Best Development Frameworks for Startups

A startup is a company just beginning its business journey and betting on a unique product or service idea.

Its goal is to win over its target audience as quickly as possible and become a market leader, filling a previously vacant niche. This format of work is becoming more and more popular. According to statistics, at the end of 2022, there were 1,203 startups in the world, valued at billions of dollars (so-called "unicorns"). It is difficult to calculate the number of smaller businesses, but it is known that in the U.S. alone, there are more than 70 thousand of them.

For a startup to become successful, its founders have to work hard because they do not have as much money and time at their disposal as ordinary companies do. The key condition for a successful business launch is high-quality software that meets the requirements of the modern market and can surprise sophisticated users. To create such a product, you need to choose experienced developers and a progressive tech stack, including programming languages and frameworks for developing digital solutions. Let's explore the difference between these concepts.

A programming language is a formal sign system for writing computer apps. A framework is a platform that makes coding software easier and faster. Since fast market entry is the main goal of all startups, we suggest discussing development frameworks as the primary tool to achieve it.

Features of Startup Projects Development

The main peculiarity of the development of a startup project is that this process goes through certain stages, without which its success is impossible. Let's talk about them in more detail.

1. Work with an idea

The idea of a unique solution that fully solves the existing problem of potential users is the basis of every startup. Your product can either create a completely new market or fill a niche in an existing field.

For example, the popular online marketplace Airbnb, created in 2008, did not become a unique product. At the time, the booking.com service had already been providing accommodation rental services for eight years. The idea was in demand – Airbnb offered customers to rent private apartments while Booking specialized in hotel rooms.

Please note: it is not enough to generate a cool idea; you have to present it competently to the target audience and investors, i.e., to sell it.

2. Create a team

It is good if your team initially has experienced developers who can create the software you need. If you don't have any, you should consider outsourcing companies. Modern providers can select a pool of specialists for your project; the programmers will have the optimal tech stack and experience.

In addition to access to the best personnel and technologies, IT outsourcing is often financially sound – hiring foreign specialists can be much cheaper. Even if we speak only about European countries, software development costs vary from $20 to $100+ per hour, depending on the region.

3. MVP and MMP development

When the team is formed, you can move on to developing a minimum viable product (MVP). This is a test version of a digital solution with a set of the most necessary functions. Its development costs less than creating a full-fledged product and you can test the app's relevance with real users.

MMP (minimal marketable product) is the first version of an off-the-shelf product. It still does not have all the functionality you need, but all the features implemented have been tested by consumers. Such an app can generate income as long as you work on improving it.

Improve the product

After the successful launch of the solution and the final confirmation of its relevance, you can continue working on the app:

• expand its functionality;
• improve the user experience based on surveys and in-depth analytics;
• improve the product design;
• scale the app, if necessary.

As a rule, it should take at least three years before a startup begins to transform into a fully profitable business. And not the least of these is the quality of the software solution. It's time to discuss what to consider when choosing a development framework for startups and which of them are most in demand on the market.

How to Choose a Framework for Startups

Choosing the right development environment is a responsible step on which all further work on the project depends. When choosing a startup framework, pay attention to the following characteristics of the platform.

Open/Closed Source Code

An open-source framework is a real boon for any startup. Users can access, copy, modify, and distribute such software for free. This brings several benefits to a startup at once:

1. Significant cost savings. According to recent studies, the total savings of companies from using open-source software can reach $387 billion. Startups are always associated with high risks and insufficient funding, so people consider this factor in the first place when choosing a development environment.
2. Maximum compliance with the latest trends in software creation. If a digital product is open-source, anyone can contribute to its development. To understand the meaning of possible contributions, look at one of the examples of working on such a product:

In April 2021, the first Martian helicopter, Ingenuity, made its flight. About 12,000 developers worldwide worked on its software on GitHub – because Ingenuity is open source! Each added a unique idea and fresh perspective to the system, helping to bring NASA's massive project to fruition.

