Why Does Everyone Forget Java and C# for Backend Development? Why Don’t Full-Stack Developers Learn Java and C#?
In recent years, backend development discussions have been dominated by languages like JavaScript (Node.js), Python, and even Go. Yet, Java and C#—two of the most robust and battle-tested backend technologies—often get overlooked. Why is that?
My Experience: Java as a Junior Developer
I started my career as a junior Java developer and still remember using NetBeans. At the time, Java was notoriously slow—its startup times were long, and memory consumption was high. But despite these drawbacks, it had many benefits. Java was stable, platform-independent, and widely used in enterprise applications. Even with its performance limitations, it was a language that powered large-scale systems and provided a strong foundation for backend development.
History of Java and C#
Java was created by James Gosling and released by Sun Microsystems in 1995. It was designed with the principle of "Write Once, Run Anywhere" (WORA), enabling cross-platform compatibility through the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). Over the years, Java became a leading language for enterprise applications, Android development, and large-scale backend systems. Oracle now maintains Java, with modern innovations such as Project Loom and GraalVM enhancing its performance.
C# was developed by Microsoft in the early 2000s as part of its .NET initiative, led by Anders Hejlsberg. Originally designed as an alternative to Java, C# evolved into a powerful language for Windows applications, backend services, game development (via Unity), and cloud computing. The introduction of .NET Core made C# fully cross-platform, allowing it to run on Windows, Linux, and macOS.
The Stability and Power of Java & C#
Java and C# have been the backbone of enterprise applications for decades. They offer:
Stability & Scalability – Both languages power large-scale systems, from banking applications to enterprise software.
Rich Ecosystem – Frameworks like Spring Boot (Java) and ASP.NET Core (C#) provide extensive tools for building modern, high-performance applications.
Strong Typing & Performance – Unlike dynamically typed languages, Java and C# offer compile-time checks that prevent many runtime errors, leading to more stable applications.
So Why Do Developers Overlook Them?
Despite their strengths, many new developers and startups opt for alternatives due to:
- Perceived Complexity – Java and C# required more setup and boilerplate, though modern frameworks like Spring Boot and .NET Core have simplified this.
- Trendy Frameworks – JavaScript frameworks like Next.js and NestJS dominate full-stack development, while Python leads in AI/ML.
- Cloud & Microservices Shift – While Java and C# have adapted with GraalVM and .NET Core, their cloud-native perception still lags.
- Bootcamp & Job Market Influence – Many coding bootcamps prioritize JavaScript and Python due to their beginner-friendly nature, leading to wider adoption.
How Java Has Evolved
Back in the NetBeans days, Java had performance issues, but today, it has come a long way. Some key improvements include:
- GraalVM – AOT compilation that drastically improves startup times and memory efficiency.
- Project Loom – Lightweight virtual threads for better concurrency handling.
- Spring Boot & Quarkus – Making Java development much more efficient and cloud-friendly.
- Faster JVMs – Significant improvements in execution speed, garbage collection, and memory management.
These changes have kept Java competitive and highly relevant for modern applications.
The Rise of C# and .NET
Meanwhile, C# and the .NET ecosystem have also seen huge transformations. With .NET Core (now .NET 9), Microsoft made .NET fully cross-platform, lightweight, and high-performing.
Gone are the days of Windows-only development—C# now runs seamlessly on Linux, Docker, and even ARM-based systems.
The Trend vs. The Reality
While Java and C# might not be as "cool" as newer technologies, they remain the backbone **of **large-scale applications in banking, healthcare, and enterprise software.
Companies looking for stability, scalability, and strong community support still rely on them heavily.
Final Thoughts
For developers who started with Java (like myself), it's fascinating to see how much it's evolved. And while trends shift, the fundamentals of solid backend development remain the same. **Java and C# **are here to stay, even if they don’t always make the headlines.
Top comments (30)
While the article is factually accurate, I believe Kotlin will replace Java in the future due to its similar features and advantages such as null pointer exception handling and reduced boilerplate code.and the extra advantage of coroutines
When it will happened? I am a big fan and senior in Kotlin, but there are no jobs in Kotlin backend, only android dev. And even jobs opportunities in Android drastically reduced nowadays.
I dont think kotlin will replace java for backend most companies that use java are switching to Go instead
Most Kotlin jobs are for Android development, and you're right ,. It might take more time for Kotlin backend roles to become common.
Why do you think Kotlin is not widely used for backend development?
According to my job searches in Linkedin for the last 2 years in EU. Only in Czechia possibly to find Kotlin positions for backend in its origin country.
Even Java positions have been decreased in the last years. Mostly I see frontend positions.
There are 39 Android developer positions available in Greece . The majority of Kotlin-related opportunities are in Android development. What a number ... No backend for Kotlin unfor..
Thanks, unfortunately I am not a EU resident, I am refugee. Most of the companies hire via B2B who has a stable EU residency. I am looking for relocation opportunities. By the way I am also in Balkans, temporary in Slovenia, where is such a limited IT market.
As I know in Athens it's almost impossible to rent a long-term apartment by adequate price, cause of the tourists, the same like in Ljubljana. I hope in your country will not happen strong earthquackes after recent news.
Android Dev has been transformed fully from imperative to declarative paradigm with Compose framework which is a new for me. Android development become very complicated due to the legacy and mess of dependencies and Google policy.
