PHP & Web Development Blogs

The following is a sponsored blogpost by Cloudways

Developing an application is not the sole thing you should bank on. You must strive to find the best hosting solution to deploy that application also. The application’s speed is dependent on the hosting provider, that is why I always advise you to go for the best hosting solution to get the ultimate app performance.

Now a days, it is a big challenge to choose any web hosting, as each hosting has its own pros and cons which you must know, before considering it finally for the deployment. I don’t recommend shared hosting for PHP/Laravel based applications, because you always get lot of server hassles like downtime, hacking, 500 errors, lousy support and other problems that are part and parcel of shared hosting.

For PHP applications, you must focus on more technical aspects like caching, configs, databases, etc. because these are essential performance points for any vanilla or framework-based PHP application. Additionally, if the app focuses on user engagement (for instance, ecommerce store), the hosting solution should be robust enough to handle spikes in traffic.

Here, I would like to introduce Cloudways PHP server hosting to you which provides easy, developer and designer friendly managed hosting platform. With Cloudways, you don't need to focus on PHP hosting, but must focus on building your application. You can easily launch cloud servers on five providers including DigitalOcean, Linode, Vultr, AWS and GCE.

Cloudways ThunderStack

Being a developer, you must be familiar with the concept of stack - an arrangement of technologies that form the underlying hosting solution.

To provide a blazing fast speed and a glitch-free performance, Cloudways has built a PHP stack, known as ThunderStack. This stack consists of technologies that offer maximum uptime and page load speed to all PHP applications. Check out the following visual representation of ThunderStack and the constituent technologies:





As you can see, ThunderStack comprises of a mix of static and dynamic caches with two web servers, Nginx and Apache. This combination ensures the ultimate experience for the users and visitors of your application.

Frameworks and CMS

The strength and popularity of PHP lies in the variety of frameworks and CMS it offers to the developers. Realizing this diversity, Cloudways offers a hassle-free installation of major PHP frameworks including Symfony, Laravel, CakePHP, Zend, and Codeigniter. Similarly, popular CMS such as WordPress, Bolt, Craft, October, Couch, and Coaster CMS - you can install these with the 1-click option. The best part is that if you have a framework or CMS that is not on the list, you can easily install it through Composer.

1-Click PHP Server & Application Installation

Setting up a stack on an unmanaged VPS could take an entire day!

When you opt for Cloudways managed cloud hosting, the entire process of setting up the server, installation of core PHP files and then the setup of the required framework is over in a matter of minutes.

Just sign up at Cloudways, choose your desired cloud provider, and select the PHP stack application.





As you can see, your LAMP stack is ready for business in minutes.

Many PHP applications fail because essential services are either turned off or not set up properly. Cloudways offers a centralized location where you can view and set the status of all essential services such as:



* Apache
* Elasticsearch
* Memcached
* MySQL
* PHP-FPM
* Nginx
* New Relic
* Redis
* Varnish





Similarly, you can manage SMTP add-ons without any fuss.

Staging Environment

With Cloudways, you can test your web applications for possible bugs and errors before taking it live.

Using the staging feature, developers can first deploy their web sites on test domains where they can analyze the applications performance and potential problems. This helps site administrators to fix those issues timely and view the application performance in real-time.

A default sub domain comes pre-installed with the newly launched application, making it easy for the administrators to test the applications on those testing subdomains. Overall, it's a great feature which helps developers know about the possible errors that may arise during the live deployment.

Pre-Installed Composer & Git

PHP development requires working with external libraries and packages. Suppose you are working with Laravel and you need to install an external package. Since Composer has become the standard way of installing packages, it comes preinstalled on the Cloudways platform. Just launch the application and start using Composer in your project.

Similarly, if you are familiar with Git and maintain your project on GitHub or BitBucket, you don’t need to worry about Git installation. Git also comes pre-configured on Cloudways. You can start running commands right after application launch.

Cloudways MySQL Manager

When you work with databases in PHP, you need a database manager. On the Cloudways platform, you will get a custom-built MySQL manager, in which you can perform all the tasks of a typical DB manager.




However, if you wish to install and use another database manager like PHPMyAdmin, you can install it by following this simple guide on installing PHPMyadmin.

Server & Application Level SSH

If you use Linux, you typically use SSH for accessing the server(s) and individual applications. A third-party developer requires application and server level access as per the requirements of the client. Cloudways offers SSH access to fit the requirements of the client and users.

