10 Top SaaS Development Frameworks in 2024

Are you looking to develop a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) application in 2023? There’s no reason why you shouldn’t be. 

SaaS applications offer many benefits, such as easy access, lower cost, reduced time to market, etc. 

But that’s only if you choose the right SaaS development framework.

The right framework provides a well-established architecture, efficient development tools, and a robust set of functionalities, all of which can save you time and effort and ensure that you reap all the benefits SaaS has to offer.

But with so many options available, finding the right SaaS development framework can get overwhelming. 

That's why we are here.

In this article, we list the top SaaS development frameworks in 2023 along with their benefits and use cases, as well as show you what to consider when deciding on what the best framework is for you. 

What Is SaaS Development Framework?

A SaaS development framework is a structure that simplifies the web application development process. 

It includes a set of modules for application design, database management, security, and user authentication.

Software developers can build upon these modules, each of which is optimized for the unique requirements of SaaS applications, to develop them. For example, the database management module handles large volumes of real-time data which is typically a must in SaaS applications.

What to Look For in a SaaS Development Framework?

When you're looking for a SaaS development framework, there are a lot of factors to consider, including the programming language or how secure the development framework is.

Here are some of the most important factors you need to take into account regarding SaaS development frameworks:

• Scalability: If you’re unable to scale your SaaS application according to your company’s needs, it will hinder its growth. That’s why you will need a SaaS development framework that allows your application to scale with your business.
• Security: According to CrowdStrike’s 2023 Global Threat Report, there was a 95% increase in cloud exploitation in 2022. That’s why, you must look for a SaaS framework with built-in security features to prevent cyberattacks on your products. They should have built-in security features such as authentication, authorization and access control mechanisms, encryption, data validation, and auditing and logging systems.

• Programming Language: The easier the programming language upon which the SaaS framework is built, the faster will developers get acquainted with it. This will allow the developers to focus on developing the app instead of spending time learning the language first.
• Integration: The framework you select should integrate with your existing IT infrastructure and technologies without extensive modifications.
• Community Support: You need to know that you can get help whenever needed and that’s what a strong community can offer you.
• Cost: Some frameworks are free to use and some require a license. Consider these license fees according to your budget, as they can add up to the SaaS development cost influence your product development roadmap.

How Can a SaaS Framework Benefit Your Business?

SaaS development frameworks can offer many benefits to businesses of all sizes. Here are some ways a SaaS framework can benefit your business:

• Improved Scalability: A SaaS development framework lets you easily adapt to the growing needs of your business without requiring significant changes to the infrastructure.
• Advanced Security: SaaS frameworks offer multiple layers of security measures to protect your data and applications from unauthorized access and cyber threats.
• Enhanced Flexibility: SaaS frameworks provide the flexibility to customize and integrate third-party tools as per the unique requirements of your business.
• Simplified Updates and Maintenance: SaaS frameworks simplify the process of updates and maintenance, as you don’t have to update each application separately.
• Reduced Time to Market: With the help of pre-built modules, SaaS frameworks enable faster development and deployment of applications, reducing the time-to-market.
• Simplified API Integrations: SaaS frameworks simplify the integration of APIs, allowing your applications to seamlessly connect and interact with other platforms and services.

10 Top SaaS Development Frameworks

Every SaaS development framework has its strengths and weaknesses, and selecting the right one for your project is crucial.

Hence, taking the time to carefully evaluate and compare different SaaS development frameworks can help you make an informed decision and ensure the success of your project in the long run. 

Here are the top 10 SaaS development frameworks you can choose from:

#1. Angular

Angular is an open-source JavaScript framework developed by Google. It has received 87.4K stars on GitHub, and around 2.8 million people use Angular today. 

One of the biggest reasons why custom software developers consider Angular one of the top SaaS development frameworks is its ability to easily handle complex applications.

Angular has a micro-services architecture, which means developers can create small reusable components and manage them independently. This helps manage complex applications easier, making it an excellent choice. In fact, a Stack Overflow survey of 80,000 developers shows that Angular is the third most preferred web development framework by professional developers.

Besides, Angular also has many other features and benefits, such as:

• Two-Way Data Binding: Angular JS synchronizes data between models and views easily with two-way data binding.
• Dependency Injection: Angular uses dependency injection to simplify managing and organizing dependencies between different components.
• Modular Architecture: AngularJS’s modular architecture makes it easier to develop and maintain large web applications.

‍

Angular Use Cases

• Enterprise Web Applications: Angular is a perfect choice for building large-scale enterprise web applications with complex features and functionalities because of its modular architecture. Google uses Angular for public-facing applications and sites like Google Cloud Platform and AdWords. Google also uses Angular for its smart assistant.
• Travel: Travel apps must be dynamic and appealing, and the Angular JS framework can help. Hence, JetBlue, a famous American travel brand catering to around 35 million passengers annually, uses Angular to build appealing user interfaces.

