How to Select the Right Tech Stack for your Application

When it comes to application development, be it for mobile or web, it is imperative to select the right technology stack.

In fact, the wrong choice of technology can easily lead to disaster at a later stage of the development process.

Therefore, it’s always recommended to rely on the experts when picking the technology stack for your application.

You see, the right software application development partner can help you identify the right tools, technologies, and programming languages based on the specifics of your project.

“But how exactly do they identify the right tech stack for each project?”

If you’re also wondering the same thing, today we’re going to reveal the actual process that technology experts follow to identify the right tech stack.

Below, you will learn what factors technology experts and app developers keep in mind while making the technology stack selection.

With that being said, let’s dive right in!

What is a Technology Stack?

Now you might already have a general idea about what a technology stack is, but for the sake of complete clarity, let’s go over it once.

A technology stack is basically a combination of frameworks, libraries, tools, programming languages, and technologies used together for application development.

In simple words, a technology stack comprises of the following 3 layers:

• Front-end – Also known as client-side, front-end is where the user interaction part is carried out. In other words, the front-end is what users see and interacts with your application.
• Back-end – As the name suggests, the back-end is not visible to end-users and is the engine that drives an application. It generally comprises of a database as well as servers with application logic.
• Middleware – The middleware layer in a technology stack usually consists of APIs, external servers, and content management systems that support the communication between the front-end and the back-end.

So now that we’ve studied the basics of the technology stack, let’s move forward and see the simple process technology experts follow to pick the right tech stack.

Technology Stack Selection Process

Back in the old days, choosing a technology stack was easier. There were fewer options and thus the selection didn’t always require an expert’s opinion.

Today, however, there is a wide range of options available for technology, frameworks, and libraries. In addition, the complexity of applications has also increased.

As a result, the non-technical founders and business owners often get confused as to which set of tools, frameworks, and technology would be right for their application.

Fortunately, today we’ve revealed the exact process technology experts use to identify the right tech stack for each project.

And the best part?

Most application development projects require only 4 factors to be considered to identify the right technology stack.

We’ve explained each of these 4 factors below in detail.

1 – Project Size

Your application project size is the first factor that you need to consider in order to identify the right technology stack.

Typically, all projects generally fall under one of the following three categories.

• Small-Size – Small-size projects generally include a very basic application with 1 to 4 basic features, which can be built easily.
• Medium-Size – Medium-size projects are usually a bit complex compared to the small-size projects. Personal finance app or eCommerce apps can fall under the medium-size project category.
• Large-Size – As you might have guessed, large-size projects have lots of high-complexity features and thus they require modern technology stack. Social network app or enterprise apps can fall under the large-size projects category.

So, depending on the number of features and their complexity, you need to decide which category does your application falls into.

2 – Time-to-Market 

The next factor that technology experts consider for identifying a tech stack is the time-to-market factor.

Time-to-market is basically the time period between an application idea to the launch. Now, if you need to launch really quickly, then choosing a technology stack that facilitates code reuse and faster development speed makes more sense.

On the other hand, if time-to-market is not a big deal, then you should go with a technology stack that can handle help you build a powerful application that can last longer.

3 – Development Cost

The choice of technology stack directly influences the cost of your application development.

The general rule of thumb is the more advanced and modern tool, framework, or technology, the higher the cost of the app development.

So, if you have a limited budget, then you need to be upfront about it with your development partner. Based on your given budget, technology experts can suggest different options for the tech stack that could be used.

These experts identify the budget-friendly options by taking into account different criteria such as the scope of your app, user needs, UI/UX requirements, and complexity of features.

4 – Scalability

Choosing a scalable technology stack is crucial for startups and businesses to meet the growing demand in the future.

So, when picking a tool, framework, technology, or even a third-part library, make sure to inspect its vertical and horizontal scalability competence.

Vertical scalability is basically about whether a technology stack can handle new features being added later into your application.

Similarly, the horizontal scalability is about whether a technology stack can handle a sudden spike in the number of users smoothly.

Both of these criteria are extremely important and must be taken into consideration while picking a technology stack.

5 – Security

Thanks to the increasing number of cyberattacks happening around the world, security has become the top-most concern among application users nowadays.

In fact, a small security breach could cost your company thousands if not millions of dollars.

So, it’s critical to follow all security guidelines while developing your application. You see, almost all the latest and popular technologies provide a comprehensive security guidelines instruction document.

All you need to do is, make sure that your hired web or mobile application development partner follows each guideline thoroughly when developing your app.

Conclusion

So these are the most important factors that all technology experts consider for identifying the right technology stack for each project.

Now, remember, selecting the right technology stack cannot guarantee the success of your application. You also need a team of highly-experienced and expert developers to squeeze out the best application for your business.

So, apart from choosing the right technology stack, make sure you also hire only the best app developers for the successful development of your app.