There are hundreds of tools on offer for novice and experienced programmers. Some of them are useful while others hardly live up to expectations. Below we have reviewed 15 of the most popular and effective tools for web development, dividing them into four groups for easy navigation.

THE BEST TOOL FOR WEB DEVELOPMENT: BACK END

1. Django

It is one of the most popular high-level Python Web frameworks introduced in the virtual world today. It promotes fast development and clean, pragmatic design. An open-source tool is available on all devices including the last Mac and Windows versions and it helps developers to finish the application as quickly as possible.

It takes into account all the security weaknesses of your device, eliminating all kinds of threats. Imagine a separate mechanism working with you but performing many more duties:

URL routing
Database schema migrations
Template engine and many others.

Everything is free of charge.

2. Node.js/Koa

This is another tool for web development, which is an additional way to handle code on your desktop device. What is Koa? It is a Node.js framework that allows the developer to eliminate callbacks by improving the handling of small and large errors. One of the main advantages of Koa is its convenient environment for quickly writing servers. Besides, Koa does not bundle middleware within its core.

Express can be a great alternative, but as you dive deeper you will find that Koa offers a few more benefits and options. The tool has received many positive reviews as well as 29.7K GitHub stars.

3. Ruby On Rails

Also known as Rails and RoR, this is an extremely effective yet creative way of building different web apps. At its center is the MVC design pattern. It divides the product into three components: views, models, and controllers.

This has a positive effect on scalability and also allows for reuse. In other words, RoR works on the Don’t Repeat Yourself principle, allowing you to use the components you write over and over again.

Despite its excellent performance, Ruby on Rails has one weak point – speed. It is not the fastest framework available these days. However, it does a great job of all!

4. MySQL

This is one of the free tools for web development that has been around for over 20 years. MySQL was launched back in 1995 offering an open-source relational database management system. In 2008, it was sold for a billion dollars and a year later Sun Microsystems bought it for $7.5 billion.

As of 2020, this is the most used RDBMS. Its server-like structure offers multi-user access to two or more databases. MySQL is also a great solution if you have just started developing a project and its database is not going to expand at an accelerated pace. The program is easy to download and install.

5. MongoDB

We could enumerate the spheres of application of MongoDB for a long time because it is essentially a universal tool for all kinds of development. It is great for mobile development with geospatial data and rapidly changing data requirements.

It is also a Must Have tool for organizations and sources that produce large amounts of documentation (reports, charts). Put it simply: MongoDB is needed when you work with a lot of data.

Due to the new structure, many experts discover how simple MongoDB syntax is. Its installation and configuration will not take long.

6. Postman

Like all the latest tools for web development, Postman is of particular value to every programmer. Designed to work efficiently with APIs, it simplifies every stage of its development. By 2020, Postman is being used by 10m technicians who have already offered 250m APIs.

Taking advantage of all the available features will allow you to design, debug, document, mock, and monitor all APIs in one place. Meanwhile, Postman’s programs for popular operating systems include advanced functions to extend the Postman’s command-line tool, API Network, and get a superb experience.

Overall, this is a quick and easy solution to many problems. Its usage is understandable even for beginners.

TOOLS USED FOR WEB DEVELOPMENT: FRONT END

7. Npm

If you have a passion for JavaScript you need this Node package manager. With this tool, NodeJS Developers reuse written code and leverage it with various solutions. It is also used as a command-line utility for interacting with the said repository. Npm (15448 stars on GitHub) will allow you to manage both private and public codes via the same workflow. The Registry contains 470 thousand packages of free codes.

8. Tailwind

As a CSS framework, Tailwind is dedicated to creating custom designs. This CSS newbie quickly found an audience of fans by offering them customization of components and elements with utility classes within HTML. It is one of the best free tools for web development and moreover, Tailwind is going to release a branded UI with built-in templates/layouts that will make your work easier.

9. Backbone

In addition to the web application structure, Backbone also configures events by offering models with key-value binding. With 27006 GitHub stars is definitely the best tool for web application development. Let’s take a deeper look at its abilities:

The library draws a logical line between the user and the business interface.
You can create single-page apps, mobile solutions, and web apps.
Backbone completely manages the data model by displaying it on the server side.

