When beginning to learn about Web Development, beginners are exposed to the phrase: front end vs back end. These are the two very important career paths that guide the design and development of a good website or a web application. Without understanding the differences, it can be very challenging to narrow down and find what works for you.
In this blog, we will discuss the following aspects of front-end and back-end web development:
Check out our Front end vs Back end Development video on YouTube designed especially for beginners:
Now, let’s start!
Introduction to Web Development
Web Development is one of the diverse fields that have taken the world by storm. If you own a business, there is a requirement for a web application or a website, no matter what product or service you offer.
There are many paths in Web Development that one can take. The two most popular ones are frontend and backend development.
Now, I am sure that you will have a couple of questions with this comparison:
- What are both of these fields?
- How do I choose between them?
- Can I learn and work on both at a time?
- What is the salary for these Front-end/Backend Developers?
Once you complete reading this blog, you will be provided with the answers to the above-mentioned questions.
What are the front-end and back-end? To know this, you first have to understand the components involved in building a website, and you can then know what Frontend and Backend Developers do!
Components Needed When Building a Website
Whenever there is a requirement for building a website, web developers have many things that they need to work on and take care of.
Theme: The website needs an elegant-looking theme that goes hand in hand with the product being offered by the brand.
Layout: A good website is one that is structured and laid out very well, making it easy for customers to interact with and make purchases.
Styling: When we live in a world of trends, it is vital to keep the user experience as the top priority by making the website look catchy and attractive.
Presentation: Ensuring a good user experience and making customers happy is prime. With a good presentation of the website or the web application, you achieve better results!
Database: All the data that is on the website needs to be stored and handled somewhere, right?
User handling: Not everyone is an admin of the web page. There are designers, admins, owners, users, testers, etc. Providing provisional access is vital to a website’s security structure!
Security: Taking all required precautions and using state-of-the-art methods to implement tight-knit security to product data and user data on the website is a must!
Performance: Making a website look and function beautifully is one thing, but making it load quickly and function efficiently is another story overall, right?
Now, here’s the scenario. Read the above components again. The first four components are taken care of by Frontend Developers, while the next four are taken care of by Backend Developers!
Front end vs Back end Development
Now, let’s take a look at the difference between front-end and back-end development by considering some important points that you should know when you are planning to learn about Web Development and its career offerings.
| Comparison Factor | Frontend Development | Backend Development |
| Frontend and Backend Languages | Frontend Developers primarily make use of 3 languages: HTML, CSS, & JavaScript. Also, frameworks like React are used | Backend Developers need to be proficient at PHP, Ruby, Python, Node.js, & Java. They need to be familiar with MySQL and SQL Server |
| Skills | They need to be skilled in tools like Photoshop, Sketch, and Figma. The basics of domain purchase and web hosting knowledge are good to have | They need to have critical thinking skills mainly. Data handling, storage, debugging, and analysis skills are also vital |
| Top Frameworks | Frontend Developers make use of frameworks such as React, Angular, Vue, jQuery, Ember.js, etc. | Backend Developers use frameworks such as Laravel, CakePHP, Django, Flask, Express.js, Spring Boot, etc. |
| Average Salary | Frontend Developers get around US$80,000/year in the US and around 6 LPA in India | Backend Developers get around US$100,000 in the US and just over 9 LPA annually in India |
| Job Roles | They have a variety of roles such as Web Designer, Frontend Engineer, UI or UX Designer, etc. | They assume roles such as Software Developer, Backend Engineer, Full Stack Developer, etc. |
| Job Offerings | Frontend Developers have the prospects of over 8,000 job openings in the US and around 4,000 in India | Backend Developer requirements are over 11,000 jobs in the US and around 5,000 in India |
Full Stack Development
We saw the distinction between frontend and backend development, but can you do both? The answer is yes!
Full Stack Development is another subfield in the world of Web Development that involves having a proficient team of developers who have the capability to work both on the frontend and on the backend and a little bit more as well.
Along with frontend and backend development, Full Stack Developers are also responsible for creating services, components, and APIs needed for a web application or a website to work effectively.
It is among the top 10 jobs to have in this decade as well. Moreover, a lot of insights and demand for proficient developers have caused a rise in the number of people investing their time and effort in this field.
If you are planning to become an expert Full Stack Developer, then make sure to take a look at the latest offering from Intellipaat: Full Stack Developer Course.
Conclusion
So, I hope the difference between the front-end and back-end is now clear. But, which one to pick? This is a tough question, I am sure. Here’s the most simple way to evaluate yourself to see what works better for you.
If you are good at art and you like visual designs and creating user experiences, then you will enjoy working in the front end, but if you prefer working with data, algorithms, and optimizing complex systems, then you will like a Backend Developer’s job!
Want to put your hands on and try both to see if you can manage both of them? Of course, Full Stack Development is right there, too!
If you wish to become proficient in front-end as well as backend technologies in Web Development, you can take a look at Intellipaat’s latest offerings: Web Development Online Course. By enrolling in any of these programs, you can become an expert Web Developer and receive a course certificate as well.
So, what do you think is the right career path for you? Head to the comments section and let us know!