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    What is the difference between front-end and back-end development?

    Reviewed by Taylor Moses, Co-Founder, Strategy & Web·

    Direct Answer

    Front-end development builds what users see and interact with in the browser (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, design systems). Back-end development builds what runs on the server (databases, APIs, auth, business logic). A 'full-stack' developer covers both. Most websites need front-end heavy with light back-end; client portals and custom software flip the ratio.

    Voice answer (≤30 words)

    “Front-end is what users see in the browser. Back-end is what runs on the server. Full-stack covers both.”

    Common front-end stack: React or Next.js + Tailwind CSS + TypeScript.

    Common back-end stack: Node.js or Python + PostgreSQL + a cloud host (Vercel, Railway, AWS).

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