There are plenty of programming languages out there, but not all are ideal for web development. The ones that are have become the force behind the websites, web applications, and other web-based products of major businesses and organizations all over the world.
So, which languages are the best ones for web development? Here are the top 11 and why you should use them.
1. Python
The language that powers websites like Facebook, Dropbox, Netflix, and more, Python has gained an enormous following over the years. Its popularity is due to its many qualities, including user-friendly nature, scalability, understandable syntax, plenty of resources — especially its numerous libraries and frameworks — and community offering plenty of support.
2. Java
A high-level, open-source, object-oriented, versatile language, Java is the programming language of choice for a wide range of products, including website and web applications. Released in 1996, Java has gained an enormous following and is backed by a huge community, offering resources, tools, and support.
Java is especially useful for developing intricate, large-scale projects. One important feature is the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), which allows the language to run on many different platforms and devices.
3. JavaScript
JavaScript is the most widely used programming language, according to Stack Overflow’s 2020 Developer Survey. A must for front-end web development, the scripting language is typically used to create interactive web pages. Along with HTML and CSS, it’s one of the most ubiquitous web languages available.
JavaScript has a large community, with plenty of libraries, frameworks, and more to facilitate easier and speedier web development.
4. C++
One of the most notable features of C++ is its longevity. The language was first released in 1985, making it 35 years old as of 2020. At that time, it has also become one of the most popular languages in the world, used for websites like Google, Facebook, and many others.
An object-oriented language, C++ is user-friendly and has many libraries. One of the biggest advantages of coding in C++ is its speed.
5. C
Even older than C++, C was first released in the 1970s. In fact, C++ is influenced by the early programming language, as are C# and others.
Given that it’s considered the basis for so many programming languages — including ones outside of the C family such as Java — it’s still a widely-used and popular language for web development. It’s relatively easy to learn and portable. C is also extremely fast, one of the highest-performance programming languages available today.
6. PHP
Formerly known as Personal Home Page when it was released in 1995, today PHP is an acronym for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor. PHP is a server-side scripting language that is ideal for web application development.
An open-source language, PHP has been used for major business’ websites including Facebook, Wikipedia, Yahoo, WordPress, MailChimp, and many others. It has many free frameworks and libraries and is compatible with a range of platforms. It’s also easy to use, scalable, efficient, and secure and has a large community of support.
7. Go
A relatively new programming language on the scene, Go, also known as Golang, was developed in 2007 and launched in 2009. One of its biggest advantages is its extremely fast runtime. Designed by engineers at Google, Go is still one of the tech giant’s go-to languages and is also used by the likes of Uber, Dropbox, Dailymotion, and many other well-known businesses.
Go is also a simple language, making for clean development and ease of use. It’s not difficult to learn, either, and it’s considered very reliable. In terms of web development, it’s especially useful for creating web servers.
8. Kotlin
Created by JetBrains, Kotlin is known as the language for Android development, beating out the tried-and-true Java, even though it’s a newcomer to programming. However, Kotlin isn’t just for mobile applications – it’s also a reliable server-side web development language.
Kotlin is high-performance and scalable and has numerous libraries and frameworks. It’s also compatible with many Java tools, including some frameworks. Moreover, developers who are well-versed in Java will have an easy time learning Kotlin.
9. Swift
Swift was released by Apple in 2014 and is another relatively young language, especially compared with some of the more established languages on this list. Still, Swift has proven itself as a great candidate for web development. The speedy, secure, easy-to-read language is only gaining popularity. It’s also interoperable and scalable and can be used for full-stack web development.
10. Ruby
With a large, supportive community, Ruby, best known for the Ruby on Rails framework for web application development, is a well-regarded, user-friendly language that’s ideal for beginners and seasoned programmers alike. Twitter, Shopify, Basecamp, Urban Dictionary, Hulu, Airbnb, and other websites were all built using Ruby.
The general-purpose language has a simple syntax and allows developers to be innovative while they’re building their websites. Thanks to the community, troubleshooting is a breeze, too.
11. Rust
Rust has been named the “most loved language” by Stack Overflow Developer Survey respondents for five years in a row, and it’s easy to see why. Despite the fact that the language is relatively new — only 10 years old — the language is steadily beating out much of the competition.
A compiled language, it avoids many of the bugs and errors commonly found in other languages. Mozilla, Rust’s developer, is continually releasing fixes and adding new features, too.
When it comes to web development, you have many choices of programming languages to use for your project, whether it’s a website or web application. What’s the best choice for your project? That depends on what you’re looking for. The 11 languages on this list offer unique benefits and features. The one you pick should coincide with your talents and the talents of your development team, as well as what you want in your end result.
If you enjoyed this, be sure to check out our other web development articles.