If we talk about closed-source programming frameworks, using them will require buying a license, which is not always rational for a startup. Also, their development depends on specific developers, so it can often be less dynamic than their open-source counterparts.

Development speed

Quick market entry is crucial to the success of a young, innovative company. That is why when you choose a development framework, you should pay attention to how quickly you can develop a digital product in it. In today's market, some environments allow speeding up development tenfold. This is exactly what startups need. For example, the fastest web framework is considered Spring. It can process 77,375 requests per second, achieving maximum performance.

Large community

Young teams should pay attention to popular environments with active, large communities. These include, for example, Node.js and React.js.

The presence of an extensive community guarantees developers the technical and informational support that is especially necessary when creating innovative digital solutions.

Staff availability

When choosing a framework for startups, you need to assess your staffing potential. Answer the question: are there enough specialists who work with the tool I plan to choose? Note that you should consider not only your own region. Modern outsourcing companies can also find specialists abroad, which is often economically beneficial.

However, if you follow the previous recommendation and choose a popular development framework, the staffing problem will not affect you; there are enough qualified specialists in the market who work with the leading platforms.

Scalability

A startup is a small company, which at first may consist of one founder and be kept on pure enthusiasm. But despite this, every entrepreneur makes far-reaching plans regarding their business growth. There are cases when the results surpassed all the expectations. It is enough to look at such giants of the modern market as Shopify or Uber. Yes, these companies, now known all over the world, also started as startups. Who knows, perhaps you will be just as successful?

To prepare for a growing customer base or increased resource requirements, choose a programming framework that allows you to create easily scalable apps.

Top 11 Frameworks

Product development with the help of special platforms has a number of advantages:

• makes it easier to write code thanks to standardized templates and a wide range of tools;
• simplifies program debugging and maintenance through extensive communities and software testing;
• improves productivity because developers no longer have to write long lines of code;
• enhances security with built-in cyber-threat protection;
• improves database performance because database interaction is built into many environments as a set of functions.

We believe that the feasibility of software development in the framework for startups is no longer in doubt. It remains to determine which platform best suits your project. Consider the most popular of them.

Vue.js

Vue.js is a JavaScript framework used for front-end development and is popular with developers worldwide. To prove this fact, look at the number of stars this framework has on GitHub. In 2017, there were no more than 36 thousand of them, while now the number is 202 thousand. Impressive? We are sure that this is not the limit because JS has been the leader in terms of prevalence and rationality of use for many years. And with a handy development framework, coding in this language becomes even faster, easier, and clearer.  

According to statistics, at the end of 2022, Vue.js ranked sixth in popularity; about 18.8% of programmers used it to develop user interfaces.

Reasons to choose Vue.js for startup:

• Open-source code. There is no charge for use.
• Fast MVP creation. The ease of this framework allows you to create MVP instantly, and we've already discussed how important this stage is for a young company.
• Large, active community. You can get comprehensive product information or help at any time.

Some of the most famous startups that use Vue.js are GitLab and Glovo.

Asp.net

Asp.net is an open-source platform created by Microsoft in 2002 and is still widely used for developing and deploying websites and web apps. This development framework is suitable for writing code in programming languages from the .NET Framework group: C#, VB.NET, J#, and JScript .NET.

Asp.net is somewhat inferior to the previous framework in popularity, ranking eighth in the same rating; 14.9% of developers use it. Despite this, the platform is recommended for use on startup projects. Here are a few reasons for this:

• High development speed thanks to compiled code, which means fast product launch.
• Support of extensive Microsoft and .NET communities allows you to solve problems effectively.
• Data protection, built-in security features allow you to protect information from any threats.

Many startups, including Slack, Roblox, Alibaba Travel, and SpaceX, have already taken advantage of all of these benefits.

