What technologies are used for building a website or a mobile app is extremely important for deciding the fate of the app and its performance output. The stack of technologies used for building a website or mobile app often plays an elementary role in deciding its success.
In the development world, there are many different technology stacks. Two of the most popular technology stacks are MEAN stack and MERN stack. Why are these stacks so popular? What values do they offer to the developers and users worldwide? These are the questions we are going to answer through this post.
What is a Technology Stack?
A technology stack basically means a cluster of programming languages and frameworks used for building a technology solution such as software or mobile app or website. These clusters or combinations of technologies can be of different types embracing programming languages and frameworks across multiple disciplines.
What is Full-Stack and Why Choose Full Stack?
Full-stack refers to the technology combinations that can take care of all development tasks including frontend, backend, database, and testing. A full-stack developer is a professional who has expertise in the programming languages and software applications required for building each of these development tasks. Many enterprises hire full stack developers who can build the frontend and backend of the app and take care of database development as well as testing.
Full-stack developers enjoy more popularity principally because they can visualise the output of the entire software application and all its facets rather than being stuck to either frontend or backend. Having a comprehensive and total view of the app help deliver optimum user experience (UX). On the other hand, by working in the two of both frontend and backend developers they can handle small budget app projects better.
Let’s have a quick look at the key advantages of full-stack development.
- One can easily switch from the front end to the back end development or vice versa based on the needs.
- The developers can work for the entire app user experience instead of considering any single aspect.
- It is a less expensive option as a single developer can look after every area of the project.
- Developers can be more accountable for the project outcome and the result.
- Full-stack development is great for updating new features and capabilities as each developer is specialized for both frontend and backend tasks.
- Full-stack development is more flexible for dealing with the tasks as all developers are skilled in every specialty.
- For dealing with errors and mistakes no developer needs to remain in darkness about the output of other team members. Everyone has expertise in all aspects of an app project.
- Full-stack development is a perfect fit for an Agile development approach.
- Needing a small developer team, it is ideal for low budget projects of small and medium enterprises.
What is MEAN Stack?
MEAN Stack is the technology stack comprising multiple JavaScript frameworks and technologies for building complex mobile and web apps. This stack comprises four key technologies such as MongoDB for database, Express.JS for backend, Angular for frontend, and Node.JS as a runtime environment for app testing. As a combination of these technologies MEAN stack can take care of developing performance savvy dynamic apps complete with important features.
Let’s have a quick look at the key constituents of the MEAN stack.
- MongoDB is the Document database that stores the application data in JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) format.
- Express or Express.js is the framework for Back-end web app development and it runs on top of Node.js.
- Angular or Angular 2 is the frontend web app development framework that runs in the user’s browser to deliver dynamic UI for the users.
- Node.JS is the JavaScript runtime environment that helps with the implementation and testing of the app.
Why Developers’ First Priority is MEAN Stack?
There are many benefits that make MEAN stack popular among the developers. Here are some of the key reasons to choose MEAN stack for app development projects.
- MEAN stack takes care of the entire development cycle comprising all stages including frontend, backend database, and testing.
- MEAN stack supports the MVC(Model View Controller) architecture to ensure streamlined development flow.
- The stack brings together four of the most popular and leading technologies in their respective areas.
- MEAN stack has access to an array of existing tools for each stage of the development lifecycle.
- All the frameworks are open source and free and all of them enjoy great support from a thriving community of developers.
Read more: The Benefits of Using MEAN Stack for Developing Progressive Web Apps
What is MERN Stack?
MERN Stack is a technology stack combining several key programming languages and is used for building dynamic and feature-rich web apps. MERN stack is another stack comprising leading JavaScript frameworks. MERN stack comprises four key frameworks such as MongoDB, Express, React, and Node.js.
Let’s have a quick look at the key constituents of the MERN technology stack.
- MongoDB in the stack provides the database support.
- Express or ExpressJS is a lean and fast backend framework that works on top of NodeJS.
- React is the widely popular JavaScript-based frontend library to develop attractive user interfaces.
- Node.js is the JavaScript runtime engine that allows app testing and evaluation.
Why do Developers Choose MERN Stack?
MERN stack offers a whole array of advantages for developers as they can find appropriate technologies for all development tasks. Some of the key reasons that make developers prefer MERN stack include the following.
- MERN stack comprises all appropriate technologies to take care of the entire web app development cycle starting from the frontend to backend to database to the runtime environment.
- MERN stack offers full support to the MVC(Model View Controller) architecture for an easier and streamlined development process.
- Being a completely JavaScript-based stack, having expertise with JavaScript and JSON is enough for the developers.
- The most popular and widely used technologies like MongoDB, ExpressJS, React, and NodeJS come together.
- All the frameworks offer several inbuilt tools to add more capabilities and features to the project.
- All the frameworks are open source and free and offer great community support.
Both MEAN and MERN stacks are quite similar to one another as they use the same frameworks for all requirements except for the frontend development. While Angular is the frontend framework in MEAN stack, React is used as the frontend framework in the MERN stack.
Conclusion
Both the stacks are equally powerful and popular for web development projects of all types and niches. As MEAN Stack Development is getting popular both MEAN and MERN stacks are being considered as key development skills for most web app projects now.
