Comparison of Web Development Frameworks: Stack Overflow 2023 vs. 2024

 I always pay close attention when the Stack Overflow survey is published. Although Stack Overflow has been somewhat displaced by the inclusion of AI, it remains one of the most reliable surveys we have.

My favorite part is the web frameworks, as it helps me understand what's trending in the market. Every year, I do a small analysis comparing it with the previous year. Here is the comparison between the most popular web development frameworks according to the 2023 and 2024 surveys.

Most Popular Frameworks

In both years, Node.js and React remained the most popular frameworks, though with a slight decrease in their usage:

• Node.js: dropped from 42.65% in 2023 to 40.8% in 2024.
• React: went down from 40.58% in 2023 to 39.5% in 2024.

Likewise, jQuery, Express, and Angular also stayed among the most used, with minor variations in their percentages. Interestingly, Next.js has seen an increase in popularity, rising from 16.67% in 2023 to 17.9% in 2024.

Even though React isn't exactly my favorite library, its market position is undeniable. Year after year, it continues to lead the popularity charts, and its community keeps growing exponentially.

Long live the King! 👑

Gaining Ground

Newer frameworks like FastAPI and NestJS are rapidly gaining ground:

• FastAPI: grew from 7.42% in 2023 to 9.9% in 2024, surpassing Laravel in the rankings.
• NestJS: saw its adoption increase from 5.13% in 2023 to 5.8% in 2024.

The Newcomers

New frameworks have joined the list in 2024, and I wish them the best of luck:

• Htmx (3.3%)
• Astro (3%)
• Strapi (1.7%)

This suggests the rise of more modern and specialized technologies.

The Newcomers to the Group

New frameworks have joined FastAPI and NestJS the list in 2024, and I wish them the best of luck, folks! 🍀

• FastAPI: grew from 7.42% in 2023 to 9.9% in 2024, surpassing Laravel in the rankings.
• NestJS: increased its adoption from 5.13% in 2023 to 5.8% in 2024.

The Newcomers

New frameworks have been added to the list in 2024, and I wish them the best of luck:

• Htmx (3.3%)
• Astro (3%)
• Strapi (1.7%)

This suggests a rise in more modern and specialized technologies.

The JavaScript Ecosystem: Every Day a New Framework Is Born, and Another One Dies

The JavaScript world is famous for its constant innovation—every day, a new framework seems to emerge, and at the same time, another disappears into obscurity. Some of the technologies that were present in the 2023 survey are no longer on the 2024 list, such as Lit and Qwik, both with less than 1% usage in 2023.

How My Favorite Frameworks Fared

Django: Consistency in the Python Community

Django held steady, rising from 11.47% in 2023 to 12% in 2024.

This framework remains a favorite of mine and the Python community, especially for those seeking a complete solution for developing robust and secure web applications.

Its focus on simplicity, along with its powerful ORM and well-supported ecosystem, continues to attract developers who prioritize efficiency without sacrificing functionality.

Version 5.1 was released with minor changes, but hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! 😊

Django REST Framework: The Power Behind APIs in Python

While Django is popular for building web applications, when it comes to creating efficient APIs, Django REST Framework (DRF) is my top recommendation. DRF makes it easy to create scalable and secure APIs while maintaining the elegance and simplicity that defines Django.

Although lighter frameworks like FastAPI are gaining popularity, Django REST Framework remains a solid choice for those seeking seamless integration with Django for larger, more complex projects.

Laravel: A Constantly Evolving Framework

Laravel has seen a slight increase in popularity, moving from 7.58% in 2023 to 7.9% in 2024. While this growth is modest, it reflects the framework’s continued relevance in web development, especially within the PHP ecosystem.

Laravel remains the king of modern monoliths. With Livewire 3 and Inertia.js, it allows developers to build rich interfaces from the backend, keeping most of the logic on the server—a typical feature of monolithic architectures. This reinforces Laravel’s ability to speed up development without having to split the application into separate frontend and backend environments.

If you're using it to create APIs, no offense, but I recommend building your API with a faster framework 😊 (such as Lumen, FastAPI, or Express).

The announcement of Laravel Cloud, which promises to simplify cloud environment integration, is also worth noting.

With Laravel 11 on the horizon, we can expect the framework to continue improving, and perhaps, it will rise further in next year's survey. Let's see if these updates attract more developers and consolidate its growth.

Vue.js: A Slight Decline

Vue.js has seen a drop in usage, from 16.38% in 2023 to 15.4% in 2024.

It remains one of the most popular frameworks, especially for developers looking for a progressive, flexible approach to frontend development without a steep learning curve.

This decline might be attributed to the growing use of Svelte and Next.js, but Vue remains a solid option for many developers due to its ease of use and simplicity.

Ruby on Rails: Persistence in a Changing World

Ruby on Rails (RoR) dropped from 5.49% in 2023 to 4.7% in 2024, reflecting a slow but steady decline in its usage. However, it remains a beloved framework for many developers, especially those who prefer working solo.

Ruby on Rails has long been the framework of choice for developers working solo or in small teams, primarily because of its wealth of built-in tools. This enables developers to quickly create complete applications without requiring too much configuration.

Its focus on convention over configuration and productivity continues to attract those who want to develop applications quickly and efficiently.

I believe the competition from more modern frameworks may be contributing to this slight drop in popularity.

Conclusion

The results of the 2023 and 2024 Stack Overflow surveys show us how quickly developer preferences can shift, with some technologies gaining popularity while others lose relevance.

Now, if I’ve said something that doesn’t sit well with you, please forgive me! 😅 This is just my humble opinion, based on my experience and what I’ve observed. It’s important to remember that every developer has their favorite tools and approaches, and that’s what makes this field so diverse and exciting.

Stay tuned to these trends to choose the best tools for your projects.

To see the full survey, check out the Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2024.