PHP-FPM, Varnish & Cron Settings

Cloudways provides custom UI panel to set and maintain PHP-FPM and Varnish settings. Although the default configuration is already in place, you can easily change all the settings to suit your own, particular development related requirements. In Varnish settings, you can define URL that you want to exclude from caching. You can also set permissions in this panel.




Cron job is a very commonly used component of PHP application development process. On Cloudways platform, you can easily set up Cron jobs in just a few clicks. Just declare the PHP script URL and the time when the script will run.

Cloudways API & Personal Assistant Bot

Cloudways provides an internal API that offers all important aspects of the server and application management. Through Cloudways API, you can easily develop, integrate, automate, and manage your servers and web apps on Cloudways Platform using the RESTful API. Check out some of the use cases developed using Cloudways API. You just need your API key and email for authentication of the HTTP calls on API Playground and custom applications.




Cloudways employs a smart assistant named CloudwaysBot to notify all users about server and application level issues. CloudwaysBot sends the notifications on pre-approved channels including email, Slack and popular task management tools such as Asana and Trello.

Run Your APIs on PHP Stack

Do you have your own API which you want to run on the PHP stack? No problem, because you can do that, too with Cloudways! You can also use REST API like Slim, Silex, Lumen, and others. You can use APIs to speed up performance and require fast servers with lots of resources. So, if you think that your API response time is getting slower due to the large number of requests, you can easily scale your server(s) with a click to address the situation.

Team Collaboration

When you work on a large number of applications with multiple developers, you need to assign them on any specific application. Cloudways provides an awesome feature of team collaboration through which you can assign developers to specific application and give access to them. You can use this tool to assign one developer to multiple applications. Through team feature, you can connect the team together and work on single platform. Access can be of different type; i.e. billing, support and console. You can either give the full access or a limited one by selecting the features in Team tab.

Final Words

Managed cloud hosting ensures that you are not bothered by any hosting or server related issues. For practical purposes, this means that developers can concentrate on writing awesome code without worrying about underlying infrastructure and hosting related issues. Do sign up and check out Cloudways for the best and the most cost-effective cloud hosting solution for your next PHP project!

In today's digital age, where data breaches and cyber attacks are increasingly prevalent, safeguarding sensitive information is paramount. Cryptography, the art of secure communication, plays a crucial role in ensuring data confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity. Implementing cryptography in PHP, one of the most widely used server-side scripting languages, offers a robust means to protect your data. In this guide, we'll explore how to utilize cryptography effectively in PHP to enhance the security of your applications.

Understanding Cryptography Basics

Before diving into PHP implementations, it's essential to grasp the fundamental concepts of cryptography. At its core, cryptography involves techniques for encrypting plaintext data into ciphertext to conceal its meaning from unauthorized parties. Key aspects of cryptography include:
   
. Encryption: The process of converting plaintext data into ciphertext using an algorithm and a secret key. This ciphertext can only be decrypted back to its original form using the appropriate decryption key.
   
. Decryption: The reverse process of encryption, where ciphertext is transformed back into plaintext using the decryption algorithm and the correct key.
   
. Symmetric Encryption: A type of encryption where the same key is used for both encryption and decryption. Examples include AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) and DES (Data Encryption Standard).
   
. Asymmetric Encryption: Also known as public-key cryptography, it involves a pair of keys: a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption. RSA and ECC (Elliptic Curve Cryptography) are common asymmetric encryption algorithms.

Implementing Cryptography in PHP

PHP provides robust cryptographic functions through its OpenSSL and Mcrypt extensions, allowing developers to implement various encryption techniques easily. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to perform common cryptographic operations in PHP:

1. Symmetric Encryption

<?php
$encryptionKey = openssl_random_pseudo_bytes(32);

$plaintext = "Sensitive data to encrypt";
$ciphertext = openssl_encrypt($plaintext, 'aes-256-cbc', $encryptionKey, 0, $iv);

$decryptedText = openssl_decrypt($ciphertext, 'aes-256-cbc', $encryptionKey, 0, $iv);

echo $decryptedText;
?>

2. Asymmetric Encryption

<?php
$config = array(
 "digest_alg" => "sha512",
 "private_key_bits" => 4096,
 "private_key_type" => OPENSSL_KEYTYPE_RSA,
);
$keyPair = openssl_pkey_new($config);

openssl_pkey_export($keyPair, $privateKey);
$publicKey = openssl_pkey_get_details($keyPair)["key"];

$plaintext = "Confidential message";
openssl_public_encrypt($plaintext, $encrypted, $publicKey);

openssl_private_decrypt($encrypted, $decrypted, $privateKey);

echo $decrypted;
?>

Best Practices for Cryptography in PHP

While implementing cryptography in PHP, it's essential to adhere to best practices to ensure maximum security:
   
. Use Strong Algorithms: Always use widely recognized cryptographic algorithms like AES for symmetric encryption and RSA for asymmetric encryption.
   
