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Java remains one of the most reliable and popular programming languages in the world. One key reason is its role as the primary language for Android, the world's most widely used mobile operating system. Many companies continue to rely on Java for their backend system, regardless of industry. Furthermore, Java boasts one of the largest and most active programming communities globally.
Whether for backend development or enterprise applications, Java remains a dependable choice among programming languages. When companies consider creating robust backend systems or modernizing their legacy infrastructure, Java consistently appears in their technology stack considerations.
The Java services market was valued at $15 billion in 2024, demonstrating the significant value Java provides for business-critical tasks. Given that Java is used for such a variety of development tasks, a natural question arises: how can you make the development process easier?
While Java development is reliable, the complexity it can reach is substantial. That's precisely why the Java developer community has created an extensive ecosystem of frameworks at their disposal. In this blog, we’re going to look at the top Java frameworks developers are using in 2025. We’ll break down what each one is best at and when you should consider using it.
Before we dive into the top Java frameworks, let's understand what they are and why they matter in development.
Three decades ago, in 1995, Java was created, and rapidly, the "write once, run anywhere" philosophy became the mantra on every developer's mind. Soon, it became a primary choice for web apps for the early internet. However, as maintaining Java applications became more complex, particularly for enterprise and web environments, developers sought ways to streamline development and reduce boilerplate code.
In the early 2000s, as Java's enterprise adoption surged, frameworks emerged to address common challenges in large-scale software projects. First, Struts is one of the first widely used web frameworks for Java. The Spring frameworks emerged as a popular choice for building robust applications, and have since been joined by frameworks like Struts, Hibernate, and, more recently, Spring Boot.
These frameworks, along with the evolution of the Java language itself, have shaped the landscape of Java development, providing tools and abstractions for various application types and complexities.
As for what they are, Java frameworks are a set of prewritten code that provides a foundation for building applications. It offers reusable components that developers can plug into their own code, and somehow shortens the development timeline.
If you're looking to build with confidence and quality, now is the right time to hire Java developer who understands your business needs and the right tools to get the job done. An experienced developer can help you choose the right framework, write cleaner code, and deliver a solution that's built to scale.
One of the most popular and long-lasting Java frameworks is Spring. It was created to make enterprise Java development easier by providing stronger integrations, cleaner configuration, and more control over your code.
Out of the box, Spring supports features like aspect-oriented programming, dependency injection, and transaction management. Its modular design—you don't need the entire framework to get started—makes it even more pertinent today. You can only use what you require.
Many development teams still rely on Spring as the foundation for intricate, scalable enterprise applications.
Good for: Large-scale web and enterprise applications
Released: 2003
Maintained by: VMware
The Spring framework is further simplified by Spring Boot, which builds upon it. It removes the trouble of configuration and lessens the need for boilerplate code. It takes very little setup to get a production-quality application up and running with Spring Boot.
It uses the "convention over configuration" methodology, which means you write less code and let the framework take care of the defaults, and it has built-in support for embedded servers like Tomcat and Jetty.
At the moment, it is among the most widely used Java frameworks for creating REST APIs and microservices.
Good for: Microservices, RESTful APIs, fast prototyping
Released: 2014
Maintained by: VMware
Hibernate is an object-relational mapping (ORM) framework that helps bridge the gap between Java applications and relational databases. Instead of writing long SQL queries, developers can work with Java objects directly, and Hibernate takes care of the underlying database interactions.
Lazy loading, caching, and automatic table creation are among its supported features. In enterprise settings, it is frequently used in conjunction with Spring to streamline data persistence.
Hibernate is particularly helpful when you want to keep your code clean and maintainable while still allowing your application to work with complex databases.
Good for: Database-heavy applications, enterprise systems
Released: 2001
Maintained by: Red Hat
The official enterprise Java platform is Jakarta EE, formerly known as Java EE. It offers a set of guidelines for creating dependable, secure, and sizable web applications. It contains APIs for web services, messaging, persistence, servlets, and dependency injection.
Jakarta EE is not a framework in the traditional sense but a standard that other frameworks often build on top of. It's widely used by enterprise teams who need to develop complex applications that follow well-defined standards.
