MEAN VS MERN - Choose The Right Stack For Your Business

Developing leading web applications requires the use of a wide variety of technologies that stand the test of time as the market for web and mobile application development keeps expanding. This makes it crucial to choose the best stack for custom web development.

What does the word Stack identify as? What makes MEAN and MERN a leading and popular stack for building web applications? If you have landed on this blog you are most probably a tech enthusiast or an entrepreneur seeking to implement these technologies.

With the evolutionary technological demands every business owner needs to be well informed with diverse tech-stacks and when to implement it.

Before you get into the MEAN vs MERN debate it is crucial you hire Full Stack developers supporting your development process to build quality web applications.

This blog will briefly guide you with an ultimate comparison on MEAN vs MERN helping you decide which stack to choose from to stay updated with the new web development trends as per your business needs.

What Does The Term Web Development Stack Mean?

Software that is required for Web development is called a Web stack. Typically, a Web stack consists of an operating system (OS), a programming language, database software, and a Web server.

Once you hire Back-End developers, you now need to carefully choose the right stack analyzing the project requirement for maximum scalability, performance, and flexibility.

In order to make the right decision, developers must understand the features, costs, and benefits of stacks.

Development Stack can be categorized into two following main types.

MEAN Stack Development

MEAN stack development belongs from the assembly javascript with the combination of technology used to build real-time web and mobile applications. This means that the support programs for the MEAN stack are all written in JavaScript to swiftly manage the database, the front end and the back end.

Application developed through MEAN stack requires the code to be written in a single language for both server-side and client-side environments. This simplifies the process for the developers working behind the project and significantly accelerates delivery.

MEAN is particularly a free and open-source software stack that is useful for building real-time, data-intensive applications gaining immersive popularity among web developers.

MEAN Stack Components

The acronym "MEAN" stands for MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS, and Node.js. MEAN stack comprises all of these combinations of technologies making it easier to develop and maintain web applications with the providence of a full-stack solution for web application development.

Listed below is a breakdown of all the MEAN Stack components and how they provide their application to be put into use.

MEAN Stack Advantages

Mean stack being an open-source javascript software has multiple benefits to developing cloud-native web and mobile applications. Along with its profound scalability and ease in manageability, following are the major advantages MEAN Stack offers.

Skills Needed In A MEAN Stack Developer

When hiring a skilled MEAN stack developer it is crucial you look for the following skills and experience in them.

• Strong knowledge of JavaScript, as well as experience with web development concepts such as HTML, CSS, and web performance optimization
• Understand the processes and requirements on both the client and server sides.
• Experience with Git, Agile development methodologies, and Linux.
• Workflow and architecture basics.
• For managing and collaborating on code, a MEAN stack developer should be familiar with Git, a version control system.
• It is essential that a MEAN stack developer has the ability to analyze and solve complex web development issues.

MERN Stack Development

MERN stack is similar to the MEAN stack with a collection of technologies used to robustly build web applications. It provides an easy way to build a three-tier architecture of frontend, backend, database using JavaScript and JSON.

The two stacks consist of multiple similarities, however a major difference in choosing MERN vs MEAN is that it separates them both for different development applications. This difference is that the MEAN stack uses AngularJS for the front-end, while the MERN stack uses React.

The MERN stack allows for a full-stack JavaScript development and is widely used for building scalable and high-performance web applications.

MERN Stack Components

MERN Stack consists of 4 javascript- based technologies named as MongoDB, Express.js, React, and Node.js that work together in developing highly scalable web apps and websites.

The following are the applications of the components that MERN Stack comprises.

MERN Stack Advantages

Skills Needed In A MERN Stack Developer

When hiring a skilled MERN stack developer it is crucial you look for the following skills and experience in them;

• MERN stack developer should have a solid understanding of JavaScript, including its syntax and commonly used libraries and frameworks.
• MongoDB is the "M" in the MERN stack, so a developer should have experience working with this NoSQL database. React is the "R" in the MERN stack, so a developer should be comfortable working with this popular JavaScript library for building user interfaces.
• Node.js is the "N" in the MERN stack, so a developer should have experience working with this JavaScript runtime for building server-side applications.
• Express.js is a popular web framework for Node.js, so a developer should be familiar with its syntax and usage.
• A developer should be familiar with Git, a version control system, for managing and collaborating on code.
• A MERN stack developer should be able to analyze and troubleshoot complex issues related to web development.
• MERN stack developers should be familiar with the principles of RESTful API's and be able to create and consume them.
• A MERN stack developer should have solid skills in CSS and HTML, which are essential for creating visually appealing and responsive web pages.
• A MERN stack developer should have knowledge of web security best practices and be able to implement them to protect applications from potential attacks.

