Top 5 Languages and Frameworks for Server-Side Scripting

Server-side scripting, or server-side rendering, plays a significant role in web development. This process refers to running scripts on web servers that generate dynamic content.

Conversely, client-side scripting is used to develop applications that run in the user’s web browser.

Server-side scripting is vital for backend processes like content delivery, database interactions, and user authentication. These processes are performed behind the scenes, allowing users to interact with secure and responsive dynamic web pages.

Developers use the capabilities of server-side scripting languages to create web applications that need real-time updates, advanced data handling, and user authentication. They enable the building of dynamic, interactive, and secure websites.

According to the latest statistics, the most used programming languages among developers worldwide in 2024 include many languages used for server-side scripting. This list contains Python – 51%, Java – 30.3%, and PHP – 18.2%.

So let’s discuss them in server-side scripting context in more detail below.

This article discusses the five best server-side scripting languages and frameworks and the factors you must consider when choosing the relevant option for your project.

Before describing the top five languages and frameworks for server-side rendering, let’s first reveal what can influence your choice. 

Factors To Consider When Choosing a Server-Side Language

Before selecting the best server-side scripting language for your project, consider a few critical aspects of your chosen programming language. Here they are.

• Performance: 

Performance remains one of the essential factors to consider when choosing a server-side rendering language. This component comprises runtime efficiency, computational capacity, and the ability to work within various environments.

You can usually verify language performance characteristics with several instruments like profiling tools, benchmarking, and determining performance metrics in practice to check if the chosen language meets your project needs.

Other aspects regarding performance are the application’s architecture and the use of an opinionated or unopinionated framework. Opinionated server-side frameworks are a good option for simple projects. Developers usually use unopinionated frameworks for applications with a more flexible structure. 

• Scalability: 

Your business can’t stay still. The application you build won’t be limited to a certain number of users. Your business will grow, so the number of users and the load on your servers will also grow. Scalable programming languages allow you to create applications that endure higher memory consumption and increase data volumes without affecting performance. The best choice refers to the language that can expand without considerable rewrites or architectural limitations.

• Ease of Learning and Community Support: 

Community support is another factor that you shouldn’t neglect. An active and extensive community that provides multiple resources, frameworks, libraries, documentation, forums, and a talent pool of skillful developers is critical for software development, including server-side scripting. Robust support eases programming, offering various tools, libraries, and helpful comments.

Another aspect worth mentioning is the ease of learning. A more accessible scripting language for beginners will be a much more cost-effective solution for startups. Languages with steeper learning curves may hinder development, jeopardizing application deployment.

• Security: 

Of course, security is vital for any application, especially today, with the growing number of cyber-attacks. 

Different programming languages ​​approach this in various ways. PHP uses built-in functions to remove JavaScript, HTML, or PHP tags from a string and safeguard your app from cross-site scripting. Java offers robust memory management and secure security architecture for advanced data protection.

Pay attention to security capabilities that are relevant to your project requirements. 

• Flexibility and Versatility:

Accessibility to building various types of applications also matters. Such versatile languages as Java and Python can help you create web applications, cloud-based apps, data science software, and other projects for different operating systems.

Ask yourself: What operating system do users prefer? Is it Windows, Linux, Android, or iOS? Or a couple of them? Ensure the capabilities of the programming languages ​​you choose fit the needs of your project. Choose the most flexible and versatile option. 

Top 5 Server-Side Languages and Frameworks

PHP

Overview:

PHP, or Hypertext Pre-Processor, is a multi-paradigm programming language that supports functional, procedural, imperative, object-oriented, and reflective programming. It was founded in 1995 without a formal specification. Since that time, PHP has undergone many changes. The work with spec started in 2014. Just-in-time (JIT) compiler was presented in 2020 with a PHP 8 version release.

Since PHP is on top, over 75% of all websites use it for server-side scripting.

This programming language was initially developed to create dynamic web content and gained popularity because of WordPress and its ease of integration. Software engineers use this language today for server-side scripting, data collection, and other functions.

Now, PHP takes the leading position in web development because over 80% of websites use this language in different components of web applications. Developers use PHP to build social media platforms, websites, forums, shopping carts, and message apps.

This scripting language has become a go-to choice for well-known companies like WordPress, Facebook, Nvidia, Slack, Tumblr, and Pinterest.

