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An app development stack is the set of technologies used together to build an application. Depending on the app, it may include tools for the user interface, backend data services, or both; there is no single required stack for every app.

What an app development stack includes

“Stack” refers to technologies assembled to support an application. Its components depend on what the application needs and how the team intends to build and run it.

  • Frontend: Tools that support the user interface and user experience.
  • Backend: Tools that provide data services.
  • Development kit: May address the frontend, the backend, or both.

So, an app development stack can cover one side of an application or both. The phrase does not name a fixed list of products or technologies.

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How a stack differs from an app development platform

A stack usually means the technologies a team selects and combines for an application. An app development platform integrates technologies that teams might otherwise install and manage separately. Red Hat defines an application development platform as “a set of integrated technologies that enable teams to build software applications efficiently.” Red Hat’s explanation of application development platforms was published December 14, 2022.

Red Hat describes an app development and delivery platform as an enterprise-ready alternative to assembling a stack from individual technologies. It identifies standardization, centralized support, and security as purposes of such platforms; these are the vendor’s stated aims, not a guarantee that every platform delivers the same results.

Choosing between assembling a stack and using a platform

Neither approach is automatically right for every team. Consider the following decision points:

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Red Hat names OpenShift as an example of an application platform powered by Kubernetes for container orchestration. That example illustrates the platform category; it is not a universal recommendation, and the cited explainer does not establish current product packaging or features.

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