Which Technology Stack is Better in 2023: MEAN or MERN?

Amadi Anuththara

Undergraduate B.Sc. in IT | Intern Software Quality Assurance Engineer

发布日期: 2023年4月9日

What is Stack?

It is a piece of technology that aids in the application development process and will include various features that aid in the process. Full-stack development is the most commonly used term. This term refers to a developer's ability to work across multiple technology platforms. The front end, data management or database handling, or backend roles are all possible.

Full-stack developers have the ability to work with and adapt to any technology based on their skill set and expertise. Full-stack developers can work in any area of development, including front-end development, database administration, and back-end development.

What is MEAN?

?MEAN is a term that stands for MongoDB, ExpressJS, AngularJS, and NodeJS. These four components comprise the technology stack. MEAN can be used to develop applications that are scalable and dependable when Angular is used. This technology stack is mostly used to develop web applications. These applications are easily scalable and provide robust performance when used.

No alt text provided for this image — MEAN Stack Developer - Javatpoint

MongoDB: It is used to store back-end application data as JSON files.
ExpressJS: This is a Node. js-based back-end application.
AngularJS: It is a front-end framework that executes code in the browser.
NodeJS: It provides a JavaScript runtime system for back-end web applications.

What is MERN?

MERN is an acronym that stands for MongoDB, Express, React, and NodeJS. The only difference is that instead of Angular, ReactJS is used. Applications built with React are known for being scalable and performance-driven. Of course, you can only build hybrid applications with these technology stacks. The interfaces required to support the applications are easily coded by developers. Because React is included, your applications will be able to use open-source technologies. This means that no licenses or expensive subscription fees are required to use these technologies.

MongoDB: It is a No-SQL document-oriented data store that is used to store back-end applications.
ExpressJS: It is a layered framework built on top of NodeJS that handles the back-end functionality and structure of a website.
ReactJS: It is a library that helps in creating seamless user interfaces for single-page web applications.
NodeJS: It is a runtime environment that can execute JavaScript on a machine.

Skill Sets a MEAN Stack Developer Must Possess

Be aware of cloud technologies, architecture, web designing, and integration
Knowledge of HTML and CSS
Understanding of SDLC and the Agile Environment
Have access to multiple frameworks for web creation and development

Skill Sets a MERN Stack Developer Must Possess

Be proficient in HTML and JavaScript
Understanding of profiling applications and optimizing them
Knowledge of various databases and programming templates

Working Model of MEAN Stack

?The MEAN stack's architecture is straightforward and ideal for developing web applications in Javascript and efficiently handling JSON.

AngularJS: AngularJS is at the very top of the MEAN stack. It's a Javascript framework that allows you to add metadata to HTML tags, resulting in a dynamic, interactive, and powerful web experience.

ExpressJS and NodeJS: It is used for backend development and runs on NodeJS. It creates applications that are multi-page, single-page, or hybrid. Its layer serves as the stack's logic. NodeJS is a Javascript application that runs on the server side.

MongoDB Database: MongoDB is a data storage system. On the front end, AngularJS generates JSON documents, which are then sent to ExpressJS, where they are directly processed to MongoDB for data retrieval and storage.

Working Model of MERN Stack

React.js: At the top of the development stack is React.js. It is a JavaScript framework used to create dynamic client-side applications. React.js allows you to build complex interfaces and connect them to data on the backend server.

MongoDB Database: It serves the same purpose in both the MERN and MEAN stacks.

ExpressJS and NodeJS: In the MERN stack, the Express.js and NodeJS servers perform the same functions as they do in the MEAN stack. NodeJS is a run-time environment for JavaScript. It allows users to execute code on the server. It is compatible with Node Pack Manager (npm), a collection of thousands of free public and private node modules.

What are the benefits of MEAN Stack?

It's quite easy to learn and is backed by a strong community.
It is best suited for small-to-medium-sized projects.
All types of applications can be easily created.
The built-in tools enable real-time testing.

What are the benefits of MERN Stack?

It's a single coding script that effectively handles front-end and back-end development.
It only requires JSON and Java to complete the entire process.
Its MVC architecture enables seamless development.
Its built-in tools work best in real-time testing.

Difference Between MEAN Stack and MERN Stack

Why choose MEAN Stack?

MEAN Stack is extremely adaptable to code transfer within other frameworks. This can be used to create a strong framework that supports daily needs. MEAN Stack is simple and easy to learn, and it has a strong community behind it. It spans the entire development cycle, from the client to the server. The MEAN stack, on the other hand, is ideal for powerful Front-end development, particularly for enterprises that require single-page applications with dynamic user interfaces.

Why choose MERN Stack?

When compared to the MEAN Stack's Angular.js, the MERN Stack's React.js is superior for UI layer abstraction. Its collection of dynamic user interfaces readily available within the library allows it to execute code development quickly. MERN excels at controlling and updating large amounts of dynamic JSON data that can be navigated smoothly between the Front-end and the Back-end.

MEAN vs MERN Stack: What should you choose in 2023?

With the implementation and utilization of both the stacks, such as MERN and MEAN, web and mobile application development has become far easier. Both the MEAN and MERN stacks share many similarities and offer several advantages.

However, they massively differ. They differ in certain critical criteria, such as their structure, which makes MEAN a better choice for large-scale applications and powerful front-end development, while MERN is better suited to smaller applications and those apps that heavily rely on user interface elements.

For instance, if you want to develop mobile applications, undoubtedly the MERN stack works the best. It all boils down to the demand of your project. Make sure you select the best tech stack based on your project requirements.

Finally, I'd like to recommend some resources for those of you interested in learning more about MEAN and MERN Stack. ?I hope you find them useful.?

Learn MongoDB

Course - Understanding the basics of MongoDB

Tutorial - Guru99 MongoDB in 7 days Tutorial

Video - MongoDB Tutorial for beginners

Learn Express

eBook - Express Handbook by Flavio

Tutorial - Tutorials Point - ExpressJS tutorials

Video - ExpressJS Crash Course by Traversy Media

Learn React

Course - React JS Frontend Web Development for Beginners

eBook - React Handbook by Flavio