PHP is compatible with Windows, Linux, MacOS, and most Unix versions. Most servers and databases also support this programming language. PHP has a vibrant community that continues to grow. 

Strengths: 

• Open-source: PHP is free and available without hidden costs to anyone, making it a perfect option for startups and small businesses. Numerous free libraries facilitate server-side scripting without considerable effort;
• Extensive Community: PHP has a vibrant and active developers community, which results in plentifulness of resources, documentation, and forums that foster issue resolving and learning;
• Database Integrations: PHP is compatible with databases such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, and many other valuable databases for creating data-oriented applications;
• Ease of Use: Developers can quickly learn PHP because its syntax is similar to C languages. So those programmers who know C++ can find PHP a simple-to-learn language; 
• Operational Systems and Server Compatibility: Various platforms such as Windows, Linux, and MacOS support PHP. It is also compatible with most web servers like Nginx, Apache, and Microsoft IIS;
• Functions Automation: PHP enables automation features like authentication, session management, URL mapping, and others;
• Popular Frameworks: Such PHP frameworks as Laravel, Symfony, and CodeIgniter offer prebuilt functions and tools for creating web applications faster than usual; 
• Performance: With proper optimization mechanisms, PHP performance can be improved. 

Weaknesses: 

• Difficulties in scaling and performance because of dynamic typing, which makes the source code behave differently depending on the context; 
• Vulnerability to security issues, primarily if the code is not managed correctly. 

Popular Frameworks

There are numerous PHP frameworks for rapid development. However, here we will focus on three of the most well-known of them:

• Laravel: With its expressive and elegant syntax, this PHP framework assists developers, simplifying the process of application creation without compromising its functionality;
• Symfony: This PHP framework contains toolkits of reusable PHP elements for web development;
• CodeIgniter: This is a robust but small-footprint PHP framework for rapid web development. It possesses an easy-to-use toolset for the creation of web applications.

Node.js

Overview: 

JavaScript is one of the most popular programming languages for front-end development. However, Ryan Dahl’s efforts led to the emergence of a JavaScript runtime environment for server-side scripting using JavaScript in 2009. Node.js is a framework based on the Google Chrome V8 engine. 

Developers can use this JavaScript environment for server-side scripting, creating content management systems, gaming platforms, forums, P2P markets, e-commerce websites, and ad services.

Node.js is an open-source, portable framework that provides a non-blocking approach to serving requests. This framework doesn’t waste time or resources waiting for I/O requests to return. Ultimately, Node.js can boast low latency and high throughput for server-side scripting.

The Node.js framework is a popular web technology among developers. 42.65% of the programmers confirm its popularity with their votes.

Strengths: 

• Fast Execution: Node.js is a lightweight framework built on the Google V8 JavaScript engine. This makes the JavaScript framework environment an ideal choice for software requiring rapid response;
• Non-Blocking and Event-Driven: Node.js is based on an event-driven and non-blocking I/O model. This approach enables numerous concurrent connections, handling many users simultaneously without being blocked by I/O operations;
• Well-Suited for Microservices Architecture: Node.js is a good fit for microservices architecture because of its modular structure and lightweight nature. Developers can create small services performing various tasks efficiently;
• Rich Ecosystem: Programmers can access a solid package ecosystem through the npm, Node.js package manager. They can integrate various plugins and libraries to boost development;
• High scalability and Responsiveness: Asynchronous programming in Node.js allows you to handle many requests without needing multiple threads. This feature enables scalability and higher application responsiveness;
• Real-Time Applications: Node.js works well with real-time applications such as online gaming, live streaming, collaborative tools, and chats due to concurrency support and its event-driven nature.

Weaknesses: 

• Node.js has limitations connected with heavy computations. Everything that goes beyond single-threaded operations starts to work exceptionally slowly;
• Node.js architecture should be designed clearly. Simultaneous application running is possible only if relationships between program components are well-written;
• Since Node.js is a creation of JavaScript, all bugs and issues that pertain to JavaScript also matter for Node.js.