. Key Management: Safeguard encryption keys carefully. Utilize secure key management practices, such as storing keys in secure vaults and rotating them regularly.
   
. Data Integrity: Implement mechanisms to verify data integrity, such as HMAC (Hash-based Message Authentication Code), to detect tampering attempts.
   
. Secure Communication: When transmitting encrypted data over networks, use secure protocols like HTTPS to prevent eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks.
   
. Stay Updated: Keep PHP and cryptographic libraries up to date to patch any security vulnerabilities and ensure compatibility with the latest cryptographic standards.

By following these guidelines and leveraging the cryptographic capabilities of PHP, developers can strengthen the security posture of their applications and protect sensitive data from unauthorized access. Remember, effective cryptography is not just about encryption but also encompasses key management, integrity verification, and secure communication practices. With diligence and proper implementation, PHP can be a powerful tool for building secure and resilient systems in today's digital landscape.

For any development project to be successful, it’s important to choose the right technology and programming language. Most of the time, developers get confused about which programming language to choose.

Nowadays, PHP and Python have gained popularity among the programming languages for web development projects. However, choosing one between PHP vs Python is a difficult task. Recently, this has become a good topic for discussion.

Here, in this blog, we will compare the two popular programming languages: PHP vs Python. Let’s see which one turns out to be the best choice for web development.

What is Python?

Python is an open-source programming language developed in the year 1991 by Guido Van Rossum. It is one of the most commonly used languages due to its high level and easy-to-understand syntax.

According to the survey by Stack Overflow, Python is one of the most preferred programming languages. These Python app examples highlight its robustness and suitability for building scalable and innovative solutions across different platforms. Most of the companies and developers around the world are using Python web development.

What is PHP?

PHP or Hypertext Pre-processor, is an open-source server scripting language that is used for creating interactive and engaging web pages. This programming language comes with many features, libraries, plugins, and add-ons that increase community support and functionalities.

PHP language was developed by Rasmus Lerdorf in the year 1995. Earlier, PHP was named as Personal Home Page, which was later changed to Hypertext Pre-processor. An advantage of using PHP language is it supports all web browsers.

PHP is a practical, flexible, and fast programming language that can handle dynamic content on HTML sites, session tracking, and databases.

Features: PHP vs Python

PHP

* Open-source language, anyone can download and use it for free.
* PHP is easy to use and code than other programming languages.
* It is more efficient than other scripting languages like ASP and JSP.
* Offers access to log in by creating a summary of the recent user accesses.
* Provides database integration and supports distinct databases such as MySQL and Oracle.
* It has predefined error-reporting constants that generate warning or error messages.

Python

* Python is an easy-to-learn programming language.
* Provides an ideal structure and support for large applications.
* It can operate on different hardware platforms utilizing the same user interface.
* Python can be integrated with C, C++, and Java programming code.
* It’s easy to incorporate low-level modules in Python interpreter.
* Python offers high-level dynamic types of data and support for dynamic type checking.
* Its features support automatic garbage collection.
* It supports an interactive mode of testing and debugging.

Pros and Cons: PHP vs Python

Here, we will compare the pros and cons of PHP vs python for web development.

Pros of PHP

* Has a large ecosystem.
* Flexible and platform-independent.
* Several open-source PHP frameworks are available to use for free.
* Offers many pluggable frameworks, Open-source and object-oriented.
* Supports different database interfaces such as No SQL, PostgreSQL, and so on.
* It is supported by many operating systems and works cross-platform.
* Encourages top-notch debugging.
* Provides in-built SQL support.
* Offers support for database collection modules.
* It supports all operating systems like Windows, Linux, and UNIX.

Cons of PHP

* Delayed and wired performance.
* Not apt for content-based applications.
* Utilizes weak typing that can lead to false knowledge and data to users.
* Its core behavior can’t be changed.
* There’s no IOT alliance.
* Fewer security protocols and features.

