[andy800]

Unlike many others here, I would highly recommend writing backend services/APIs on the JVM, with the caveat that you use Kotlin, not Java. Every server project I've started in the past 3-4 years has been Kotlin, and I have never been more productive. Last year I switched from JS SPA (I preferred Vue to React) to HTMX and Jte templates and it was like adding a turbo boost to an already-humming engine.

Second point, while the frameworks can be helpful (Spring, VertX, Micronaut, Quarkus, etc) you don't actually need one. Ktor or http4k as your http/routing engine (& client), jooQ for DB access, H2 as a caching database if necessary -- these will take you a long way.

The only downside I experience is fewer deployment options -- can't natively deploy to Fly.io, Railway, etc except via Docker. With that said, setting up a simple VPS with Adoptium JVM is pretty easy. Hope this helps -- good luck!