Top 10+ Most Popular Web Development Frameworks in 2021
Frameworks are libraries of resources and tools that help developers code faster and easier. They offer a structured and compliant way to build a web application. This way, developers can focus on the unique features of their applications instead of creating basic functionalities from scratch.
Depending on the programming language you are coding in, there are different frameworks that you can choose from. To help you select a great in-demand framework for your next project, we’ve made a list of the most popular frameworks of this year.
We split them into front-end frameworks and back-end frameworks, so even if you’re working on the client-side or the server-side of a web application, we’ve got you covered. Read on to find out which are the most in-demand frameworks of this year.
Front-end frameworks
Front-end frameworks are used for coding the user interface of a web application. The main languages used for front-end coding are HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Take a look at this year’s most popular frameworks for front-end development:
React
React is an open-source JavaScript library that is used for building interactive user interfaces (UI). It was developed by a software engineer at Facebook in 2011. It is a component-based framework, so when you create applications using React, you build individual components and then put them together to construct your UI. This makes React applications easy to develop and maintain.
Why you should use React in 2021: According to hotframeworks.com, React has been the most popular web framework since the second quarter of 2019 and is on a continuous ascending curve, so there is a huge demand for React developers. Besides, you can easily switch from React to React Native if you want to try out mobile app development.
Language: JavaScript
Check out React’s official website and GitHub page!
Angular
Angular is a Model-View-Controller JavaScript framework that can be used to build front-end applications or the front-end parts of full-stack web applications. Angular was developed by Google, and it uses the TypeScript language, which includes everything JavaScript does and much more. Angular has a powerful command-line interface (CLI) that allows you to generate components rather than create them manually.
Why you should use Angular in 2021: Although not as in-demand as React, Angular is still one of the most popular JavaScript frameworks. It is stable and a great fit for developers who are more comfortable with Typescript.
Language: JavaScript/Typescript
Check out Angular’s official website and GitHub page!
Vue.js
Vue.js is a Model-View-ViewModel JavaScript framework created by Evan You in 2014. It is used for building front-end user interfaces and single-page applications. It is a reactive framework, so changes made in the application are reflected in the Document Object Model (DOM). Vue.js is easy to set up and integrate with other libraries or projects.
Why you should use Vue.js in 2021: Vue.js is one of the most popular JavaScript frameworks, alongside React and Angular. It has a lower learning curve than React, so it is accessible even to people who are new to web development.
Language: JavaScript
Check out Vue.js’s official website and GitHub page!
Tailwind CSS
Tailwind is a utility-first CSS framework. It doesn’t come with predefined components but with a set of classes that you can use to build any website design. With TailwindCSS, you don’t have to write large amounts of CSS. Instead, you can use Tailwind directly in your HTML. It is a great choice for front-end web developers and designers who want rapidly create prototypes for websites or applications.
Why you should use TailwindCSS in 2021: Bootstrap has reigned as the top CSS framework for quite some time, but TailwindCSS seems to be gaining popularity. It is highly customizable so it gives you an opportunity to be creative.
Language: CSS, JavaScript
Check out Tailwind’s official website and GitHub page!
Gatsby
Gatsby is an open-source static website generator based on React. It is used to build fast and secure web applications. Gatsby is very easy to use for people who are familiar with React, but it offers many components that are not available in the core React library. It also comes with many plugins that can transform data from other formats, add third-party services, and many other things.
Why you should use Gatsby in 2021: Gatsby has been getting a lot of attention in recent years because its popularity is tied together with that of React. Gatsby-generated websites are very fast, so many individuals and companies are starting to use this website generator.
Language: JavaScript
Check out Gatsby’s official website and GitHub page!
Back-end frameworks
Back-end frameworks are used for coding the server-side part of a web application, or simply put, what the user can’t see. Read on to discover the most popular back-end frameworks of the moment.
Laravel
Laravel is a Model-View-Controller framework that incorporates all the latest PHP features. It was designed to make the development process more enjoyable. Laravel has an elegant syntax, and it simplifies common tasks such as authentication, routing, and caching. It may seem complex at first because it involves heavy documentation, but once you get the hang of it, developing the back-end of an application will be very easy.
Why you should use Laravel in 2021: 78.9% of web servers run on PHP, and Laravel is the most popular PHP framework at the moment. The demand for Laravel web developers is quite high, so you should definitely consider it.
Language: PHP
Check out Laravel’s official website and GitHub page!
