8 Best Web Development Languages in 2024

Web Development is working with a combination of both frontend and backend languages that are used by developers and programmers to build a well-functioning website or web application. Here, you will read about some of the most popular web programming languages that you can learn and gain experience in to become a successful Web Developer.

Top 4 Backend Web Development Languages

let us first learn about the top Web Development languages used for the backend. Some of those languages include Python, Java, PHP, and C#. Let’s start learning about these backend languages one by one, which are responsible for the data storage and functionality of web pages. 

1. Python

Python is one of the most powerful and best multi-purpose languages used for Web Development, as well as data analysis. It is an open-source language that is extremely easy to learn and use and also easy to deploy. It is considered one of the best languages to learn for Web Development as it is largely used for the development of scalable web pages and applications.

Significant features of Python:

• Python’s unique selling point (USP) is the design of its language which is simple, elegant, productive, and also powerful.
• It is the standard bar set for developer experience and has influenced a variety of programming languages such as Julia and Go.
• It is one of the best backend languages for Web Development that has first-class integration with programming languages like C and C++.
• It also has the ability to offload the heavy tasks of the CPU to C/C++ in a seamless manner.
• Python offers an abundance of toolsets for computational science, statistics, and mathematics with numerous frameworks and libraries including SciPy, Pandas, Scikit-Learn, and NumPy.

Python programming language is used in developing desktop and web applications and applications based on GUI, Data Science, Machine Learning, and network servers. Python Programming is one of the most demanding skills right now in the market.

Pros of Python:

• Supports several platforms and systems
• Improves the productivity of developers and programmers
• Driven by object-oriented programming (OOP)
• Offers a wide range of support libraries
• Allows you to easily scale even complex web applications
• Focuses on the readability of the code

Cons of Python:

• Not an ideal language for mobile computing
• Has a primitive database that is a little underdeveloped

Use cases of Python:

• Internet of Things (IoT) applications
• Serverless computing
• Development of cloud-native
• Business applications
• System Programming

Due to its distinct features and benefits, Python is one of the best server-side languages for Web Development.

The average income of Python Developers is about US$76,526 per annum in the United States, with the potential to get increased to US$107,000 per annum for senior professionals.

2. PHP

PHP is one of the best languages for Web Development. Although it faces good competition from other languages like JavaScript and Python, there is still a huge requirement for professionals who can work with PHP in the market today. Besides, PHP is a dynamic and general-purpose language that is used in the development of server-side applications. It is maintained by an open-source platform that can work across Mac, UNIX, and Windows systems.

Significant features of PHP:

• PHP is a highly productive programming language used in the field of Web Development.
• It is vastly used in the web industry to build and deploy applications at a rapid pace.
• Facebook, one of the most popular and prominent social media applications, is developed using PHP.

Pros of PHP:

• Offers plenty of frameworks
• Easy to use in developing web pages
• Has the Xdebug extension that provides great debugging
• Offers a massive ecosystem, along with great community support
• Supports several automation tools for applications’ testing and deploying
• Supports functional and object-oriented programming paradigms

Cons of PHP:

• Building a web page using only PHP can be slower when compared to other languages.
• It lacks security and error-handling features.

Use cases of PHP:

• Building (CMS) systems
• Development of standalone web apps
• Development of server-side web apps

The average income of PHP Developers in the United States is about US$82,007 per annum which may rise to US$100,000 per annum for those with experience.

3. Java

Java is a versatile OOP language used for Android development, as well as desktop and web application development. It is a platform-independent multi-purpose language used for programming and has been a popular choice of language in various organizations for decades. Most companies have adopted it due to its stability. It is one of the best languages for Web Development in 2022 that you should definitely learn.

Significant features of Java:

• Java is a multi-paradigm, feature-rich, interpreted, and powerful programming language that provides high productivity for developers and a moderate curve for learning.
• Due to its backward compatibility, Java is a significant business application requirement.
• Unlike other programming languages such as Scala or Python, Java has never introduced any major updates and changes, which is why it remains the first choice for most companies.
• The runtime of Java, Java Virtual Machine (JVM), is among the best VMs in the IT industry.

Pros of Java:

• Offers a galore of open-source libraries
• Provides automatic garbage collection and memory allocation
• Follows the system of stack allocation
• Allows a great deal of platform independence with the help of JVM
• Extremely secure because of the implementation of a security manager that is used to define class access
• Supports distributed computing and multithreading
• Provides a myriad of APIs to accomplish various necessary tasks such as networking, XML parsing, utilities, and database connection

Cons of Java:

• The lack of the availability of templates limits the development of data structures of high quality.
• Memory management is expensive.
• Java is slow as compared to other languages like C and C++.

