Technology | 2024 Stack Overflow Developer Survey

Programming, scripting, and markup languages

JavaScript has been a mainstay in the developer survey and on Stack Overflow since our first survey. The most popular programming language has been JavaScript every year we have done the survey except for 2013 and 2014, when SQL was the most popular language.

Which programming, scripting, and markup languages have you done extensive development work in over the past year, and which do you want to work in over the next year? (If you both worked with the language and want to continue to do so, please check both boxes in that row.)

Responses: 60,171 (92%)

Databases

PostgreSQL debuted in the developer survey in 2018 when 33% of developers reported using it, compared with the most popular option that year: MySQL, in use by 59% of developers. Six years later, PostgreSQL is used by 49% of developers and is the most popular database for the second year in a row.

Which database environments have you done extensive development work in over the past year, and which do you want to work in over the next year? (If you both worked with the database and want to continue to do so, please check both boxes in that row.)

Responses: 52,418 (80.1%)

Cloud platforms

AWS' share of usage amongst respondents is the same in 2024 as in 2023, while Azure and Google Cloud increased their share. Azure has climbed from 26% to 28% usage and Google Cloud went from 24% to 25%.

Which cloud platforms have you done extensive development work in over the past year, and which do you want to work in over the next year? (If you both worked with the platform and want to continue to do so, please check both boxes in that row.)

Responses: 46,261 (70.7%)

Web frameworks and technologies

Node.js peaked in 2020 with its highest recorded usage score of 51%. While not as popular, it's still the most used web technology in the survey this year and has increased popularity among those learning to code from last year.

Which web frameworks and web technologies have you done extensive development work in over the past year, and which do you want to work in over the next year? (If you both worked with the framework and want to continue to do so, please check both boxes in that row.)

Responses: 48,503 (74.1%)

Embedded Technologies

Embedded technologies is a new sub-section of the developer survey this year. 30% of developers are using Raspberry Pi, making it the first most popular embedded technology in the Developer Survey.

Which embedded systems and technologies have you done extensive development work in over the past year, and which do you want to work in over the next year? (If you both worked with the framework and want to continue to do so, please check both boxes in that row.)

Responses: 27,921 (42.7%)

Other frameworks and libraries

.NET is the most used among other frameworks and libraries again this year for all developers. Those learning to code are using NumPy and Pandas the most (as they were last year).

Which other frameworks and libraries have you done extensive development work in over the past year, and which do you want to work in over the next year? (If you both worked with the framework and want to continue to do so, please check both boxes in that row.)

Responses: 45,841 (70.1%)

Other tools

Docker is used the most by professional developers (59%) and npm is used the most by developers learning to code (45%).

Which developer tools for compiling, building and testing have you done extensive development work in over the past year, and which do you want to work in over the next year? (If you both worked with the technology and want to continue to do so, please check both boxes in that row.)

Responses: 54,175 (82.8%)

Integrated development environment

Visual Studio Code is used by more than twice as many developers than its nearest (and related) alternative, Visual Studio.

Which development environments did you use regularly over the past year, and which do you want to work with over the next year? Please check all that apply.

Responses: 58,121 (88.8%)

Asynchronous tools

Jira and Confluence top the list for most used asynchronous tools developers use for the third year.

Which collaborative work management and/or code documentation tools did you use regularly over the past year, and which do you want to work with over the next year? Select all that apply

Responses: 49,931 (76.3%)

Synchronous tools

Teams is the most popular synchronous tool for professional developers (and overall) while Discord is the most popular amongst those learning to code.

Which communication tools did you use regularly over the past year, and which do you want to work with over the next year? Select all that apply

Responses: 56,109 (85.7%)

Operating system

Windows is the most popular operating system for developers, across both personal and professional use.

What is the primary operating system in which you work?

Responses: 58,600 (89.6%)

AI Search and Developer Tools

ChatGPT is used by twice as many developers as its next closest alternative, GitHub Copilot. ChatGPT has a popular free option that developers observably like.

Which AI-powered search and developer tools did you use regularly over the past year, and which do you want to work with over the next year? Select all that apply.

Responses: 46,208 (70.6%)

2 Technology

2.1 Most popular technologies

Programming, scripting, and markup languages

Databases

Cloud platforms

Web frameworks and technologies

Embedded Technologies

Other frameworks and libraries

Other tools

Integrated development environment

Asynchronous tools

Synchronous tools

Operating system

AI Search and Developer Tools

2.2 Admired and Desired

Programming, scripting, and markup languages