Thank you for your kind words! You can still find apartments for rent in Athens. Although prices are rising, there are still available options. I heard lubjana is beautiful city. Haven't been yet
The whole country Slovenia is full of green nature and mountains. There is nothing to do here except tourism, no perspectives if you are not rich. As locals said, after the pandemy the prices raised by twice here, now it's very expensive country for tourism like Austria. I still see budget cars from Greece in Ljubljana, but mostly I see rich cars of tourists from Austria, Germany, Italy, Croatia.
I am sad to leave a such beautiful country, and to move to more poor country without seeing the country beforehand.
Thanks for your comment.. I don't have experience with Kotlin, but I've heard good things about it.
Simply because startups need to ship to market much faster than enterprises. Next.js, Python and GO are very easy to learn and master, so you can become productive much faster in these languages compared to Java/C#, which requires years of study and practice to really build anything meaningful.
Another factor is that companies behind the technologies, Microsoft and Oracle are not very popular amongst open-source developers, hence why Python and Golang are often the preferred alternatives.
Finally, the influencer market needs to generate views, so they tend to focus on the hot topics right now, since C#/Java are fairly mature there's not much to talk about compared to say the JS world which gets a new framework or update every 6 months.
Startups prioritize speed, but Java and C# provide powerful frameworks like Spring Boot and ASP.NET Core, enabling fast development and scalability.
Both have strong open-source communities. While trendy languages get more attention, Java and C# remain essential for their stability and reliability in enterprise applications.
I agree but also think Golang and Rust are just too good these days to ignore. Both are supported by big organizations like Google and are highly scalable.
Golang is just so efficient, especially on multi-core processors, it's literally like Python on steroids. The language is very minimal and easy to pick up but scales incredibly well. I see this market only growing more and more and will eat into the Java/C# world.
Java/C# are good languages no doubt and aren't going anywhere anytime soon, but for a lot of new projects Rust or Go (maybe even TypeScript) is probably the best choice more often than not if you need a balance between execution speed and developer friendliness.
I checked out Golang a couple of years ago—it felt like C++ but without the hassle of pointers. Its simplicity is a big plus, and it’s super efficient for scalable systems.
As for Rust, I’ve heard great things about its focus on safety and performance. I haven’t had the chance to try it yet, but it seems like a good choice for systems programming.
Java and C# are still great languages, but I agree—Go and Rust are becoming popular for new projects where speed and scalability matter.
As a C# backend engineer myself, I can definitely relate to the sentiments expressed here. While newer languages and frameworks often take the spotlight, it’s easy to overlook the sheer stability, scalability, and versatility of C# in backend development. I’ve worked on several large-scale enterprise applications using C#, and the language has consistently delivered high performance with solid community support.
The evolution of C# with .NET Core (now .NET 9) and its cross-platform capabilities has been a game-changer. It's exciting to see the language become more lightweight, efficient, and cloud-friendly. Whether it's handling microservices, supporting complex business logic, or leveraging Azure for cloud deployments, C# remains a powerful tool that continues to stand the test of time.
The fact that C# has been integral to industries like banking, healthcare, and gaming speaks volumes about its capability. Even though it may not get the same "cool" factor as newer tech stacks, the solid foundation and rich ecosystem it provides are hard to beat.
I truly believe Java and C# have an essential role to play in backend development, and they’re far from being forgotten, they’re just the steady, reliable workhorses powering mission-critical systems.
Thanks for your comment!
Java still has that enterprise label. And C#, or .NET in general, is closed source. Both those things didn't stop other languages to become popular, but for java and C# it weights them down I think.
When I started developing java and C# servers where expensive. I think with cloud computing that is not as much as a problem now?
I read an article on boring languages, and I believe java is considered one of them. The main takeaway was boring is good.
I think javascript in the backend is still a bad idea because is a UI language. Node, Deno and Bun might be fast but they are missing essential things in their core, like database drivers. You want that connection to be as fast as possible too.
And they promote to interpret typescript, the downside of that is that there has to be a compilation to javascript first before the code can be executed.
It gives me a feeling that there are to many cogs in the machine.
Thanks for your feedback..JavaScript on the backend , while Node, Deno, and Bun have improved a lot, I’m still a bit skeptical. JavaScript was made for UI, and backend work often requires a different kind of robustness.
In the end, every tool has its purpose. Java and C# maybe are not so exciting, but they proved they work well over time , sometimes, boring is actually better
how java and c# for backend dead :) nowadays its not possible. huh!? python raising, go also. but nah they both not dead and not in near future.. btw kotlin can not replace java sorry kotlin developers its a dead born child.
C# is very good.
I using CodeBehind Framework for back-end!
Thanks for your feedback. I checked out this framework, and it seems great! Unfortunately, it does not support Blazor, only ASP.NET Razor Pages.
You are right, CodeBehind Framework does not support Blazor, but instead supports WebForms Core technology.
youtube.com/watch?v=Cv7vv0gGpd4
Never heard about webforms core. I will check out.
Companies will choose languages for which they will get replaceable developers reliably.
Thanks for your feedback..
C# in more famous in games (Unity Engine)
Thanks for your comment! Yes, Unity has indeed been a game-changer and is widely used in the gaming industry.
My favorite benchmark back in the day was trying to open Netbeans in a computer. "Oh that was fast, Netbeans opened in 5 sec" :)
Great moments... I think the worst was JBuilder.
Thanks you for your article. I am big fan of C#/Java. I am coding with Python about RAG. I really miss about C#.