Use Cases of Java:

• Big Data applications
• Development of Android apps
• Web Development
• Development of enterprise apps

Even today, Java is among the most disruptive programming languages available. JVM helps abstract the OS, and it came up with the first ‘write once, run anywhere language. Also, JVM’s garbage collection manages the life cycle of an object in Java.

To meet the current market requirements, Java is trying to make itself available on the cloud through the GraalVM initiative so that it can easily be accessed and used. This programming language still ranks at the top for organizational use.

The average base pay of Java Developers is approximately US$79,137 per year, with an estimated increase of US$117,000 for experienced professionals.

Check out our free Full Stack Web Development Course on our YouTube Channel and start learning today!

4. C#

C# is a Microsoft-developed OOP language created on the foundations of a widely-used programming language, C. Originally, it was designed as a part of the .NET framework to develop Windows applications. C# is a general-purpose language used in backend Web Development, creating games via Unity, developing mobile applications, and so on. It is not only used in the Windows platform but you can also use it in Android, iOS, and Linux platforms. It is among the best programming languages for Web Development.

Significant features of C#:

• In terms of developer experience, Java lacks behind C#.
• C# has a legion of frameworks and libraries since it has been in the IT field for over 20 years.
• Just like Java, even C# is independent of platforms due to the Common Language Runtime (CLR).

Pros of C#:

• Capable of working with shared codebases
• Safer compared to C and C++
• Component and object-oriented language
• Uses a syntax similar to C++ and other languages, derived from C
• Ideal language for any type of Web Development
• Integrated completely with the .NET library
• Consists of rich sets of data types and library functions
• Faster compilation and execution process

Cons of C#:

• Less flexible than C++
• Requires time and effort to learn
• Need to have good knowledge and expertise to resolve errors
• Allows pointers in its ‘unsafe’ blocks

Use cases of C#:

• Development of games
• App development
• Server-side programming
• Windows platform software
• Web Development

The average salary of C# professionals is over US$76,526 per annum. For the experienced ones, it might rise to US$107,000 per annum.

Top 4 Frontend Web Development Languages

Now that you have read and understood the backend languages for Web Development, let’s read about some of the most commonly used frontend languages in this domain by developers such as JavaScript and its frameworks, including Angular, React, and Vue.

1. JavaScript

JavaScript is a widely used front-end language that allows you to design interactive and user-friendly front-end applications. In recent years, it has developed into a high-level, multi-paradigm, and dynamic language. It is one of the most frequently used languages that run anywhere, including the cloud, mobile devices, browsers, containers, servers, and microcontrollers.

Significant features of JavaScript:

• The field of Web Development is highly dominated by JavaScript.
• With the help of Node.js, it provides event-driven programming that is extremely suitable for head I/O processes.
• It runs on almost every platform such as mobile devices and servers.

Pros of JavaScript:

• Fast and runs immediately in browsers without any need for compilation
• Offers a better and enriched website interface
• Highly versatile and provides data validation functionality
• Provides regular updates through the ECMA specification
• Uses a variety of add-ons like Greasemonkey to extend its functionality
• Numerous available resources and gigantic community support
• Helps develop a diverse and wide range of applications
• Easily gets integrated and implemented with other languages

Cons of JavaScript:

• It does not contain any alternate or equivalent method.
• It does not allow multiple inheritances.
• Its execution may get exploited for reasons like malicious intent.
• Different browsers may interpret the code differently.

Use cases of JavaScript:

• Mobile app development
• Development of browser games
• Backend development
• Serverless computing
• Web Development

2. React

React or ReactJS is a framework of JavaScript built by Facebook. This framework allows professionals to build user interfaces with their dynamic capabilities. Websites that are built using React work faster, and you can also switch between various available elements smoothly. Further, ReactJS allows organizations to build up and increase their loyalty among users by providing a remarkable user experience. Besides, it is compatible with almost all setups of the backend of applications. Moreover, React makes the work of professionals easier by providing an option to divide each of the web pages into multiple small components.

Significant features of React:

• Its Virtual Document Object Model (DOM) permits you to develop quick and scalable applications.
• Its one-way data binding does not allow professionals to make any direct changes in the properties of React components and offers a stable code.
• React builds an interactive UI for both mobile and web apps.