Since its transition from Oracle to the Eclipse Foundation, the Jakarta EE community has grown stronger, with a renewed focus on modernizing enterprise Java. That makes it the second most popular Java framework for enterprise development, first being Spring. Which one is better? We have gone into the depths of Jakarta EE vs Spring on our blog.
Good for: Large-scale web and enterprise applications
Released: 2003
Maintained by: VMware
A more recent framework called Micronaut was created for creating high-performing, lightweight applications. It was designed from the ground up to support reactive programming, serverless functions, and microservices.
Compile-time dependency injection, as opposed to runtime reflection used by Spring, is a notable feature of this framework. Applications become less memory-intensive and quicker to launch as a result, which is particularly helpful for cloud deployments.
Micronaut is a good option for contemporary distributed systems because it also comes with built-in support for HTTP clients, service discovery, and configuration management.
Good for: Microservices, serverless apps, cloud-native development
Released: 2018
Maintained by: Object Computing, Inc.
Struts was one of the first open-source Java web frameworks. It brought the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture into mainstream Java development and played a big role in structuring early web applications.
Even though Spring MVC and other contemporary alternatives have made it less popular, Struts is still in use, particularly in legacy enterprise systems. Struts 2 is still useful for teams that have already made an investment in it, and it is updated and maintained by the Apache Software Foundation.
It might not be the first option for new projects, but working with older Java applications makes it easier to understand its impact.
Good for: Legacy systems, teams maintaining existing Java apps
Released: 2000
Maintained by: Apache Software Foundation
Quarkus was designed with cloud natives in mind. Quarkus, a tool specifically designed for GraalVM and OpenJDK, helps programmers create Java applications that launch quickly and consume minimal memory, two features crucial for microservices and containerized environments.
Quarkus stands out due to its focus on the developer experience. It provides unified configuration, live reloading while development is underway, and an expanding list of extensions for well-known libraries. It's particularly well-liked by groups developing serverless apps or deploying to Kubernetes.
Despite being relatively new in comparison to more established frameworks, Quarkus has rapidly gained popularity and has Red Hat's support.
Good for: Microservices, Kubernetes deployments, cloud-native apps
Released: 2019
Maintained by: Red Hat
Play is a reactive web framework that supports both Java and Scala. It's known for its speed and scalability, thanks to its non-blocking, asynchronous architecture. Play follows a stateless, RESTful model and is built on top of Akka and Netty.
It is particularly helpful when developing real-time applications, such as streaming services or chat systems. Play doesn't require a servlet container, which speeds up development and simplifies deployment in contrast to some older Java frameworks.
It has a large following among startups and teams developing reactive systems, but it may not be as popular in conventional enterprise settings.
Good for: Real-time applications, reactive systems, REST APIs
Released: 2007
Maintained by: Lightbend
Vaadin takes a different approach compared to most frameworks; it focuses on building modern web UIs entirely in Java. That means developers can create frontend interfaces without writing JavaScript or using separate frontend frameworks like React or Angular.
Vaadin uses a component-based architecture and handles rendering in the browser, allowing Java developers to stay within their comfort zone while building interactive web apps.
While it might not be suitable for every kind of project, it works well for internal tools, dashboards, and applications where frontend complexity needs to be kept minimal.
Good for: Business apps, admin dashboards, Java-based frontend development
Released: 2002
Maintained by: Vaadin Ltd.
Google Web Toolkit (GWT) is a bit of a throwback, but still relevant in some circles. It lets developers write client-side Java code that gets compiled into JavaScript. That way, developers can build rich web applications without needing to write JavaScript themselves.
GWT was once widely used for complex frontends, especially before modern frontend frameworks like React took over. While its popularity has faded, it's still maintained and can be a fit for enterprise apps where the team is Java-heavy and wants to avoid context switching between languages.
Good for: Java-based frontend development, legacy enterprise apps
Released: 2006
Maintained by: Google (community involvement has slowed)
Grails is a high-productivity web framework built on top of Spring Boot and uses Groovy, a dynamic language that runs on the JVM. It follows the "convention over configuration" principle and aims to make web application development faster and simpler.
