Explore the most popular tech stacks used by real-world companies, learn when to use each, and get ballpark estimates for development and hosting costs – so you can build smarter from day one.
1. MERN Stack (MongoDB, Express, React, Node.js)
Used by: Uber Eats, Instagram Web
Best for: Real-time dashboards, modern web apps
Dev Cost (MVP): $25k-$50k
Hosting: $25-$150/month
Why: End-to-end JavaScript. React ensures a fast UI, Node.js handles async backend beautifully, and MongoDB scales horizontally.
2. MEAN Stack (MongoDB, Express, Angular, Node.js)
Used by: Google Ads, Lego
Best for: Enterprise apps, admin portals
Dev Cost (MVP): $30k-$60k Hosting: $25-$150/month
Why: TypeScript-based frontend with Angular’s structured ecosystem and robust backend with Node.
3. LAMP Stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP)
Used by: WordPress, Wikipedia
Best for: Blogs, CMS-driven websites, quick launches
Dev Cost (MVP): $10k-$25k
Hosting: $5-$30/month
Why: Time-tested stack, easy to deploy, budget-friendly.
4. Django + React
Used by: Instagram, Disqus
Best for: Data-driven apps, internal tools, dashboards
Dev Cost (MVP): $30k-$55k Hosting: $25-$100/month
Why: Python + Django is great for data-heavy backends, while React gives a sleek, modern UI.
5. Flask + React or Vue
Used by: Netflix (internal tools), Airbnb (ML APIs)
Best for: Lightweight APIs, ML-powered tools
Dev Cost (MVP): $20k-$40k
Hosting: $25-$75/month
Why: Minimal, modular, and great for microservices or ML integration.
6. .NET Stack (C#, ASP.NET, SQL Server)
Used by: Stack Overflow, Microsoft Teams
Best for: Enterprise-grade internal or client-facing apps
Dev Cost (MVP): $40k-$80k
Hosting: $50-$200/month
Why: Reliable, scalable, and integrates seamlessly with Microsoft products.
7. JAMstack (Next.js, Gatsby + CMS)
Used by: Nike, Smashing Magazine
Best for: Static sites, SEO-first content, marketing pages
Dev Cost (MVP): $10k-$30k
Hosting: $0-$50/month
Why: Lightning-fast load times, excellent for SEO, and free-tier-friendly.
8. Ruby on Rails
Used by: Shopify, GitHub, Basecamp
Best for: Marketplaces, SaaS tools, MVPs
Dev Cost (MVP): $20k-$45k
Hosting: $25-$75/month
Why: Convention over configuration = fast development with great defaults.
9. Java + Spring Boot
Used by: LinkedIn, Amazon, Netflix
Best for: Large-scale enterprise systems
Dev Cost (MVP): $50k-$100k
Hosting: $75-$200+/month
Why: Super scalable, battle-tested in the enterprise world.
10. Serverless (AWS Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB)
Used by: Netflix, iRobot, Coca-Cola
Best for: Event-driven apps, automation tools, cost-efficient backends
Dev Cost (MVP): $15k-$40k
Hosting: $5-$50/month
Why: Auto-scaling, low cost, perfect for modern cloud-native apps.
Choosing the right stack isn’t about what’s trending — it’s about what fits your product’s needs, timeline, team skills, and budget. A fast-growing startup may love MERN, while a fintech platform might need Spring Boot or .NET for enterprise compliance.
If you’re planning your own build and want help evaluating the best stack, feel drop a comment below or visit us at www.orangestackinc.com
Let’s build smart.
Soumya Singh
Designer | Founder
Orange Stack Inc.
