Full-Stack Developers: What They Do & Skills Needed

It’s no secret that today, almost every company needs the development of websites, apps and other software. That’s why they strive to find the best full-stack developers to hire them to their team or engage them to work on a project. 

Full-stack developer skills are universal because such specialists know how to work both front-end and back-end. Simply speaking, the average full-stack software developer covers a huge amount of work. What is a full-stack developer? If you want to know more about the features of these specialists, their skill set, and what they do, then you have come to the right place.

What Is a Full-Stack Developer?

We would like to start this article with a detailed full-stack developer meaning. Actually, these are experts who create websites, apps, cloud solutions, and other turnkey software. Instead of hiring front-end and back-end developers and a database administrator, companies can delegate all functions to a full-stack developer. This is a versatile position that allows entrepreneurs to avoid hiring many IT professionals. This is why qualified and experienced full-stack developers are highly valued all over the world.

What Does a Full-Stack Software Developer Do?

Beginners in the tech industry often wonder what does a full-stack developer do. This is not surprising because, for many people, it is not clear what these specialists are responsible for and what kinds of software they create. Here’s what a typical full-stack developer can help with:

• Complete web application development.
• Support front-end and back-end development of websites.
• Analyzing software performance and finding bugs.
• Coming up with new features.

As you can understand, the range of work of these programmers is very wide. What they do depends on the current tasks of a company or a temporary customer. 

Key Skills of a Full-Stack Software Developer

The requirements for a full-stack developer from a business owner can be very high due to the salary of such a specialist. This is not a focused back-end or front-end specialist, so a full-stack web developer must possess various soft skills to provide effective solutions and make a career. We suggest taking a closer look at the skills these specialists cover below.

Front-End Development

To create an intuitive and responsive user interface, a full-stack developer needs knowledge of the front end. These front-end technologies like HTML, CSS, and Javascript. Developing dynamic apps with Popular frameworks such as React and Angular can be done. These tools allow you to operate all devices and browsers in a smooth and functional manner.

Back-End Development

Any full-stack developer should know how to work with the back-end technologies. Without this knowledge, it is impossible to create websites and web applications, as this work requires skills with server-side programming languages. For example, such specialists should know how to work with Node.js, Python, Java, and PHP languages.

Database Management

To be a full-stack software developer, you must be able to manage databases using SQL for structured data and NoSQL for unstructured data. These maintain, create, and query databases optimized data storage and retrieval and query performance. To achieve efficient performance of the application and scalability, understanding database architecture and relationships is very important.

DevOps & Cloud Technologies

Obviously, these professionals need to be well-versed in cloud technologies. Cloud platforms on which full-stack developers work are AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, which host scalable, secure, and always available applications. It increases deployment and management efficiency due to their knowledge of cloud infrastructure.

Full-Stack Development Workflow – Overview

What does the work of experienced full-cycle developers consist of? As we mentioned above, they are universal specialists, so they can work on a single project from the very beginning to software deployment. We would like to share with you what a typical workflow for full-stack programmers looks like. 

1. Planning and Design

Surely, the work of any full-stack developer starts with getting to know the project, its main requirements, and its goals. This information serves as a basis for developing a plan for project realization. For example, the developer selects the necessary technology stack and starts creating a framework for the design. This stage is practically no different from what other experts do.

2. Front-End Development

The client-side interface is generated by front-end developers using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript frameworks, including React, Angular, and Vue.js. The main aim is to design user interfaces that respond well to various devices while maintaining visual appeal and seamless interface operations. Performance optimization and accessibility are essential factors during the software development phase.

3. Back-End Development

Developers utilize code languages Node.js, Python, Java, and PHP to construct server-side logical components in the back-end development process. The process combination includes API building alongside authentication solutions and business rule execution. During this stage, developers ensure data processing functions correctly as it connects with the database while operating within the front-end application.

4. Database Integration

The initial database setup requires developers to determine between MySQL, PostgreSQL, or NoSQL options that align with project requirements. Full-stack developers generate optimized requests that manage how the system can store and retrieve data. The application requires proper database integration to quickly handle reliable and secure data operations within its framework.