Grails handles a lot of the boilerplate automatically, and its seamless integration with Spring and Hibernate makes it powerful for rapid development. It's often seen as a good option for developers who want the robustness of the Spring ecosystem with less setup.
Good for: Rapid application development, full-stack web apps, teams comfortable with Groovy
Released: 2005
Maintained by: Grails Foundation
Let's help you decide the right tool for you among the top Java frameworks. As a Java development company, we know how confusing this can be, as there are more choices, the more confused the development team becomes. However, you can sort this out with a few core things.
Here are a few key factors to help narrow down your options:
Start by identifying the core needs of your project. The type of application you're building will heavily influence the framework you choose.
Web, mobile, desktop, or microservices?
Full-stack capabilities or backend-only?
Required architectural patterns (e.g., MVC, event-driven, reactive)?
Understanding these fundamentals helps you narrow the field and focus only on relevant frameworks.
Not all frameworks offer the same features. Evaluate whether the framework provides the technical capabilities your project demands.
REST API support, database access, security, and templating
Concurrency, caching, modularity, and extensibility
Performance under load and responsiveness
Make sure the framework fits your technical scope now and can grow with you over time.
A strong community and ecosystem can greatly reduce development effort and troubleshooting time.
Is the framework actively maintained and updated?
Are questions and issues actively discussed on forums or GitHub?
Are there mature plugins, libraries, and integrations available?
A vibrant ecosystem means quicker solutions, richer tooling, and less technical debt.
A framework is only as effective as your team’s ability to use it. Consider the experience of your developers and how quickly they can become productive.
Quality of official documentation and tutorials
Developer-friendly syntax and conventions
IDE support, debugging tools, and productivity features (e.g., scaffolding)
Frameworks that are easier to learn and use can reduce onboarding time and minimize bugs.
The framework should play well with your existing infrastructure and toolchain.
Support for current Java versions (e.g., Java 17 or 21)
Compatibility with build tools like Maven or Gradle
Ability to integrate with databases, APIs, or legacy systems
This ensures smoother implementation and avoids unnecessary rewrites.
If your application is expected to scale or handle high volumes of data, performance is key.
Support for asynchronous or reactive programming
Benchmarks or real-world performance metrics
Built-in or third-party support for load balancing and caching
Choose a framework that supports your performance requirements both now and in the future.
Security is non-negotiable in modern applications. The framework should either include or easily integrate with robust security mechanisms.
Support for authentication and authorization
CSRF/XSS protection and secure session management
Integration with OAuth, JWT, and encryption libraries
Prioritize frameworks with a proven track record of handling security well.
Testing is critical for maintaining code quality and stability.
Built-in support for unit and integration testing
Mocking capabilities and test utilities
Easy-to-use debugging tools and detailed error logs
A framework that simplifies testing encourages better development practices.
Picking the right Java framework is important, but knowing how to use it effectively matters even more. The structure of your backend, the way components are built, and how the system evolves over time all come down to experience and thoughtful execution.
Our team has worked on a wide range of Java projects, from enterprise-grade applications to lightweight services. We don’t chase trends. We focus on building systems that are stable, efficient, and easy to maintain.
If you're planning a Java project and looking to hire Java developers who understand both the technical and practical sides of development, we’re here to help.
Not sure where to start? You can also check out our detailed guide on how to hire Java developers, which walks you through the process from a business perspective.
Java frameworks provide prewritten code and structure that help developers build web, backend, or enterprise applications more efficiently. They reduce boilerplate code, streamline development, and promote good coding practices.
Spring Boot continues to be the most widely used Java framework in 2025 due to its simplicity, performance, and strong ecosystem. It’s especially popular for microservices and enterprise backend development.
For web applications, Spring MVC and Jakarta Faces are strong choices. Spring MVC offers flexibility and integration, while Jakarta Faces (formerly JSF) is suited for building component-based UIs.
Start by identifying your project requirements, such as scalability, performance needs, or time-to-market. Then evaluate frameworks based on community support, documentation, learning curve, and integration with other tools.
Yes, it’s common to use multiple frameworks together. For example, Spring Boot can be combined with Hibernate for ORM or Thymeleaf for templating. Just ensure they are compatible and serve distinct purposes.
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