Pros of Python

* Easy to learn and maintain.
* An open-source and uniformly unfolding language.
* Enables cross-platform code reusability.
* Object-oriented and versatile language to deploy.
* Offers WORA functionality.
* Helps in developing GUI apps.
* Has automatic garbage collection.
* It can be integrated easily with other languages, such as Java or C++.
* Provides libraries like Tenseorflow for math-intensive tasks.

Cons of Python

* Creates delays in web app testing.
* It utilizes an enormous amount of memory to help developers in easy development.
* Operates slower than other web development languages.
* Not of much use in mobile computing browsers and mobile app development.
* It has dynamic typing, which makes error detection more difficult.
* It’s too large for a simple and small app or website.
* Run time errors occurs due to duck typing.

When Should You Select PHP?

PHP is a commonly used server-side scripting language among developers. The best use cases in which you should select PHP:
* For developing blogs, websites, and web applications.
* Work effectively on the server side.
* Less investment.

When Should You Select Python?

* Python programming language has gained popularity in recent times. Below we have given some of the best cases in which you should choose Python.
* For operating in the areas of robotics and data science.
* When you want accurate and extensive data analytics.
* Developing websites using the Django framework.

Why opt for PHP?

Here, we will give you some reasons why you should opt for the PHP programming language.
* Open-source language, easy to download and use.
* Easy to learn and operates effectively on the server side.
* This scripting language can run on distinct platforms such as Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and UNIX.
* It’s compatible with every server, like IIS, Apaches, and so on.
* Supports a broad range of databases.

Why opt for Python?

As you know, there are many advantages and disadvantages of using Python. Here, we will tell you why you should choose Python for web development.
* Python language is easy to use and maintain.
* Python syntax is quick to understand and debug as well. Therefore, its source code is easier to maintain.
* It has a garbage collection feature and memory addresses accordingly.
* It comes with many pre-built libraries.
* Python supports GUI apps such as Django, Tkinter, WXPython, etc.
* It’s a versatile and portable language. You can run Python on different types of operating systems or platforms.
* Python comes with a database-friendly interface that can store a colossal amount of data for commercial DBMS systems.
* It has an interactive shell that helps in unit testing before deploying a product.

Comparison: PHP vs Python

Above, we have given the features and pros & cons of PHP vs Python. In this section, we will give you a comparison between PHP vs Python in accordance with different parameters.

Parameters
Python
PHP
Release
    .
    .
Learning curve
Easier
Steep
Language type
Specialized for web development
General purpose programming language
Syntax
Clear & concise
Complex
Security
High
Medium
Readability
High
Low
Database connectivity
Faster
Slower
Debugging
Fast
Slower
Performance
Lesser support
Faster
Supported Frameworks
Flask, Django, Web2Py
Laravel, Zend, Codelgniter
GitHub Stars
    . 9k
    . 5k
TIOBE Rating
    . st position
    . th position
Forks
    . 5 k
    . 9k
Major Users
Instagram, YouTube, Quora, Reddit
Facebook, Yahoo, Flickr, Tumblr


This comprehensive comparison between PHP vs Python can help you to choose the right language for web development. Now, we will compare some other elements that would give you a clear picture of both PHP vs Python.

1. Ease of Learning

Python is an easier language to learn compared to PHP. If you are a beginner, then Python is a good choice as you can learn it quickly. Python programs are shorter as well as easy to write in comparison to other languages.

PHP programming language is made for creating sophisticated web apps. It’s not a general-purpose language, and it takes time to learn it.

2. Ease of Use

Python is an open-source programming language that is versatile and portable. Python’s syntax is simple, and coding is easy to learn compared to PHP. But PHP is not just an ordinary programming language it’s used for creating dynamic web pages with HTML. This makes PHP more difficult to use than Python.

3. Community Support

Both PHP and Python provide good community support. PHP has been in the market for a long time and has a large community of developers. Therefore, you can immediately get support if you opt for PHP.

However, there are even many Python developers who constantly develop python apps. So, the community support in Python is also good. Consequently, we can’t say whether PHP or Python is better at providing community support.

4. Flexibility

Nowadays, web apps backed by Machine Learning are in high demand. Also, ML is a significant part of Python. Python provides many machine-learning libraries, such as Tensorflow, Theano, Pandas, and Scikit-learn. Additionally, these libraries are rapid, unique, & robust and work effectively with a web framework.

