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This is a bit complex, and it depends on which blockchain.

Building from scratch

Programming Language: Any Web Dev Languages

Yea, building from scratch. For me, I made a blockchain from scratch with Node.js (JavaScript), where the hashing algorithm I used is SHA256 and all the blockchain server connected with each other with websocket. It also can be done in any languages.

Pros:

• Fully customizable
• Take full control on what you want to do

Cons:

• It's hard
• Need to think of how to setup security

Ethereum

Programming Language: Solidity, JavaScript

Ethereum provides a good setup to create smart contract in an easy and elegant way. Then you can use any standard library on top of it.

Web3.js and also MetaMask can build an easy to use front end too.

Pros:

• Easy to build
• Easy to deploy
• Smart Contract are transparent

Cons:

• Every transaction cost gas.
• Once deployed, cannot patch for updates.
• Testing is important factor, need to test out the smart contract before deploy.

Steem

Programming Language: Any Web Dev Languages

Building app on top of Steem you can just consume the API, I would suggest any web programming language that helps you in creating the website, it can be JavaScript, Ruby, Python, PHP, you name it. All you did is just consuming the API via the RPC.

Pros:

• No transaction fee
• Fast Transaction time
• Support multiple languages since it is using Web API
• SteemConnect as a OAuth

Cons:

• Not much reference, a lot of trial and error
• Does not support Smart Contract or maybe a minimal way with a json file

EOS

Programming Language: C++

Although EOS haven't been launch, but the test net is out. You can try out the EOS Smart Contract. The C++ code will be compiled into WebAssembly and deploy into EOS network.

Pros:

• No transaction fee
• Fast Transaction Time
• Support Smart Contract

Cons:

• Still early stage, references are limited
• The project haven't release

Conclusion

This is my experience with a few of this blockchain project. I personally would go with Ethereum at current stage as it fulfils my requirement, where my project might switch to EOS once it is launched.