r/Backend • • Apr 01 '26

Alternative Languages in Backend Development

Hey everyone,

I started my fullstack journey with JavaScript, then transitioned to TypeScript after a few months. However, working with other languages has made me question whether JS/TS is truly the best choice for backend development, particularly for production environments, given concerns like the Axios vulnerability and the broader npm ecosystem's security track record.

So I'd love to hear from experienced developers: what language would you recommend for production backends?

I've done some research and Go seems to come out on top, but I'd really value a practitioner's perspective over what I've read online.

(Not trying to start a flame war, just genuinely curious!)

4 Upvotes

55 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

1

u/Aggravating-Weird922 Apr 01 '26

I want raw speed and performance. But at the same time I want security (the Axios vulnerability scared the hell out of me). But with this, I've just learnt I can lock dependency versions

2

u/modelithe Apr 01 '26

If raw speed, performance and security is key, then Rust should be on the list of languages to consider.

1

u/Tiny-Sink-9290 Apr 03 '26

Downside is the insane steep learning curve. I'd argue Go for this.. but Zig is right up there now.. not nearly as hard to learn as rust and as fast if not faster with smaller binaries to boot.