Nonetheless, Python programming language can be used in many other fields apart from web development. But when it comes to PHP, it’s best for web development. Therefore, we can say Python is a better choice here.

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5. Speed to Market

Python provides a comprehensive set of modules and third-party libraries to help developers finish the project faster. One of the popular web frameworks written in Python is Django. It utilizes the MVC pattern to allow developers to create apps fast using a significant division of concerns and reusability.

PHP also has a vast set of tools, frameworks, and libraries. Laravel is a popular PHP framework that allows the MVC pattern. Additionally, it comes with many helpful functionalities for web development, like routing, templating, authentication, and so on.

6. Web Frameworks

You get robust and well-designed web development frameworks both in PHP and Python. Most of the big businesses utilize web frameworks that PHP provides. For example, Laravel and Symfony are mature web frameworks, and a huge community supports them. So, we can say PHP makes web development easy.

Python also has many exceptional frameworks that are highly scalable, easy to use, fast and secure. It’s two most popular web frameworks are Flask and Django. If you want a shorter development period, then you can choose Django over PHP-based frameworks.

7. Library Management

Python uses Pip to handle and deal with packages. Pip ensures that Python app development is easy, rapid, and meets development needs. Python has powerful library management compared to PHP. It has a wide range of packages and tools that assist and make web app development easier. So, in terms of library management, Python clearly wins it.

8. Security

When it comes to security, most businesses prefer using Python. For instance, Django offers many pre-built security features that aid in safeguarding the apps from distinct security breaches & threats.

Apart from that, many government organizations rely on Python as their secret hacking tool. Most of the security problems are addressed by its large community support. However, PHP is less strong than Python in aspects of security.

9. Environment Management

In terms of handling environments, Python is the best programming language. It has a Virtualenv system that aids in installing different versions of the language and switching between them immediately.
PHP has no comparison with Python when it comes to handling environments. There’s an analog of PHP, VirtPHP, but it’s archived and not maintained. Therefore, most of the developers opt for Python.

10. Debugging

Python has an in-built debugger called Python Debugger or PDB. It utilizes many debugging strategies. PDB enables dynamic typing and lets developers work effortlessly without stating things at the start of a program.
PHP also comes with an XDebug package for handling bugs and error-checking the codes. But PHP development is quite slow in identifying and removing bugs. Therefore, it often experiences security issues.

The Bottom Line PHP vs Python: Which One You Choose for Web Development?

From the blog, you must have inferred that both PHP and Python are good for web development. However, there are many aspects in which Python wins over PHP. But this doesn’t mean that you only have to opt for Python. The selection of programming language majorly depends on the complexity and needs of the project.

Sphinx Solutions is a leading and trusted web app development company. Our team of web developers can help you create the best web apps for your business based on your specifications. Schedule a call with our experts to get an estimation for your web app development project, or email us at [email protected].

PHP vs Python: FAQs

1. Why choose Python over PHP?
Python is chosen over PHP for web app development due to many reasons, such as ease to use, simple syntax, flexibility, security, high performance, etc.
2. Which programming language is secure: PHP vs Python?
Python is a preferred programming language when it comes to security as it has many security features compared to PHP.
3. Why is Python used mostly?
Python is a general-purpose programming language and is utilized in web development, mobile app development, AI, ML, game development, big data, and so on.
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Today’s digital transformation has significantly empowered every company to produce accurate information at all touch points. Whether it’s a large-scale enterprise or a small private venture, every organization irrespective of all sizes needs proper web app development services to build a sophisticated database for storing and managing its data. Examples of web applications include customer relationship management (CRM) systems, project management tools, and e-commerce platforms. These custom software developers play a crucial role in tailoring web applications to meet specific business needs, ensuring seamless integration and optimal functionality.

A database is a set of a vast range of structured & unstructured data stored in a system and adequately managed through DBMS or Database Management System. The data stored in the database is highly sensitive, hence companies need to be careful while accessing any data or information.

When considering the development of web applications, partnering with a reputable web development firm is essential to ensure the seamless integration and efficient management of databases. A skilled web development firm possesses the expertise to optimize database systems, enhancing data organization, security, and retrieval processes for an enhanced user experience. In this article, we will delve into the top database solutions for web applications in 2024 and explore the advantages they bring to the forefront of modern software development.

Types of Databases For Web Applications

Depending on your business model, industry domain, and other factors, your business application system will have certain requirements. Different databases types are used for different enterprise requirements. However, the database is technically divided into two types: SQL & NoSQL.

