practical practise, Ruby builds applications almost 30–40% faster.
• The Don’t Repeat Yourself (DRY) feature reduces the repetition of information within the same system and also facilitates the modification while minimizing the chance of errors.
• The code with Ruby on Rails is quite Scalable.
• Ruby on Rails has been used by many renowned companies like Airbnb, GitHub, Zendesk, Shopify, SoundCloud, Hulu, Square, etc.

Spring Web MVC

Designed and built on the Servlet API, the Spring Web Model-View-Controller (MVC) framework is included in the Spring Framework. The latest version of the Spring Framework v5.0 has been introduced in the market. The Spring Framework v5.0 contains a reactive-stack web framework by the name of “Spring WebFlux.”

Features

• One of the biggest features is the DispatcherServlet which helps in clearly separating the roles in the script, such as controller, validator, command object, model object, and more.
• Configuration Capability is also another big feature which enables a powerful and straightforward configuration which helps in referencing across context.
• Filters are one of the most important features in Spring Web as the browser can submit requests from data using HTTP GET and also it can use HTTP POST.
• The non-browser use the HTTP PUT, PATCH, and DELETE etc.
• Another feature is that the entire Servlet API consists of ServletRequest.getParameter*() which enables support for the field access only by the HTTP POST.
• Testing is another pro point for Spring Framework as spring-test has Servlet API mocks; also contains TestContext Framework and the Spring MVC Test module. There are also Client-side REST, and WebTestClient features available.

Cake PHP

Cake PHP is ideal for quick and rapid development and the framework helps you build a better foundation structure for your web application. Cake PHP enables the developer to work in a structured and synthesized manner even without any loss of agility or accuracy. The tools enable the users to work logically upon the application.

Features

• It has a code generator function depending upon some preset, which let the developer generate the basic structure of the code easily and allows him/her to build a prototype quicker.
• Cake PHP is licensed under MIT, hence it is free to use and the framework is so vast and so well designed that you can use Cake PHP for developing commercial applications.
• There are some inbuilt tools are attached to this framework including, Translations, Input-validation, oXSS protection, CSRF protection, SQL injection, Database access, Caching, Form tampering protection, etc.
• Cake PHP also offers some high-level security features like SQL injection prevention, cross-site scripting, validation, and cross-site request forgery protection. So you can use Cake PHP for most of the commercial web development for as well, because of the security features provided.

Here I am also attaching the Cake PHP Database Configuration Script

public $default = array(’datasource’ => ‘DATABASE/Mysql’,’persistent’ => FALSE,’host’ => ‘localhost’,’port’ => ‘’,’login’ => ‘cakeBlog’,’password’ => ‘c4k3-rUl3Z’,’DATABASE’ => ‘cake_blog_tutorial’,’schema’ => ‘’,’prefix’ => ‘’,’encoding’ => 'utf8’);

Laravel

Laravel is probably the other most popular PHP based framework for Web Development. Laravel uses a Model-View-Controller framework based on PHP. Laravel provides a nice and excellent API with state of the art features. Laravel provides some tools which help the developers to build websites And apps even faster. The end results from Laravel are very stable, bugs free and easy for maintenance.

Features

• Laravel makes development faster.
• Laravel is designed to use the file cache driver, which stores cached objects and data in the file system. Remember the cache configuration is located at config/cache.php.
• Laravel can be handling Security Vulnerabilities very well. Laravel provides security via to the web application via protecting it against the most serious and common security threats.
• The code access itself is very secure in Laravel and so it deals with cross-site request forgery, Cross-Site Scripting, and even from SQL injection attacks.

Django

Django is probably the most sophisticated framework in this list as, Django is considered by the pro users for perfectionists’ level job within a tight schedule, Django helps the developer to develop even quicker and also build web applications with less coding, hence the application becomes even lighter in weight along with all the features. Django is not for any beginner actually as it is a high-end Python-based framework which is being used in rapid development. Also, the developers can design clean but feature-rich and intuitive design using Django. Django has been used in some of the famous creations like Mozilla, National Geographic Website, and Pinterest Official Site.

Features

• Django helps in creating rich, dynamic database-access APIs.
• Django runs on Windows and Linux.
• The Authentication process in Django can handle the user accounts, user groups, permissions for admin & other users.
• Using Django the developer can enable cookie-based user sessions. Django features a full-fledged security authentication system.
• The Security of Django helps developers and Network security experts to avoid and stop various common security mistakes and threats. Django ensures protection against Clickjacking, Cross-site scripting, Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF), SQL injection, Remote code execution, etc.

Conclusion

Backend frameworks are probably the most important aspect of any website, even from the front-end. As the backend of any website ensures the agility and flexibility to handle the website and the contents easily and systematically. So, the admin end and the developer end should be designed in a way so that the website can be maintained flawlessly for a longer time. Also, the security features are dealt with in the backend only. So, while designing the backend the developer must keep all these points and mind, and also should consider the project requirements and the deadline so that the developer can choose the right framework for the job.