If you’re building a mobile app, website, or software application, you already know that you need a good developer on your team
But what kind of developer do you need?
We’ve compiled a simple, easy-to-understand guide to help you understand the different types of developers and figure out which one (or ones) you need for your project.
The three main kinds of developers are front-end, back-end, and full-stack. For most projects, you’ll need either a front-end and back-end developer, or a full-stack developer.
A front-end developer creates the part of an app, website, or software that users see. Front-end developers often focus on the user experience (UX), making sure the application is easy to use and visually appealing.
While a front-end developer works on the user-facing part of an application or website, a back-end developer works behind the scenes. They build and maintain the technology that allows the user-facing part to function.
Their job often involves developing complex processes and integrating databases, caches, login systems, and more. They code in programming languages like Java, C, C++, Ruby, Perl, Python, Scala, and Go.
A full-stack developer is simply a front-end and back-end developer in one. They have the skills needed to work on both the user-facing and behind-the-scenes elements of software.
DevOps (short for development and operations) is a strategy that helps organizations develop software at an accelerated pace. It’s too complicated to explain fully here, but suffice to say it’s a kind of agile methodology for software development.
DevOps developers manage this process. They oversee the creation and deployment of back-end software and bridge the gap in an organization between developers and IT staff. As you might imagine, DevOps developers have to be highly proficient in both development and project management.
If you have a large team working on your website or application, you may need a DevOps developer to keep things moving smoothly and swiftly.
All developers are either front-end, back-end, or full-stack. But they may also have an area of specialization.
As the name suggests, web developers specialize in building websites. They tend to work in HTML, JavaScript, and CSS, along with other programming languages.
Many software applications run on desktop systems like Mac OS, Windows, or Linux. A desktop developer builds these types of applications.
Back in the day, desktop development used to be highly sought after. Today, mobile development is more in-demand. Mobile developers create applications that run on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. Most mobile developers know how to build apps for both iOS and Android devices, using systems like Java, Swift, and Objective-C.
A data scientist isn’t technically a developer, but many data scientists have backgrounds in development, and sometimes data science requires developer skills.
Data scientists often build programs to analyze data. Using languages like SQL, R, and Python, they analyze statistics, visualize data, use predictive modeling, and manage machine learning.
CRM developers specialize in customer relationship management, a means of collecting and managing customer data. They build systems to collect customer data and improve consumer satisfaction. It’s worth noting that CRM developers aren’t usually in charge of analyzing or interpreting this data. They simply create the systems that allow other professionals to do so.
Other developers specialize in games, big data, WordPress, or security systems. That’s not a definitive list, but if you can’t find a developer who specializes in your niche, chances are you’ll be fine with standard front and back-end developers. Most developers have worked on various projects, so chances are they have at least some experience in your area.
Need a developer for your project? We’re happy to provide a full-stack team for app or software creation. Book a free call now to get started.
By Band of Coders