SQL or Structured Query Language is a relational database that comes with a relational structure. This is used for managing structured data only. On the other hand, the NoSQL database doesn’t have any relational structure & they are used to store unstructured data types. For your convenience, we have shared a complete comparison of both databases below.

SQL Databases
NoSQL Databases
Mix of proprietary & open-source
Open source database
Comes with rational structure
No rational structure
Ideal for managing structured data
Best for storing unstructured & semi-structured data
Vertically scalable
Horizontally scalable
Examples: MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, etc
Examples: MongoDB, Cassandra, Firebase, etc

Enterprises have deeply relied on SQL to manage all their databases in web apps, but as cloud, microservices & distributed applications become popular, there are NoSQL options also available. Before you choose the right database, you must consider a number of factors such as size, structure & scalability requirements. Apart from that, you need to consider some of the following questions also:
* What type of data structure do you need?
* What is the amount of data you want to store?
* What is your total budget?
* Does it allow for support contracts & software licenses?
* What is the requirement for your data security?
* What third-party tools do you want to add to your database?

Best Databases For Web Applications In 2024

Finding out the right database option for a web app development may impact the scalability and success of any project. With too many options available, it’s quite challenging to select which one is the best for you. 2024’s widely-popular databases include:

1. MySQL:

MySQL is one of the best open-source relational databases developed by Oracle Corporation in 1995. According to the Stack Overflow developer survey, this database was used by 46.8% as of 2022. The robustness, maturity, and stability of this database make it perfect for web applications. Moreover, MySQL database uses a structured language & written in C & C++.
Latest version: MySQL 8.0.33

Key features of MySQL database include:
* Easy to deploy & manage
* It supports Consistency, Atomicity, Isolation & Durability
* It’s an RDBMS or Relational Database Management System
* Provides fast-loading utilities with several memory caches to maintain servers
* Offers top-notch results without compromising any functionality
* Contains solid Data Security layers to offer complete security solutions

2. PostgreSQL:

Launched in 1996, PostgreSQL is also a very popular database used as a data warehouse or primary data store for web, analytics, geospatial and mobile applications. This is also an open-source SQL-based RDBMS (relational database management system) that supports C, C++, C#, Ruby, Java, Python, and other programming languages. This agile database is compatible with different OSs such as Windows, Linux, Unix, MacOSX, etc.
Latest version: PostgreSQL 15.3

Key features of the PostgreSQL database include
* Houses different constraints such as primary keys, foreign keys, exclusion constraints, explicit locks, advisory locks, etc
* Supports different SQL features like SQL Sub-selects, Multi-Version Concurrency Control,
* Streaming Replication, complex queries, etc.
* Compatible with different data types like Structured, Customizations, Primitives, Geometry & Documents.
* Supports MVCC or multi-version concurrency control

3. Microsoft SQL Server:

Launched in 1989, Microsoft SQL Server is a powerful RDBMS used for transaction processing, analytics applications, and business intelligence in IT environments. It comes with built-in intelligence & enables businesses to boost their performance, security, and availability seamlessly. MS SQL Server comes in different editions with authentication & security features.
Latest version: Microsoft SQL Server 2022

Key features of the Microsoft SQL Server database include:
* Available on both Linux & Windows platforms
* Supports semi-structured, structured, and spatial data
* It has a custom-built graphical integration
* Helps users build different designs and tables without syntax
* Comes with several features for protection, monitoring, and data classification
* Gives alerts on security gaps, misconfigurations & suspicious activities

4. MongoDB:

MongoDB is a document-oriented open-source NoSQL database used for high-volume data storage. Written in JavaScript, C++, and Python, this is a very flexible and scalable database platform that removes relational DB approaches. MongoDB offers a high level of flexibility through load balancing and horizontal scaling capacities. This is a perfect option for web apps that need high performance.
Latest version: MongoDB 6.0.5

Key features of the MongoDB database include:
* Effectively supports ad hoc queries
* Highly scalable & flexible database
* Offers schema-less database
* Appropriate indexing for query executions
* Replication for data availability & stability

5. Oracle:

Oracle is a very popular RDBMS that is known for its high-performance and cost-optimization solutions. This is a commercial relational database written in C, C++ & Java. Oracle comes with a relational database architecture that offers an easy, scalable, performant solution for accessing, defining, and managing data.
Latest version: Oracle 21c

Key features of the Oracle database include:
* Executes fast backup & recovery
* Provides multiple database support
* Offers superior scalability
* Offers better user controls and identity management
* Utilizes a single database for every data type

6. Redis:

Redis stands for Remote Dictionary Server and is a widely-used open-source database used for web applications and cache management. Redis can also be used with different streaming solutions like Amazon Kinesis & Apache Kafka to analyze & process real-time data.