Asp.net Core

This cross-platform tool, like the previous one, is developed by Microsoft, has open-source code, and is used to create web apps. However, unlike Asp.net, Asp.net Core has better performance.

The web development framework is often used to develop innovative digital solutions: apps for the Internet of Things and cloud software products. You can also deploy apps locally or in the cloud.

People often choose this tool because of the following features:

• Fast development thanks to the simplified model for creating page-based web apps Razor Pages.
• Cross-platform. The framework can work with Windows, macOS, and Linux; this helps to follow the trend of cross-platform development.
• Testing Possibility. The platform supports the implementation of integration tests, which allows you to release high-quality software.

In terms of popularity, Asp.net Core is one rank ahead of Asp.net, with a prevalence rate of 18.6%. The startups iChoosr (group buying), Cubictelecom (connecting IoT devices), and Adaptive (software development) are among its admirers.

React.js

It is an open-source JavaScript library actively used to create interactive UI single-page web apps and mobile digital solutions. React is valued for its flexibility and versatility, allows writing code without a template code generator, and uses clear JSX syntax. All this simplifies software development for any company. As for startups, React.js has its own advantages for them:

• High development speed without sacrificing quality. Developers can reuse different components, thereby speeding up the delivery of a finished, high-quality product.
• The opportunity for a quick start. To start developing on React.js, a programmer does not need to learn fundamentally new things; knowledge of JavaScript is enough.
• Increased developer productivity. The availability of effective tools, the support of an extensive community, and access to a wide range of libraries facilitate this.

React.js is second in the framework ranking at the time of writing, behind only Node.js. React is used by 42.6% of developers. Such popularity explains that many startups used the tool to create their software, which have long transformed into successful companies: Instagram, Twitter, Netflix, Dropbox, WhatsApp, and others.

Node.js

Node.js is a platform that can compile the JS language into machine code, transforming it from a highly specialized language into a general-purpose language. This development framework is fully compatible with JavaScript, which makes it very popular with modern developers. Other benefits of Node.js that startup founders especially appreciate include:

• High development speed. This is facilitated by compiling JS into faster machine code, as well as the ability to process multiple requests in parallel.
• A wide choice of providers and web servers. A program created in Node.js can be hosted on Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft IIS, etc. You can choose the best option depending on the requirements and budget of the project.
• Scalability. Node.js allows you to create flexible microservice apps that are easy to scale and modify.

We should note that this platform is the leader in the rating of the most popular frameworks. According to Statista, this tool is preferred by more than 47% of developers.

The proof that Node.js is a great choice for young companies can be seen in the list of startups that have used this framework and achieved incredible heights. Among them are Uber, Slack, Reddit, and Figma.

Django

If you create your own web app in Python, consider Django as a framework for startups. The main principle of the work on this platform is based on creating several separate apps instead of a bulky product with a monolithic architecture. The digital solution will be flexible and easily scalable.

Django is good to use for a startup due to its advantages:

• Focusing on the needs of the modern market. Python ranks number one on the list of the most popular programming languages, according to TIOBE; 16.4% of programmers use it. In addition to web app development, this language is used to create programs based on machine learning and work with Big Data.
• Collaborative work on the project. Technical specialists and team members without special knowledge (business analyst, project manager, product owner) can participate in the development thanks to an intuitive interface.
• High-quality support and documentation. Django has an active community and well-structured documentation, thanks to which you can get an answer to any question concerning its work.

This development framework for startups is one of the ten most popular tools, ranking ninth with 14.7%.

Among the global giants that started out as startups, Spotify, Dropbox, and Pinterest use this platform.

Ruby on Rails

Ruby on Rails is an open-source framework written in the Ruby programming language. It covers the needs of frontend and backend development and is used to create high-performance web resources. Even though the language above is gradually losing its popularity (according to the TIOBE index, it is the 16th most common), Ruby on Rails can still be recommended for startup projects. There are several reasons for that:

• Development security. The tool has robust data security settings by default.
• High development speed. Ruby on Rails can easily combine third-party libraries, increasing its productivity.
• Scalability. The framework supports the principle of vertical scaling, which is ideal for new projects.

