Web App Tech Stack Essentials | Generated by AI
For a web application, here’s what you typically need and why:
Backend Languages & Frameworks You’ll pick one: Java (Spring Boot), PHP (Laravel, Symfony), Python (Django, Flask), Node.js, C#/.NET, or Go. This handles your business logic and API endpoints.
Database MySQL, PostgreSQL, or MongoDB stores your application data. MySQL/PostgreSQL are relational (structured data), MongoDB is NoSQL (flexible schema). Most projects start with one of these.
Web Server & Reverse Proxy Nginx or Apache sits in front of your application, handles incoming HTTP requests, serves static files, and distributes traffic. Nginx is popular because it’s lightweight and fast.
Caching Layer Redis stores frequently accessed data in memory for speed—user sessions, cached queries, real-time data. It’s optional but improves performance significantly.
Message Queue Kafka, RabbitMQ, or Redis (as a queue) handle asynchronous tasks—sending emails, processing uploads, background jobs. Also optional, depends on your needs.
Container & Orchestration Docker packages your application consistently. Kubernetes orchestrates multiple containers at scale (larger projects).
What You Actually Need to Start Realistically, you can launch a basic web app with just: a language/framework, a database, and a web server. Everything else gets added as you scale or hit performance bottlenecks.
A Minimal Stack Example
- PHP + Laravel + MySQL + Nginx = functional web app
- Node.js + Express + PostgreSQL + Nginx = another viable option
Common Full Stack Java/PHP + MySQL + Redis + Nginx + Kafka (when handling high volume)
What type of application are you building? That would help narrow down what you actually need versus what’s nice-to-have.