#2. Node.js

Node.js is a popular SaaS development framework that allows developers to build scalable and high-performance applications using JavaScript on the server side. It has received over 94.5K stars on GitHub, a testament to its popularity and developer community.

Node.js is one of the best development frameworks because of its lightweight architecture, event-driven and non-blocking Input/Output (I/O) model, and the vast ecosystem of modules and packages available through the Node Package Manager (NPM).

Some benefits of the Node.js SaaS development framework are:

• Non-Blocking I/O Model: Node.js uses an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model, which allows it to handle large volumes of data and scale applications horizontally. This means that the application thread will return to the thread pool for further use instead of getting blocked during the request if something goes wrong.
• Vast-Array of Modules: Mode.js is a rich library ecosystem, which includes modules for everything from database connectivity to authentication and authorization.
• High Compatibility: Node.js’s compatibility with multiple operating systems allows developers to build SaaS applications that run on any platform.

Node.js Use Cases

• Payment Platform: Since Node.js can handle a lot of data, it has become a go-to option for payment platforms like PayPal. PayPal uses Node.js, and when it began using the framework, it built the app almost twice as fast, with fewer people and 33% fewer lines of code.
• Streaming Services: Streaming service providers like Netflix can use the Node.js framework. Netflix’s new app using Node.js launches faster than the previous one, reducing launch time by 70%.

#3. Vue.js

Vue.js is an open-source JavaScript framework for building user interfaces and single-page applications (SPAs). Evan You developed Vue.js in 2014. The framework has gained immense popularity in the web development community since then, with over 203K stars on GitHub.

Vue.js allows developers to create reusable components and easily manage state and data flow. With Vue.js, developers can easily create complex UI elements and interactive features, making it ideal for SaaS applications that require a dynamic and engaging user experience.

Some of the critical benefits of Vue.js include the following:

• Reactive Data Binding: Vue.js allows for seamless synchronization between the model and the view, ensuring changes in the model are immediately reflected in the view.
• Component-Based Architecture: Vue.js is designed to be modular and component-based, making it easy to reuse code and build complex applications.
• Performance: Vue.js is lightweight and fast, which makes it ideal for building high-performance applications.

‍

Vue.js Use Cases

• Software Development Platforms: A software development company can use Vue.js to automate workflows using DevSecOps. For instance, GitLab uses the Vue.js SaaS development framework because of its simplicity and the ability to do more in less code.
• Trading Platform: Bitpanda, a cryptocurrency trading platform, uses Vue.js’s virtual DOM and data binding features for real-time price changes.

#4. ReactJS

With over 206K stars on GitHub, ReactJS is another open-source SaaS development framework by Facebook. According to data from BuiltWith, over 17 million websites use the ReactJS framework.

Many popular websites and web applications, including Slack, Asana, HubSpot, Discord, etc., use the ReactJS framework.

Some of the key features and benefits of the ReactJS framework include:

• Component-Based Architecture: ReactJS uses a component-based architecture that makes it easy to reuse code and improve application performance.
• JSX: ReactJS has JSX support that lets developers create beautiful designs with HTML-like syntax.
• Unidirectional Data Flow: ReactJS allows a unidirectional data flow, which helps to reduce bugs and make the code easier to maintain.

‍

ReactJS Use Cases

• Social Media Platforms: It is no surprise that since Meta developed this framework, both Facebook and Instagram apps have used ReactJS.
• Online Rentals: Airbnb uses ReactJS for its front-end development to create a seamless user experience for its customers.
• Cloud Storage: Dropbox uses ReactJS for its web client, which allows users to access their files from any device with an internet connection.

‍

#5. Laravel

The Laravel development framework is based on the PHP programming language. It is an open-source and cross-platform framework with over 73K stars on GitHub. Developed by Taylor Otwell, Laravel was intended to build applications with Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture.

Thanks to its vast ecosystem, Laravel lets developers quickly scale a SaaS application by adding predefined packages. It also offers flexibility on whether you want to build a monolith or microservices application.

Some other benefits of Laravel include the following:

• Multi-Tenancy Support: Laravel SaaS supports multi-tenant, which makes building applications that serve multiple customers with different requirements easy.
• User Authentication and Authorization: Laravel SaaS includes built-in user authentication and authorization support, allowing developers to secure their applications easily.
• Payment Processing: The framework integrates with various payment processing providers, making it easy to accept customer payments.

‍

Laravel Use Cases

• Billing Platform: Laravel Cashier is a package module inside Laravel. This framework helps manage Stripe’s subscription billing services.
• File Converter: File converter applications must be quick and dynamic, and Laravel’s lightweight framework serves this purpose. Convertio, a file converter, uses the Laravel framework’s web sockets to offer real-time file-converting experiences to customers.

#6. Symfony

Another PHP-based SaaS development framework, Symfony is a feature-rich backend framework. Symfony is an open-source framework published in 2005. It contains all the modules required to build a SaaS application, including all the Object Relational Mappings (ORMs), libraries, components, etc.