Popular Frameworks: 

Let’s highlight the most relevant frameworks and environments for server-side development among lots of Node.js frameworks:

• Express: Minimalistic Node.js framework with a rich set of features is flexible and well-fitted for web and mobile app development;
• Koa: It is the next step after Express, which suggests async functions rather than callbacks; 
• Fastify: This lightweight and robust framework has a vast plugin architecture for web development, which can run on serverless architecture, containers, and other environments;
• Next.js: It is an open-source React framework for server-side rendering. The framework supports “hot reloading,” Incremental Static Generation, and static site generation. Those features reduce the burden on web browsers and provide improved security;
• Nuxt.js: This open-source Javascript library is inspired by Next.js and is based on Nitro, Vue.js, and Vite. It supports in-browser single-page applications (SPAs) and server-rendered views that can be “rehydrated” for full SPA functionality. The framework allows full or partial server-side content pre-rendering, improving time to interactivity and SEO by delivering complete page content before client-side JavaScript executes.

Python

Overview: 

Python is an extremely popular open-source, dynamically typed programming language. The Dutch developer Guido van Rossum created this language in 1991 and named it after Monty Python’s Flying Circus, a famous British comedy series. Python is a multi-paradigm language that supports functional, object-oriented, and aspect-oriented programming.

Github’s 2024 report states that Python has surpassed JavaScript for the first time, becoming developers’ most preferred language. Such popularity is not an accident because this programming language is well-known for its simplicity and lightweight, as well as for Its huge community and abundant standard library. For instance, Python’s PyPI repository has over 400,000 third-party modules.

Python is widely used for web development, machine learning (ML), and artificial intelligence (AI) applications. Developers also utilize this language for building databases and data science projects.

Strengths:

• Straightforward Syntax: Python has a readable syntax, making coding easier for beginners. Simple language structure leads to enhanced productivity and collaboration between developers working on server-side projects;
• Data Analysis: Such libraries as Pandas, NumPy, and Matplotlib facilitate better data manipulation, including data processing, analysis, and visualization directly on the server side; 
• Community Support and Libraries: Novices can apply to the supportive community, which continues to grow and provides multiple resources and tools for speedy development. Numerous Python library ecosystems contain APIs for seamless integration, modules for database connectivity, testing, security, and many others;
• Web Frameworks: Many web frameworks, such as Django and Flask, help developers with rapid prototyping. They assist in handling such critical tasks as templating, routing, and database integration;
• Versatility and scalability: Python’s capabilities allow developers to use various techniques to optimize performance, such as asynchronous programming and parallelism. The Write Once Run Anywhere (WORA) can assist Python developers with embedding its code in the source code of other languages, such as C++.

Weaknesses:

• To improve performance, developers must seek specific frameworks to boost their applications.

Popular Frameworks: 

Here, we describe two famous Python frameworks that programmers use for various applications:

• Django: This Python’s high-level framework is designed for rapid development and simple design. Developers use it for sophisticated and complex web projects;
• Flask: This Python framework is lightweight and flexible. It is based on utility libraries called Werkzeug and Jinja2. Being lightweight, Flask handles complex and intricate applications with ease. 

Java

Overview: 

Java is a robust, object-oriented, general-purpose programming language. Sun Microservices released Java in 1995. It is a popular option for the creation of enterprise-based applications. Java remains popular among developers. As of October 2024, the TIOBE index, which measures software development languages’ popularity, places this language in third place.

Java’s success is primarily due to its object-oriented nature, security features, and versatility. The syntax and rules of Java are similar to those of C-level languages like C and C++. Cross-platform support powered by a Just-in-time (JIT) compiler allows running software developed by Java in different environments: Windows, Linux, MacOS, and Android. Java creates desktop and server applications, web servers, and Android apps.

Strengths:

• Platform Independence: The ‘Write Once Run Anywhere’ approach of allowing the development on one platform and running on different other operating systems without significant adjustment;
• Scalability: Applications built with Java can run when the number of application users grows;
• Multi-threading: Java can handle multiple requests in independent threads on a multi-threaded net server. This capability works well for servers with a considerable workload;
• Enterprise-Level Applications: Java EE (Enterprise Edition), numerous libraries, and frameworks are invaluable components of reliable company-based applications;
• Security: Data protection in Java is enabled with robust memory management and security architecture;
• Performance: Lower-level languages might run faster than Java. However, JIT compilation which translates bite code into a native machine code improves performance.

