Technology choices
Frameworks, databases and architecture compared, for people deciding what an application should be built on or moved to.
This topic is for the person who has to decide what an application is built on, or who has inherited one and needs to know whether what it is built on is still sound. The decision is rarely about which technology is best. It is about which one can still be supported in ten years, and whether the people who can work on it are easy to find.
Where to start
- Choosing the right technology to grow your business gives six tests that apply to any language, database or platform, covering support dates, hiring, cost and ownership. Read it first whatever the decision.
- ASP.NET vs PHP shows how those tests play out for a business system, including which version of ASP you actually have and when a move is worth it.
- What is the difference between SQL Server and MySQL? does the same for the database, with what to check if you have inherited one.
- Open source software vs proprietary software explains licence costs, who fixes faults, support dates and what lock-in means in practice.
What people get wrong
The first mistake is choosing what is newest, or what the last developer liked. A framework that is fashionable this year may have nobody maintaining it in five, and the developer who chose it may have left by then. The tests in the first article above are deliberately dull: who maintains it, until when, who else can work on it, and what it costs to run.
The second is the opposite: rewriting a working system because its stack is described as old. Old and unsupported are different things. .NET Framework 4.8 is still supported for as long as the version of Windows it runs on, and a system built on it usually needs an upgrade path and some attention rather than a rewrite. The question to ask is whether the stack is within support and whether anyone can still be found to work on it, not how long ago it was released.
The third, for anyone inheriting a system, is not finding out exactly what they have. Which version of the framework, which version of the database, which packages, and which of those are no longer maintained. Until that list exists, every conversation about the system’s future is a guess, and the answer often turns out to be a smaller job than feared.
How this connects to our work
CodeFirst works mostly on the Microsoft stack: .NET Framework and .NET, SQL Server, and the older technologies that many business systems were built on, such as Access, VB6, Classic ASP and Web Forms. The .NET Framework page says what we do with a system built on it, and the end of support pages list the dates for each version of Windows Server, SQL Server, .NET and Access, so you can see which of your systems has a deadline.
Articles on technology choices
- 2 October 2026 The 5 best machine learning frameworks: when to use each
The 5 best machine learning frameworks in 2026: scikit-learn, XGBoost, PyTorch, TensorFlow with Keras and ML.NET, with versions and what the choice costs.
- 2 October 2026 5 best practices for developing with Vue 3
Five best practices for Vue development in 2026: the Composition API with script setup, Vite, Pinia, TypeScript and testing, plus what to do about Vue 2.
- 2 October 2026 The 8 best JavaScript frameworks and what each is for
The 8 best JavaScript frameworks in October 2026, with current versions, who maintains each one, what it is for and what the choice means for whoever pays.
- 2 October 2026 The advantages of Vue.js, and where it is the wrong choice
The advantages of Vue.js in 2026: easy to learn, easy to add to an existing system and well supported. Also its weak points and what to check before you commit.
- 2 October 2026 All you need to know about Xamarin now support has ended
Xamarin support ended on 1 May 2024. What that means for an app you own, how .NET MAUI replaces it, what the move involves and what to check this week.
- 2 October 2026 Angular vs React vs Vue: which to choose for business use
Angular vs React vs Vue in 2026: current versions, who owns each, how they differ and which suits which kind of business application, with questions to ask.
- 2 October 2026 ASP.NET vs PHP: what the choice means for your business
ASP.NET vs PHP compared for the person paying: which ASP you have, current versions and support dates, hosting, licences, hiring and when a move is worth it.
- 2 October 2026 Benefits of event-driven architecture, and what they cost
Event-driven architecture lets parts of a system react to events instead of calling each other directly. The benefits, the costs and where it fits a business.
- 2 October 2026 The benefits of Ruby on Rails, and the trade-offs
The benefits of building software with Ruby on Rails in 2026, and the trade-offs: speed, cost, hiring, support dates and what to check if you inherit an app.
- 2 October 2026 Choosing the right technology for your business: six tests
Choosing the right technology to grow your business: six tests for any language, database or platform, covering support dates, hiring, cost and ownership.
- 2 October 2026 Comparison of machine learning as a service providers
A comparison of machine learning as a service providers: what AWS, Azure and Google Cloud offer in 2026, what each product is now called and how to choose.
- 2 October 2026 The difference between microservices and web services
The difference between microservices and web services: one is a way of structuring an application, the other a way for systems to talk. What each means for you.
- 2 October 2026 Business benefits of machine learning, and when they apply
The business benefits of machine learning are real but specific. Where it saves time and money, what it needs to work, what it costs and how to test it cheaply.
- 2 October 2026 What is the difference between SQL Server and MySQL?
The difference between SQL Server and MySQL in 2026: who owns each, licences and editions, support dates, tooling, and what to check if you have inherited one.
- 2 October 2026 Open source vs proprietary software: a guide for business
Open source software vs proprietary software, compared for the person paying: licence costs, who fixes faults, support dates, lock-in and licence obligations.
Tell us about your system
Say what it does, what it is built on and what is worrying you. We will reply with what we would look at first and whether we are the right people to help.