Here are some feature-based benefits of using Symfony throughout your SaaS development lifecycle:

• Model-View-Controller Architecture: Symfony provides a set of reusable components for reuse across different projects, reducing development time and SaaS product development costs.
• Independent Components: Symfony offers 30 independent components that are decoupled and reusable PHP libraries, serving as a solid foundation for any PHP project.
• Flexibility: Symfony is highly flexible and easily customizable. That’s why it is able to meet specific business requirements.

‍

Symfony Use Cases

• eCommerce: eCommerce company Thelia uses Symfony’s MVC architecture to build reusable microservices packages for its web application. It also uses flexible URI routing to manage users efficiently.
• Content Management Systems (CMS): Jarves is a CMS that uses Symfony with full RESTful API to build for building a friendly user interface. It also uses libraries, such as Composer and Propel.

#7. Docker

Docker is a containerization platform that allows developers to create, deploy, and run applications in a consistent and isolated environment.

With Docker, developers can create portable containers that can run on any operating system or infrastructure. This makes it an ideal choice for all kinds of SaaS ideas, where the application needs to be scalable and easily deployable.

Docker makes deploying applications on different platforms easy, including cloud providers like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. It also ensures that applications run consistently across different environments, reducing the risk of bugs and errors.

Some core benefits of Docker include:

• Isolation: Docker provides isolation between the application and the host system, ensuring that any issues with the application do not affect the latter.
• Version Control: Docker provides version control for applications, making it easy to roll back to a previous version in case of issues.
• Collaboration: Docker makes it easy for teams to collaborate on application development by providing a consistent environment.

Docker Use Cases

• eCommerce: Docker can help build a continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipeline. eBay uses Docker to build its CI/CD pipeline, which has reduced the time to deploy new code from days to minutes.
• Computer Software: Computer software companies like Adobe use Docker to provide their developers with a consistent and isolated development environment. The company also uses the Docker SaaS development framework to create and manage containers for their machine learning workflows.

#8. Django

With 69.8K stars on GitHub, Django is a Python-based web framework. It facilitates an environment to encourage rapid development and clean, pragmatic design. Per the recent Python Developers Survey 2020, Django ranks second in the most popular Python frameworks list.

Due to its rapid development and scalability capabilities, Django has become a natural choice for SaaS developments for Python developers. Django's modular architecture and plug-in system allow developers to customize and extend the framework to suit their needs easily.

Here are some feature-based benefits of Django:

• Object-Relational Mapping (ORM): Django uses ORM, which creates a bridge between the front-end and the relational database for seamless database management, allowing real-time data-based activities in any type of SaaS product you build.
• URL Routing: Django allows URL routing for handling user requests.
• Built-In Template Engines: Django uses its built-in template engines for designing and rendering web pages.

Django Use Cases

• eLearning Platforms: eLearning platforms must manage a massive database with all the study materials, staff information, course details, etc. Django’s ORM can help developers to manage extensive databases quickly. Hence, eLearning giants like Udemy use Django for their websites and web applications.
• Blogs: Django has a built-in content management administration interface, making it ideal for blogs. Even Google uses the Django framework for its blog.

#9. Express.js

Express.js is a widely used open-source SaaS development framework for building scalable and robust web applications. It is built on top of Node.js and provides a minimalist yet powerful set of features to create server-side web applications.

It is lightweight and fast, making it an ideal choice for building high-performance web applications. It also supports asynchronous programming, which allows developers to handle multiple requests simultaneously, resulting in faster response times.

Express.js offers a plethora of benefits, some of which are:

• Routing: Express.js allows for easy and flexible routing of HTTP requests to specific functions and middleware.
• Template Engines: Express.js supports a wide range of templating engines, making it easy to generate HTML pages dynamically.
• Error Handling: Express.js provides a robust error-handling mechanism, which helps developers catch and handle errors in a structured way.

Express.js Use Cases

• Financial Transactions: PayPal uses Express.js for building APIs for securing its financial transactions, as it comes with built-in features, such as CSRF protection and XSS prevention.
• App Development Platforms: SaaS app development platforms like Bubble use Express.js as a web framework and servers to allow customers to build SaaS apps, CRMs, dashboards, and many other applications without code.

Conclusion

Exploring the top SaaS development frameworks is a great way to kickstart your custom software development journey. 

By analyzing the features and benefits of popular frameworks such as Angular, Node.js, React, etc., you can determine the best fit for your project.

However, choosing the right development team is equally important.

MakeITSimple can provide a team of bespoke developers specializing in web applications, enterprise software, and app design.

Contact our experts today to start building your custom software solution.

Related Articles: 

8 Steps to Develop a SaaS MVP in 2023

How Much Does an MVP Cost in 2023? [Explained]

17 Steps for SaaS Product Development [W/ Tips & Examples]