Weaknesses:

• The syntax of Java is verbose and complicated, requiring a good level of proficiency from a developer; 
• The usage of Java might be resource-intensive because of computer virtual machine usage for compilation, thread blocking, memory management issues, and poor caching settings; 
• Java requires a license for commercial use. 

Popular Frameworks: 

Developers use the following widely used frameworks for creating enterprise and e-commerce applications: 

• Spring: This application framework is an open-source, containing inversion of control container (IoC) for the Java platform; 
• Thymeleaf: Thymeleaf is an open-source, cross-platform Java server-side template engine. It works with XML, XHTML, and HTML5 standards in web (servlet-based) and non-web environments. Thymeleaf introduces the concept of natural templates, meaning that template files can be opened in browsers and still display correctly as web pages;  

Ruby

Overview: 

Ruby is an open-source, dynamic programming language famous for its simplicity and productivity. It was designed by Japanese developer Yukihiro “Matz” Matsumoto. Regarding server-side scripting, Ruby owes a lot to its powerful and robust framework, Ruby on Rails (RoR), released in 2004. It was trendy in the early 2010s. According to the latest statistics provided by w3techs.com, Ruby is used by 6% of all websites using scripting languages, the second result after PHP.

Developers utilize RoR for server-side scripting. They appreciate this framework for simplicity, efficiency, and scalability. You can write fewer lines of the source code for building rich functionality than you need in Node.js or Java.

Ruby is a dynamically typed, object-oriented, and interpreted language which supports procedural and functional programming. It has a “native” interpreter called MRI, or Matz’s Ruby Interpreter. Other interpreters such as JRuby (implemented on the Java Virtual Machine), MRuby, Opal, Rubinius, and RubyMotion are also available for developers.

Strengths:

• Developer-Friendly: Ruby has readable and easy-to-comprehend syntax. This enables efficient long-term collaboration and code maintenance;
• Flexible and Dynamic: Code readability makes Ruby a versatile option for developers. They can work with data processing, automation, scripting, and other components of web development; 
• Productivity: “Convention over Configuration” (CoC) and “Don’t Repeat Yourself” (DRY) principles reduce redundant coding. As a result, developers are more productive, and development cycles shrink; 
• Ruby on Rails Framework: RoR is a cornerstone of Ruby. Ruby on Rails was created to make web development more efficient, providing a convenient environment that improves such tasks as database management, user authentication, and routing;
• Extensive Community and Libraries: Ruby has a vibrant and collaborative community with many open-source libraries that boost development. Those resources offer various functionalities, starting from database management and authentication to API integration;
• Simple Database Interactions: The Active Record ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) is integrated with Rails. Its database interactions reduce the necessity for developing complex SQL queries;
• Reliability: Ruby supports conventions for testing, such as Test-Driven Development (TDD) and Behavior-driven development (BDD). Using such methodologies, developers create robust and reliable software. 

Weaknesses: 

• It has higher resource consumption, being CPU and RAM-intensive compared with competitors;
• Ruby intensely relies on existing templates and standards, resulting in limited flexibility for unconventional designs.

Popular Frameworks: 

Typical Ruby frameworks consist of a few that are worth mentioning: 

• Ruby on Rails (RoR): Written in Ruby under the MIT license, RoR is an open-source framework for server-side development. Ruby on Rails offers a default structure for building web services, pages, and databases. RoR supports the use of web standards, including XML and JSON for data transfer and HTML, JavaScript, and CSS for user interfacing;
• Sinatra: This Ruby-based domain-specific language (DSL) assists in developing web applications quickly and easily. Sinatra is great for prototyping because of its lightweight nature and developer-friendly design.

Honorable Mentions

Of course, five languages and frameworks for server-side scripting are not the ultimate list. We’ve just mentioned the most popular of them. There are lots of other options. Below, we discuss a few more programming languages for server-side scripting that stand out from others in a certain way.

C#

C# is a general-purpose, object-oriented, high-level programming language. It was developed by Microsoft and released in 2001. C# supports portability with compilation to an intermediate language IL. Applications created with C# can be executed on any platform that supports common language infrastructure CLI. The syntax of C# resembles both C++ and Java.

C# is known primarily for helping to develop programs within the .NET framework, including web apps using ASP.NET. Developers appreciate C# for specific security features and less vulnerability to errors.

