10 Must-Have Tools for Backend Developers in 2024

Backend development is evolving rapidly. Having the right tools can improve productivity, security, and performance. Here are 10 must-have tools for backend developers in 2024.

1. HTTPie

A modern alternative to cURL and Postman, HTTPie provides a user-friendly CLI for making HTTP requests. It supports JSON handling, syntax highlighting, and authentication.

2. Bat

An improved cat command with syntax highlighting, Git integration, and paging support, making it useful for viewing config files and logs.

3. SQLPad

A self-hosted SQL editor for teams, allowing you to query databases, visualize results, and create dashboards without needing an expensive BI tool.

4. LiteFS

A distributed, SQLite-based file system that enables SQLite databases to be replicated across multiple servers. Great for lightweight, high-availability setups.

5. Redpanda

A Kafka-compatible event streaming platform but with lower latency, better performance, and no need for Zookeeper.

6. Taskfile.dev

A simpler alternative to Makefiles, Taskfile allows you to define automation scripts in YAML for running build, test, and deployment commands.

7. GoReplay

An open-source network traffic replay tool that can record and replay HTTP requests for debugging and testing in a production-like environment.

8. OpenFaaS

A serverless framework for easily deploying functions, microservices, or event-driven workflows with Docker and Kubernetes.

9. Supabase

An open-source Firebase alternative that provides authentication, database, and storage out of the box with a Postgres backend.

10. DBeaver

A universal database client that supports MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, and more. Ideal for visualizing database structures and writing complex queries.