This database also supports different data structures like lists, streams, bitmaps, strings, maps, and so on. Because of its high performance, Redis is vastly used in many sectors such as IoT, Gaming, Financial Services, etc.
Latest version: Redis 7.0.11

Key features of the Redis database include:
* Provides premium speed with improved caching & in-memory capabilities.
* Supports a variety of data structures (strings, hashes, lists, bitmaps, HyperLogLogs, etc)
* Compatible with different languages (Java, PHP, Python, C, C#, C++, etc)
* Offers quick access to data for training, deploying, and developing applications

7. Cassandra:

Released in 2008, Cassandra is a distributed open-source NoSQL database that effectively manages vast amounts of data. It provides excellent scalability that supports multi-datacenter replication and automatic data replication. Cassandra database is ideal for applications that need prompt data access with high performance.
Latest version: Cassandra 4.1.0

Key features of the Cassandra database include:
* Easy to scale
* Highly scalable & comes with strong architecture
* Offers flexibility for data distribution
* Faster linear-scale performance
* Very flexible data storage
* Supports properties like Consistency, Atomicity, Isolation, and Durability

How Much Does The Web Application Database Cost?

In general, the average web app development cost ranges from $5,000 to $100,000. However, this cost depends on too many parameters like web app database complexity, features & functionalities, backend infrastructure, etc.

If you want to get a proper estimation of your web database application cost, you can take advantage of a web app cost calculator. For your convenience, we have listed the average web application development costs based on their categories.
Factors
Basic Web Apps
Medium Apps
Complex Apps
Highly Complex Apps
Estimated cost
$3,000 to $15,000
$15,000 to $60,000
$60,000 to $2,50,000
More than $250,000
Timeline
    . to 5 weeks
    . to 20 weeks
    . to 25 weeks
More than 9 months
Features
Simple landing page
Static content
Landing page
Database integration
Admin panel
User accounts
Online payment options
Third-party integrations
Landing page
Huge database integration
Admin panel
Multipleuser accounts
Online Payment options
Third-party integrations
Personalized features
Landing page
Top-notch database integration
Admin panel
Customized features
Examples
Online brochures
Portfolio
websites
MVP
Web portals
E-commerce websites
Online gaming sites with animation
Web applications for businesses
Automated billing systems
Human resources management system (HRMS)
Complex ecommerce websites
Custom web apps
On-demand web apps
App for complex businesses
High-end features with AI/ML integration
Custom web apps

Final Words

In the past, the process of selecting a database web application was straightforward. However, in this modern era of software development, this process has become very intrinsic as too many options are available today and the business requirements have also transformed.

For a business that works with small apps, NoSQL databases like MongoDB can be the best choice & for managing large & complex applications, databases like MySQL, MS SQL Server, and PostgreSQL can be the right choice. Would you like to know more about web applications with databases? Talk to our experts today.

You've built an amazing website, but how do you make sure people can find your site via search engines? In this article we cover 10 best practices to make sure your article not only stands out, but ranks well with search engines.

1. Take time to research keywords

To determine the best keywords for your site, you'll need to do some keyword research. This usually consists of combing through your competitors' sites for the keywords that are driving them the most traffic. There are several ways you can get started with keyword research. One recommended way is to create a spreadsheet with your competitors' sites listed and add keywords that you can copy and paste your competitors' keywords into Google's Keyword Tool and Google Webmaster Tools Keyword Analyzer tool. Analyze your competition's site's website titles to find out what keywords they are using tools such as Ahrefs, Moz, SpyFu, or SEMrush to find out what keywords others are using on your competitor's site.

2. Focus on your Title tag

This is the headline for every article. It needs to be bold and attention grabbing so it can catch the eye of potential users. Pick it somewhere around 60-90 characters to make sure it is displayed properly in search engines as well as readable in the browser tab. As you write your title, focus on the unique keywords your readers are likely to search for. Also make sure that the keywords you select are relevant to your page. Another good practice is to make the title tag and your header (h1) the same.