10. Grunt

This tool does a great job with task automation. This JavaScript task runner has enough bundled plugins for typical tasks and its flexibility allows you to write all kinds of tasks based on your needs. The Grunt takes effect when you combine these tasks and create something incredible. It goes beyond simple task automation!

11. CodePen

By using this tool in your daily work, you significantly speed it up. Being a big community and one of the most comfortable web development environments, CodePen helps you create and deploy sites of varying complexity. Like with other software tools for web development, you can take advantage of quick CSS solutions and Prefill API which adds demo pages/links without the need for coding, not to mention live sync and view.

12. Adobe Photoshop

For over a decade, Adobe Photoshop has been at the forefront of graphic design. Web designers like not only the flexibility of the platform but also the wide range of tools and ease of usage. It’s great for editing photos and videos, and more. To get started, you need to subscribe (for $9.99 per month) or get the full Creative Suite ($52.99 per month).

13. Canva

If you are looking for graphical web development tools for beginners then Canva is the way to go. With a simple and intuitive interface, you will find 8K templates and hundreds of design types for creating social media posts, business cards, or flyers in a few clicks. All of this is available in a free plan. If you need more options like exporting transparent PNGs you should subscribe that starts at $9.95 per month.

14. Figma

First of all, Figma grabs attention with its power. Website development is made easier with a clear vector interface and a rich assortment of options. Like many other solutions for development, Figma offers a cloud-based approach. All members of your team can change the design of the file, copy its code, and leave comments simultaneously. The free session is available for 3 projects and the subscription starts at $12 per month.

15. Angular

This tool was suggested by Google which explains why it is still on the list of the best open-source tools for web development. In 2020, we are waiting for Angular’s 9th version. In the meantime, the tool offers the creation of a RICH Internet App, an application using MVC/JavaScript, and automatic processing of JavaScript code in all browsers.

16. TypeScript

This tool is designed to work with heavy applications. Its feature list includes JS libraries’ support and service usage in JavaScript environment. Additionally, you can transfer it to any device/browser. In general, TypeScript is an open-source language with a JavaScript syntactical superset.

17. Codekit

There are lots of front-end tools for web development and Codekit is one of them. It comes into effect when programmers are looking for quick solutions to websites building. In addition to combining and syntax-checks JavaScript, Codekit can also optimize an image. You can make any CSS changes without reloading the page and combine scripts by reducing HTTP requests. Also, Codekit is compatible with most languages.

18. Bootstrap

Free tools for web development are getting a lot of attention, but you probably won’t find anything like Bootstrap. It is definitely the best framework in the world on which mobile-first websites are developed. Its free library of JavaScript/CSS/HTML makes it easy to code your site from scratch. In the component library, you will find alerts, navigation, forms, headers, and other options. For those new to Bootstrap, it offers tutorials with examples.

TOOLS FOR WEB PAGE DEVELOPMENT: ANALYTICS

19. Google Analytics

Different web development tools and analytics solutions like Google are popular. Thanks to quick installation, you get a great platform for website analytics in a couple of minutes. Its options and tools help programmers track the statistics of the site by getting up-to-date information about clicks, the number of visitors, and their interaction with the resource as a whole. In 2019, Google announced a package update.

20. Segment

Considering the most popular tools for web development and analytical solutions, we could not ignore the Segment. Positioned as a client data platform, it collects user events across multiple applications. While Google Analytics only analyzes the activity of users, Segment in addition to this, stores the received data and distributes it using 200 advanced tools like Mixpanel.

SOFTWARE TOOLS FOR WEB DEVELOPMENT

21. WordPress

According to WebsiteSetup.org, 35% of all online sites are powered by WordPress. Why has the platform become so popular? The answer lies in the excellent combination of 3 elements: ease of use, flexibility, and power. WordPress is the backbone of many websites, information blogs, communities, etc. To get started you need to run a self-hosted site or get a free account.

Final words

The ever-changing web techs are driving the rise in the popularity of the tools above. There is no general best tool for web development terms. But we talked about the most popular solutions designed for different tasks like analytics and design. Choose what you need and this tool will be the best for you!