One of the most common questions we hear from clients is: "What technology should we use?" It's a great question, and the answer is always the same: it depends. The best tech stack for your project depends on your specific needs, goals, and constraints.
In this article, we'll break down the most popular web technologies and help you understand when each makes sense.
Understanding the Basics
A "tech stack" refers to the combination of technologies used to build your website or application. This typically includes:
- Frontend: What users see and interact with (HTML, CSS, JavaScript)
- Backend: Server-side logic and databases
- Infrastructure: Hosting, deployment, and DevOps
When Plain HTML, CSS, and JavaScript Work Best
Don't underestimate the power of simplicity. For many projects, you don't need a complex JavaScript framework. Plain HTML with CSS and minimal JavaScript is ideal for:
- Marketing and brochure websites
- Landing pages
- Small business websites
- Portfolios and personal sites
- Sites where maximum performance is critical
Benefits: Fastest possible load times, no framework overhead, easy to maintain, works everywhere.
React: The Industry Standard
React, developed by Facebook, is the most popular JavaScript library for building user interfaces. It's component-based, meaning you build reusable pieces that can be composed together. React is great for:
- Complex web applications with lots of interactivity
- Single-page applications (SPAs)
- Projects that need a large ecosystem of tools and libraries
- Teams that want to hire easily (many developers know React)
Next.js: React with Superpowers
Next.js is built on top of React and adds powerful features like server-side rendering, static site generation, and API routes. It's our go-to choice for many projects because it offers the best of both worlds. Use Next.js when you need:
- Excellent SEO (server-rendered content is easier for search engines to index)
- Fast initial page loads combined with React's interactivity
- A full-stack solution (frontend + API in one project)
- E-commerce sites, content-heavy sites, or SaaS applications
Vue.js: The Progressive Framework
Vue is known for being approachable and incrementally adoptable. You can start with a simple script tag and gradually adopt more features as needed. Vue is excellent for:
- Teams new to JavaScript frameworks
- Projects that need to gradually adopt a framework
- Smaller to medium-sized applications
- When you want a gentler learning curve than React
Backend Considerations
The backend technology depends largely on your specific requirements:
Node.js/Express is great when you want JavaScript on both frontend and backend, need real-time features (chat, live updates), or want to share code between client and server.
Python/Django or Flask works well for data-heavy applications, projects with machine learning components, or rapid prototyping.
PHP remains a solid choice for content management systems and has a massive ecosystem with WordPress, Laravel, and more.
Database Choices
Your database choice should match your data structure:
- PostgreSQL: Our default choice for most projects. Reliable, feature-rich, and handles complex queries well.
- MongoDB: Great for projects with flexible, document-based data structures.
- Firebase: Excellent for rapid prototyping and real-time applications.
Making the Decision
When choosing a tech stack, consider these factors:
- Project requirements: What does your project actually need?
- Performance needs: How fast does it need to be?
- SEO importance: Do search engines need to easily crawl your content?
- Future maintenance: Who will maintain this long-term?
- Budget: Complexity costs more to build and maintain
Our Recommendation
There's no one-size-fits-all answer. The "best" technology is the one that solves your specific problem effectively. At Saga, we're technology-agnostic – we choose the right tool for each job rather than forcing projects into a preferred stack.
Not sure what's right for your project? Get in touch and we'll help you figure out the best approach based on your specific needs and goals.