3. Carefully craft your H1, H2, H3 tags

Careful usage of header tags helps search engines identify keywords within your page. To get the best results from your header tags, use H1, H2, and H3 in order with keywords in your H2 and H3 headers that support your H1 tag. Remember, your H1 tag should mimic your title tag, whereas the H2 and H3 can expand and add additional context. You can also utilize multiple H2 and H3 tags, however be sure that these headers are supporting the H1 tag and relevant to the content on your page. Using irrelevant header keywords can actually work to your disadvantage.

4. Avoid loading content with JavaScript

Despite it's popularity, JavaScript is not yet well supported by search engines and can mask important content. Progressive Web Apps in particular can suffer as key content is loaded after the page is spidered, or in the case of many search engines that do not yet index JavaScript not loaded at all. This is also the case for many social media sites, meaning that content loaded dynamically is not evaluated or pulled in, resulting in the default skeleton of your site being what shows up in search engines and in link previews.

5. Carefully name images

In the past search engines would evaluate your images based on their alt tag, however as more and more developers loaded irrelevant keywords into this hidden image text search engines instead added more emphasis to the actual name of the image itself. This means using generic image names such as 1.jpg can actually hurt your site ranking as search engines might be looking for seokeywords.jpg. Now, just because you're carefully naming your images with relevant keywords describing the image doesn't mean you should ignore the alt tag. Be sure to continue to include alt tags for older search engines, in the case the image doesn't load, and for accessibility (ie screen readers).

6. Work to improve your page load time

It’s not a secret that faster sites rank higher in search engines. Most search engines use the PageSpeed Index from Google to determine the speed of websites. One thing Google looks at is how fast images are loading. For this reason, we recommend taking a look at how long it takes for the first image to load on your site or even take advantage of lazy loading for non-critical images. You want images to be loading within 30 seconds at the absolute latest, before the user can actually click on the page. You also need to make sure that if you're using multiple images that they load as one group. Next, take a look at how long it takes to load a webpage. Are pages taking longer than three seconds to load on your site? You want to have pages that load fast for users, but your code and templates can easily be causing this to happen.

7. Optimize text throughout your page

Beyond your title tag, headers, and images it's important to work keywords into your standard content, while also working to avoid overloading keywords. To help prevent overloading and increase search engine rankings across multiple keywords you can use alternative phrases. In the case of "PHP training" an alternative phrase might be "PHP tutorials" or "PHP course." This both helps support the primary keyword, while also allowing the page to rank for these keywords as well. Remember to use the tools referenced above to find the keywords that are right for your site, and then work them in to natural sentences without forcing keywords or becoming overly repetitive. Also keep in mind, just as important as the content and keywords on the page are to search engines, how users engage with that content is also critical. If your page experience's high bounce rates or low engagement with the content, it is likely to be deprioritized by search engines, meaning a page highly optimized for search engines but not humans may enjoy a higher ranking, but only for a short time before it is heavily penalized.

8. Build your Domain and Page Authority

Domain and Page Authority are determined not just by the number of back-links (or sites linking to your domain or page), but also the quality of the sites and pages linking to you. One practice that has made obtaining a better DA or PA harder has been purchasing or acquiring bulk back-links. Note this practice is actually against Google's TOS and may result in your entire site being banned from their search results! Because of this practice, it's important to focus on high quality sites and work to get back-links naturally either through partnerships or syndicated content (such as blog posts). You can also check your DA here or using one of the many tools referenced above.

9. Take advantage of social media

Speaking of back-links, social media can be a powerful tool for increasing page visibility while also improving your search engine rankings! Remember, most social sites do not support or read JavaScript, so ensure your content is available on the page. If you do have a progressive web app with JavaScript loading your content, look into using Headless Chrome to render a JavaScript free version of your site for specific bots (note - the content MUST be the same content a user would see or your site may be blocked). There are also numerous tools to allow you to build the content via JavaScript on the server backend before passing it to your readers. To help get even more exposure, consider adding social share links or tools like AddThis.

10. Good SEO takes time

The truth is that there really aren't any special secrets or ingredients to ranking well in search engines (well not that Google has publicly shared). Instead it's about properly formatting your page, making sure it's readable to search engines, and providing content that your readers will engage with. As you provide more valuable content, and more people like and link to your content - your site's Domain Authority will gradually increase, giving your site and pages more powerful - resulting in a higher ranking.