Pros of React:

• Helps in boosting productivity and facilitates its maintenance
• Guarantees faster rendering and ensure stable coding
• SEO-friendly and easy to learn
• Offers a range of helpful tools for the development
• Supported by an extremely strong community
• Saves a lot of time by reusing its components
• Consists of an open-source library that develops constantly

Cons of React:

• Poor documentation
• Additional hassle due to SEO

Use cases of React:

• Complex websites
• Sites with high user interactions
• Dynamic Web Development

3. Angular

Angular is an improved and updated version of the earlier AngularJS framework built by Google. In comparison to React, it is more difficult to learn. However, it offers more practical solutions for the front end. Angular also allows you to develop complicated and highly scalable applications with great functionality, business logic, and attractive visual designs. Additionally, there are various distinct ready-made instruments and extensions such as Snippets, Angular command-line interface (CLI), etc. that simplify the work of developers.

Features of Angular:

• Its Model-View-Control (MVC) architecture allows dynamic modeling.
• It makes use of the HTML programming language to develop UIs, making them easy and simple to understand
• This approach utilizes “plain old JavaScript objects” that exhibit a high level of functionality and self-sufficiency.
• Angular offers better functionality with HTML using directives.
• Angular Filters help in filtering data before reaching the view.
• Angular offers the advantage of utilizing templates which streamline the process of constructing the necessary framework with greater efficiency.

Pros of Angular:

• Follows two-way data binding
• Provides improved performance of the server
• Ensures that developers can build websites with minimum coding
• Allows them to develop hybrid and high-quality apps
• Experience accelerated application prototyping and unleash the potential of highly responsive and interactive web applications.
• Empower developers to improve testing capabilities, enabling data decoupling and visibility into HTML code and DOM.

Cons of Angular:

• Since the apps developed using AngularJS are dynamic, they lack performance.
• During the performance, complex pages in the apps may exhibit glitches.
• You need to invest time and learn this language completely before building a web page, or else you might require professional help.
• For your app to function well, you need to enable JavaScript support in your systems.
• With little or no experience in MVC, it may take a lot of time and effort to develop a web page.
• It is extremely difficult to learn.

Use cases of Angular:

• Dynamic apps
• Progressive web applications
• Enterprise web applications

4. VueJS

Vue JS is a simple, clear, open-source, and easy-to-use front-end development language that allows developers to design well-structured and engaging web pages and applications. It is designed to simplify and also organize the development of several web elements, making it extremely adaptable. Besides, it provides quick and reliable solutions for both small and medium-sized enterprises because of its cost-effectiveness and quality, along with its popularity among developers.

For beginners who wish to work on meaningful projects in a short span of time, Vue is a perfect choice. It consists of complete documentation and allows Frontend Developers to begin writing codes, knowing only the basics of HTML and JavaScript.

Significant features of Vue JS:

• It uses Virtual DOM to make necessary changes.
• Its data binding feature allows developers to assign or manipulate HTML attributes’ values, assign classes, and change style.
• The components of VueJS help in creating customized elements that are reusable.
• Its built-in component for transition offers multiple methods to implement transition in HTML elements after they are edited in DOM.
• This framework offers numerous HTML-based templates, binding the instance data of Vue with DOM.

Pros of VueJS:

• It does not take up too much space in the system due to its small size of 18 KB.
• Developers who have basic knowledge of JavaScript frameworks can easily learn Vue because of its clarity and simplicity.
• Vue consists of detailed and extremely extensive documentation, making it easy and quick to learn.
• It allows developers to reuse any code easily.
• VueJS makes it easier to perform data binding between JS and HTML codes.
• It enhances the flexibility of JavaScript frameworks.

Cons of Vue JS:

• Since it is new, it is not as popular as other frameworks of JavaScript like Angular or React.
• In the case of big web development projects, its flexibility might not come in handy.

Use cases of Vue JS:

• Interactive web applications
• Scalable web apps

The average income drawn by professionals in the field of JavaScript is about US$76,526 per year. This may increase up to US$107,000 per year with experience.

This blog must have helped you gain basic knowledge and insights into the Web Development languages list. So, to be a successful Web Developer in any of these languages, first, you need to learn the language you choose thoroughly and then acquire the necessary Web Developer skills in it. Moreover, you must also gain some experience in the language to give your career a boost.