5. Testing & Debugging

We have already mentioned above that full-cycle developers are more than just about writing code and interfaces. These specialists must be able to analyze, test the created product and search for errors on their own. That’s why the next step for full-stack developers is detailed testing and fixing the found vulnerabilities.

6. Deployment & Maintenance

What do developers do after they have completed their bug finding and fixing efforts? It’s time to start the process of deploying the digital product to the right platform. For example, mobile apps can be deployed to the AppStore and Google Play. However, this is not the end of the work. Further, developers regularly maintain the normal operation of the created software.

Popular Tech Stacks for Full-Stack Developers

Any qualified full-stack developer performs project requirements analysis at the very beginning of the workflow. Why do they do this? This step is necessary to understand what technologies, coding languages and frameworks are best to use in this case. There are many variants of full-stack developer technology stacks, which we want to talk about in detail.

MERN Stack (MongoDB, Express, React, Node.js)

One of the most popular tech stacks that developers use to implement various projects is MERN. It is so named because it includes MongoDB, Express, React, and Node.js. It is suitable for working with high-performance, scalable applications.

MEAN Stack (MongoDB, Express, Angular, Node.js)

The next stack we want to tell you about is MEAN. It is very similar to the previous one with just one difference. Instead of React, in this stack, full-stack developers prefer to use the Angular framework. This is a strong front-end framework, providing dynamic, single-page applications with two-way data binding and high scalability in big projects.

LAMP Stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP)

The LAMP tech stack is quite different from all the ones we mentioned earlier. Why is it so? All the technologies and solutions in it are designed primarily for developing websites and web applications. It consists of Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP. Many famous web applications have been created using this technology stack, which speaks volumes about its effectiveness.

Python Full Stack

One of the most famous programming languages in the world is Python, so many developers build their tech stack around this language. It’s a high-level Python web framework. For example, frameworks such as Flask or Django are often added to it. Thanks to server-side programming languages like Python, you can easily realize both small and large web development projects. 

Java Full Stack

Obviously, we had to include a Java-based technology stack in this selection. Usually, IT specialists choose Angular for the front-end process and Spring for back-end development. This stack is known for being strong on object-oriented principles and fitting perfectly within complex systems.

Freelance vs. In-House – Which Full-Stack Developer Should You Hire?

If you need comprehensive development services, these days there are many options for this. The most popular options are contacting freelancers or hiring developers on a full-time basis. Which option is better? What are the advantages and disadvantages? You should do detailed research before making a final decision.

Freelance Full-Stack Developers: Pros and Cons 

There are many popular freelancing platforms where you can find a temporary development professional to perform the tasks you need. At first glance, it may seem like the perfect solution. However, consider all the advantages and disadvantages of freelancing.

As you may have already realized, freelancers are great for companies that don’t need development services on an ongoing basis. This is a great solution for owners of short-term projects with a limited budget.

In-House Full-Stack Developers: Pros and Cons 

In recent years, the demand for full-time developer hiring has grown significantly in many companies, regardless of the business’s area of expertise. Why is it so? This option has many advantages. Although there are some disadvantages that may influence your decision.

Hiring full-time developers would suit large companies or projects that are focused on scaling in the near future.

Cost Comparison: Freelance vs. In-House Full-Stack Developers 

Full-stack developers are indispensable experts for all companies that want to dominate the market in recent years. This is a job position that requires specialists to have special education. However, often, the choice of these experts depends on the planned budget. Undoubtedly, if you want to save money, then you should choose freelancers. In that case, you will simply have to pay between 30 to 100 dollars per hour of developer’s work. 

If you are an ambitious project that requires a lot of developer involvement, then it makes sense to hire one expert in the internal team. The price of a developer varies depending on experience and other factors. Full-stack developer positions mean higher salaries.This is an expensive solution because the average salary of full-cycle developers is about 80 thousand dollars.

Which Option is Best for Your Project?

If you want to become a full-stack developer or are faced with the need to engage a full-stack developer for different projects, you should take a closer look at comparing freelance and in-house specialists. For example, freelancers can be a great choice if you need short-term help or your budget is ring-fenced. If your company is focused on scalability, then you should definitely consider hiring a full-service developer for your internal team.