Ruby on Rails, just like the language it is written in, cannot be called popular. It ranks 15th in Statista's ranking, and only 5.8% of programmers use it.

Nevertheless, many startups, which have now transformed into world-renowned companies, have used this framework to create their apps. These include Airbnb, Shopify, CrunchBase, and Dribble.

AngularJS

This is another development framework that JavaScript fans will appreciate. It is indispensable for creating single-page digital solutions, and you can greatly simplify product development and testing.

The AngularJS platform is suitable for your project if you only need a small app. It is chosen for startup product development because of the following features:

• Extensive functionality. The framework offers many tools for testing and development, code generators, extensions, and more. You can create a product for a startup on a budget.
• Reliable support. Users of this programming framework can count on the Google community's quality support and find all the necessary information on GitHub; AngularJS has 59,300 stars on this resource.
• Two-way data binding. You can synchronize JS models with the view; any data changes are reflected in the user interface.

AngularJS is in the 13th position in the framework ranking, with a score of 8.99%. Among its users are well-known startups: Lyft, Snapchat, Upwork, and Udemy.

Laravel

Laravel is a general-purpose PHP framework that is open source and hosted on GitHub. Since its creation in 2011, the framework has earned 72 thousand stars on the resource.

The tool is used to create web apps and is distinguished by its elegant syntax, ability to write clean code, and excellent functionality.

Many people choose this development framework for startups because of the following advantages:

• Data protection. The platform has built-in security features that prevent many threats, including cross-site request forgery (CSRF) and SQL injection.
• Economic benefit. The platform offers its users an extensive list of packages for access to routing, testing, migration, and other functions.
• Frequent updates and quality support. Laravel developers regularly update their product to keep it current in the marketplace. The platform also has an extensive community of programmers with various training levels.

These characteristics have given the framework 12th place in popularity; 9.5% of specialists use it for software development.

Among the startups that have chosen Laravel are TransferGo, Razorpay, and Bitpanda.

Express.js

Express.js is a fast, minimalist web framework for Node.js that is used to design web solutions and APIs. It is suitable for developing single-page, multi-page, and hybrid digital solutions.

Express.js is a great choice for startup companies because of its features:

• Ease of use. Developers can easily use a large number of templates and databases to simplify work on the project.
• Developed community. Express is popular among programmers, implying a large community that can provide support anytime.
• Saving time and budget. You can write less code with this development framework compared to clean Node.js. This leads to faster software development and fewer bugs.

The same Statista rating confirms the popularity of Express.js; the framework is in fourth place. About 23% of programmers choose it for app development.

Many startups have benefited from the tool. Among the most famous are Twitter, BlaBlaCar, iFood, and Trustpilot.

Flask

If you have chosen to build your web app in Python, consider the Flask framework. It belongs to the category of microframeworks – tools that are a kind of framework for a future software product with basic features. This option is great for start-ups interested in quickly developing scalable software.

Other Flask benefits for startups:

• Flexibility. The platform makes it easy to use third-party libraries and tools.
• Software scalability. Flask supports microservices architecture, making it easy to scale as your business grows.
• Ease of development. To write code in this framework for startups, it's enough to know Python; no other specific knowledge is required.

Even though Flask is a microframework, it is popular with developers. Tenth place in the Statista ranking and 14.6% of admirers are the numbers with which the platform ended 2022.

Many startups use the development framework. Here are those that have reached global heights: Netflix, Reddit, Lyft.

To summarize

When choosing a startup framework, focus on the software's characteristics and your project's requirements. Key things to look for are speed and quality of development, availability of usage fees (open/closed source), community size, and completeness of documentation. In this material, we presented 11 frameworks that deserve the attention of founders of young companies. Choose, experiment, and fortune will smile upon you.