Django
Django is a Model-Template-Views Python framework that is used to develop fast and clean-code applications. It is very secure, and it has built-in protection for standard website hacking. Django includes many features and functionalities like Object-relational mapping, free API, admin UI, etc. It is a cross-platform framework, so your code will run on windows, mac, or Linux.
Why you should use Django in 2021: It is the most popular Python framework. Besides being secure, it is also scalable, so many large companies like YouTube, Instagram, Spotify, and Dropbox use it.
Language: Python
Check out Django’s official website and GitHub page!
Node.js
Node.js is a cross-platform, back-end JavaScript server environment that runs on various platforms (Windows, Linux, Mac OS, etc.). Developers who know front-end Javascript can easily code the Node.js server part of an app. One of the perks of Node.js is that it allows you to use Javascript for both the front-end and the back end of an application, which will increase its speed and performance.
Why you should use Node.js in 2021: Node.js is here to stay because it is the only tool that brings Javascript on the server-side. It can be used for more than building web applications, so it is useful even if you work in ops or infrastructure.
Language: JavaScript
Check out Node.js’s official website and GitHub page!
Ruby on Rails
Ruby on Rails is a Model-View-Controller server-side framework compatible with popular front-end frameworks like React or Vuejs. Ruby on Rails’s core principle is that every snippet should have a single submission within a system so that the code is cleaner and works properly. This means that developers write less code and thus develop faster. Ruby on Rails comes with built-in security mechanisms against threats like Cross-Site Scripting, SQL Injection, Cross-Site Request Forgery.
Why you should use Ruby on Rails in 2021: While Ruby on Rails’s popularity has decreased over the last few years, the framework still has its passionate supporters. It can help you develop sophisticated applications fast, so if you want to learn something new, you can give it a try.
Language: Ruby
Check out Ruby on Rails’s official website and GitHub page!
ASP.NET
ASP.NET is an object-oriented, server-side framework that is used to build fast and secure web apps within .NET. It is a cross-platform framework, so you can use it to build applications on any operating system by compiling languages such as C# and Visual Basic. ASP.NET allows developers to include microservices, REST APIs, and hubs in their web app projects to make them more dynamic and enrich user experience.
Why you should use ASP.NET in 2021: According to a study by StackOverflow, ASP.NET is extensively used by developers. However, keep in mind that it is not a great basis for learning other languages.
Language: C#, F#, Visual Basic
Check out ASP.NET’s official website and GitHub page!
Flask
Flask is a Python microweb framework with minimal dependencies on external libraries. It offers suggestions but doesn’t enforce many dependencies or product layouts, so it is up to the developer to choose the tools and libraries they want to use. It also has a built-in development server and fast debugger, and integrated support for unit testing. Despite being quite simple, Flask can be scaled up to complex applications.
Why you should use Flask in 2021: Flask is less popular than Django, but it is easier to learn, and therefore more suited for programmers who are just starting. Once you master Flask, you can easily pick up Django as well.
Language: Python
Check out Flask’s official website and GitHub page!
Spring
Spring is the most popular Java application framework. It is a Model-View-Controller framework with an inversion of control feature that makes the development process easier. Besides inversion of control and data injection, Spring also comes with features like data binding, type conversion i18n, validation, and others. It is a modular framework, so you can use only parts that you need separately.
Why you should use Spring in 2021: Java is one of the most in-demand programming languages, and Spring is currently the most used Java framework. It is still highly relevant and will probably remain so for years to come.
Language: Java
Check out Spring’s official website and GitHub page!
Final Thoughts
Web developers need to stay up to date with technology and be familiar with the most sought-after frameworks in the industry. However, keep in mind that some frameworks cause a splash and then slowly fade out. You have to carefully select which is worth investing time and effort in. In this list, we focused on frameworks that don’t seem to be going anywhere, like React and Laravel.
Learning a different framework can sometimes be a job requirement or a way to feed your motivation as a developer. Either way, it means adding a new coding skill to your resume, which can help you build the career you want. We encourage you to try out different frameworks or even programming languages, especially since there are many free learning resources, such as Youtube channels on web development or online coding courses.
Creative Tim has a wide selection of dashboards and UI kits based on most of these popular frameworks. If you want to kick-start your web project, check out our fully coded UI tools to create web and mobile apps!
Extra Resource: Best 9 Free Backend + Frontend Templates for 2021