MEAN Vs MERN - Head To Head Comparison

MEAN Vs MERN Stack Similarities

MEAN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS, Node.js) and MERN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React, Node.js) are both collections of technologies commonly used for building web applications.

Both stacks use MongoDB as the database, Express.js as the web framework, and Node.js as the runtime environment. Here are a few similarities between the MEAN and MERN stack:

• Both stacks use JavaScript for the entire application development, which allows for a full-stack JavaScript development experience.
• Both stacks use MongoDB as the database, which is a NoSQL document-based database.
• Both stacks use Express.js for routing and handling HTTP requests.
• Both stacks use Node.js as the runtime environment, which allows for executing JavaScript on the server-side.
• Both stacks can be used to build a wide range of web applications, from simple websites to complex web apps.
• Both stacks are open-source, which means developers can use them for free and contribute to the development of the stack.

Types Of Website And Mobile Development MEAN And MERN Stack Can Support

Both MEAN and MERN Stack are modern approaches to developing robust mobile and web applications.

These two Stacks have multiple similarities as they both come with the providence of a full-stack JS-based development experience. This contributes to both stack supporting the development of the following types of website and mobile application:

MEAN vs MERN - Which One To Choose

At a final note, MEAN (MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS, Node.js) and MERN (MongoDB, Express.js, React, Node.js) stack both provide exceptional modern technologies to build highly scalable and industry-leading applications.

In the present app development market MEAN and MERN lead. Your bottom-line unique project prerequisites will help you identify which stack is preferred as per the associated advantages and disadvantages it brings you.

MEAN stack is a suitable choice for businesses seeking to build large scale applications. This is because AngularJS serves as a powerful and mature framework to support complex applications.

Moreover, another reason why MEAN is your go-to option in the comparison of MEAN vs MERN stack is the two-way data binding support it brings to the development process. This empowers easier and swift delivery of the built applications.

Continuing the debate of MEAN vs MERN, the MERN stack with the lightweight and fast React library allows the developers to build robust and scalable applications. It is hands-down the best choice for flexible and open-source applications development allowing the developers to use it for free.

In summary, both MEAN and MERN stack are great choices for building web applications, and the decision of which one to choose depends on the specific needs and requirements of the project.

When it comes to building complex and large applications, MEAN stack is the right choice, however, MERN stack is better when building high-performance and scalable web applications.

Key Take-Aways

In a nutshell, there’s no perfect stack in the web development business. Before choosing a stack, it's important to understand the specific needs and goals of your project. This will help you determine which technologies will be the best fit.

Choosing a stack that can scale as your project grows is important for the long-term success of your business.

There are often more tutorials and forums available for popular stacks with large developer communities. This can make it easier to find developers and troubleshoot issues.

Costs associated with certain stacks may be higher, including licensing fees and specialized hosting. A stack's costs should be considered in relation to your project's budget.

Some stacks are designed to be more agile and allow for faster development, which can be beneficial for businesses that need to get products to market quickly.

Web development is an ever-evolving field and new technologies are always emerging. It's important to stay up-to-date on trends and consider how they may impact your stack choice.

FAQs

1. What is the main difference between MEAN and MERN stacks?

   The main difference is that The MEAN stack uses AngularJS for its front-end framework, while the MERN stack uses React for its front-end framework.

2. Which stack is better for building complex and large-scale web applications?

   Complex and large-scale web applications are generally considered easier to build using MEAN stack with AngularJS

3. Which stack is better for performance?

   MERN stack, with React, is generally considered to be faster and more efficient than MEAN stack, with AngularJS.

4. Which stack has a larger community and more resources?

   MERN stack, with React, has a larger community and more resources than MEAN stack, with AngularJS.

5. Which stack is more flexible and can be used to build a wide variety of web applications?

   MERN stack, with React, is more flexible and can be used to build a wide variety of web applications.