C# continuously evolves, and new features emerge with each release. The most notable capabilities are dynamic binding, lambdas, and asynchronous methods.

Go

Go, also known as Golang, is a relatively new programming language. It was developed in 2009 by Robert Griesemer, Rob Pike, and Ken Thompson. Go is a multi-paradigm, general-purpose, high-level programming language. It is statically typed and compiled and supports functional and object-oriented programming. Its syntax is similar to C language. Go is readable, lightweight, and has CSP-style concurrency and various helpful features, including garbage collection and memory safety.

A few things make this language unique regarding server-side scripting. Most languages were initially designed to create large-scale projects, while Go is used for lightweight web services developed to run on mobile devices efficiently.

Multi-threading powered by goroutines and channels is another specific capability that helps use system resources more efficiently and improves application responsiveness. Go’s code reusability also helps to develop complex but productive apps.

It is also worth mentioning that Go text/template packages can be used for server-side rendering. The template package provides data-driven templates for creating textual output. Developers use HTML/templates to generate HTML output, which is automatically secured against malicious attacks. Templates are implemented by using them on a data structure.

A popular open-source Go framework called HUGO enables static site generation. It is swift and flexible with pre-made templates, supports multiple formats, including JSON and AMP, and allows you to create your own.

Conclusion

Let’s wrap up with a brief review of each language’s and framework’s advantages and possible use cases for server-side scripting.

1. PHP’s main upsides are extensive community, seamless database and server integrations, ease of use, cross-platform support, functions automation, and performance. Laravel, Symfony, and CodeIgniter, PHP frameworks possess the necessary prebuilt tools for faster web application development.

You can use PHP for server-side scripting, data collection and management, and other functions.

2. Developers appreciate Node.js’ benefits for server-side scripting: fast execution, non-blocking, event-driven, well-suited for microservices architecture, rich ecosystem, and high scalability and responsiveness.

You can use this JavaScript environment for server-side scripting, creating real-time applications, content management systems, video games, forums, and P2P markets.

3. Python boasts such capabilities that make developers’ lives easier: abundant ecosystem, straightforward syntax, versatility and scalability, data analysis, community support, and web frameworks for rapid prototyping.

Python is a widespread language used in web development, databases, data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence projects.

4. Java has the following advantages for server-side scripting: platform independence, scalability, multi-threading, robustness, enterprise-level applications, enhanced security, and performance.

Developers use Java to create enterprise-level web applications, servers, and Android apps.

5. Ruby has the following benefits: developer-friendly, flexible and dynamic, productive, extensive community and libraries, simple database interactions, and reliability.

Due to the Ruby on Rails framework, Ruby is used for server-side scripting and assists in scripting, automation, and data processing.

Go is lightweight and has concurrency features. Programmers mainly use it to create resource-intensive applications. Developers use C# to build web servers and ASP.NET apps.

Don’t be fooled by the popularity of the programming language. The main criteria for choosing the right option for your server-side scripting project remain the requirements of your project and whether the chosen solution will be budget-friendly for you.

Jelvix, as the leading software development outsourcing provider, helps you with server-side scripting projects. We assist you from the ideation stage to release and maintenance. Our seasoned developers help you create web and mobile apps and other software that completely fulfills your business requirements and meets market needs.

Reach out to our team to reduce your costs and time to market without sacrificing product quality.

FAQ

What is the most popular server-side scripting language?

PHP is still widely used for creating dynamic web pages and applications. Python is a newer alternative, becoming more popular for server-side rendering.

Which server-side scripting language is the most beginner-friendly?

Python is often considered the most accessible scripting language for beginners because of its straightforward syntax and vast community support.

What are the best practices for server-side scripting?

The most efficient ways of server-side rendering are writing clean and organized code, validating user input, using a templating engine, implementing caching, following security best practices, and testing your code thoroughly.

Why is PHP still relevant for modern server-side scripting?

PHP continues to be a favored choice for server-side rendering, mainly because of its user-friendliness with content management systems such as WordPress.

How do I choose between Django and Flask in Python?

Django is more suitable for extensive, feature-rich applications with integrated functionalities, whereas Flask provides greater versatility for lighter, smaller-scale projects.