Check Out the Top Developer Tools for 2017

Looking to bone up on tools to take your development skill-set to the next level in 2017? Well a new list from StackShare might help you do just that! They took a look at the most popular tools from several different categories – applications & data, utility, DevOps, business, and newcomer tools – and ranked them according to popularity and usefulness.

So which development tools came out on top? Here’s a category by category breakdown of all of the big winners, along with a few shots on tools you should really consider adding to your arsenal in 2017.

Business Tools

Let’s be honest, you’re probably familiar with quite a few of the tools on this list! Oh, wait, you’ve never heard of Slack? Oh boy...we’ve got some work to do. But seriously, there are a ton of great tools here. Check out the top 10:

#1 - Slack

#2 - Google Apps

#3 - Trello

#4 - WordPress

#5 - JIRA

#6 - MailChimp

#7 - Skype

#8 - InVision

#9 - Confluence

#10 - Intercom

There’s a good chance that you – or someone at your company – will be using literally every single one of these programs and platforms over the next year or two (if you aren’t already.) JIRA is gaining major steam as a bug/issue/ticketing platform, InVision allows you to easily mock up website designs and send them off to clients (making the design feel more “real,”) and Intercom has a really slick, simple interface (from both the front and backends.)

As far as Trello...well let’s just say a lot of people really enjoy its kanban layout, but honestly I prefer Basecamp for more intricate task tracking and Wunderlist for simpler task tracking. But give them all a try, because you’re likely to come across them sooner than later.

Application & Data Tools

This category is a bit of a mishmash, with everything from coding languages to website frameworks to server solutions filling out the list. Here’s a look at the winners:

#1 - JavaScript

#2 - Bootstrap

#3 - Node.js

#4 - nginx

#5 - AngularJS

#6 - PHP

#7 - Python

#8 - jQuery

#9 - HTML5

#10 - React

It’s no surprise that languages like JavaScript, PHP, and HTML5 found homes in the top ten; They are all indispensible for many front end developers. Bootstrap continues to get more and more popular and should become even better with Bootstrap 4 (currently in Alpha) and nginx has overtaken Apache as the world’s most loved server solution.

A word to the wise: Spend a little extra time going beyond standard languages and get to know libraries like React. You might be surprised what you can build and with the might of Facebook behind it, React is only bound to get more powerful.

DevOps Tools

Looking for the right platform to manage your codebase, deploy sitewide code pushes, and work seamlessly with other developers? This list has you covered with tools big enough for whole companies or tiny, agile teams.

#1 - GitHub

#2 - Docker

#3 - Atom

#4 - Sublime Text

#5 - Bitbucket

#6 - Jenkins

#7 - npm

#8 - gulp

#9 - GitLab

#10 - Vim

I have to admit, I’m no expert in DevOps, so I had to phone a friend for some commentary on this list. That friend is an amazing Sr. Developer at Levy Online, Jong Castillo. Her reaction? “Where is PhpStorm?!” she said. “Currently with PhpStorm, we integrate npm, gulp, grunt, Github, Bitbucket, JIRA, and Git. It can tap into almost that entire list of tools, so if you use those items, chances are that PHPStorm can make use of them.” This ability to connect with so many tools simplifies her workflow immensely.

And isn’t simple efficiency what we’re all trying to accomplish here?

Utility Tools

This catchall category is full of powerful – and simple – tools that will help any sized business run more smoothly. The top 10 alone will keep you on top of domain info, transactions, site stats, APIs, and let you host just about anything else you want to build. Check out the hottest utility tools below:

#1 - Google Analytics

#2 - Postman

#3 - Elasticsearch

#4 - SendGrid

#5 - Stripe

#6 - Amazon Route 53

#7 - GitHub Pages

#8 - Mandrill

#9 - Mailgun

#10 - PayPal

If you’re looking to get a serious MVP (minimum viable product) out the door, this is the list of tools that will get you there. From processing payments with Stripe and Paypal to sending and managing transactional emails to keeping track of it all with Google Analytics, these tools will help you skip right from A to Z.

I asked Mike Buckbee, founder of SendCheckIt, to chime in on just what makes this group so powerful for developers (after all, they’re nearly all paid tools.) He said, simply, “Beyond anything else developers are judged on their productivity – how much can they accomplish in a given period of time. Developer tools,” he continued, “are a means of boosting developer efficiency. So don’t build your own grid framework, use Bootstrap. Don’t customize a bunch of unwieldy VMs, use Docker.”

He spoke to the tendency of smart, determined developers to fall into the trap of trying to DIY just to save a few bucks. “This is a hard mindset change for many developers,” he said, “but developers looking improve their careers need to focus on what business value they’re providing. They need to act as consultants in helping their organizations achieve their goals as expeditiously as possible.” Solid advice, no matter what stage of your career you’re in!

Newcomer Tools

Do all of the previous lists have you yawning? Maybe you’re too cutting edge for “old news” dev tools like Docker and Trello. Well check out the hippest new programs in our top list of newcomers:

#1 - SendBird

#2 - Yarn

#3 - Passbolt

#4 - Milligram

#5 - Kite

#6 - Portainer

#7 - Diff So Fancy

#8 - DC/OS

#9 - Docker Cloud

#10 - Parse-Server

Now it’s time for you to chime in! What tools are your absolute go-to’s, and which are you dying to try next? Help us out with a comment on our LinkedIn Page, or find a great new job at a company that’s already deploying these tools by checking out our developer jobs listings.