Let’s dig into the Comparison and Benefits of Mean Stack Vs Mern Stack!

Gone are the times when web application development was done using JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.

Now, the developers use a ‘stack’ of technologies to provide you with a seamless website or application. You don’t know what a stack is or their different types? Don’t worry! We got you! Apart from discussing MEAN stack vs MERN stack in this blog, we will be talking about the basics too!

What is a Stack?

A “Stack” is a combination of programming languages, technologies or even software products. Development stacks are further divided into two categories – Technology stack & application stack.

Our topic of discussion today, Mean vs Mern, falls under the category of technology stacks. Apart from these two, another popular technology stack is full-stack.

Before we get down to Mean stack vs Mern stack comparison, let’s discuss in brief about Full-stack Vs Mean stack.

What is the Difference Between Full Stack & Mean Stack?

☛ Full-Stack

Developers used to be divided into categories such as frontend, backend, mobile app, database, and testing developers. The developers had expertise in their respective fields.

However, the changing times required them to upgrade their skills and work on both – Frontend & Backend. Such developers who can work on almost all the aspects of a custom mobile app development project are called full-stack developers.

Today, full-stack developers are in huge demand as they can solve issues in multiple streams of software development. All the development companies now want to hire full-stack developers as they can complete a website or application from scratch.

☛ Mean Stack

MEAN Stack is a combination of MongoDB, Express.js, Angular and Node.js technologies to develop web and mobile apps. All these technologies are JavaScript based and used to build complex websites and web apps.

In layman terms, MEAN is a full-stack in JavaScript used to simplify and speed up the development process.

MEAN Stack belongs to the category of some of the fastest-growing open-source development framework. It provides developers with popular tools and plugins that allow faster deployment of your web applications.

Now, you know the basics of both – Full Stack and Mean stack. So, to continue with the basics, we will talk about Mern Stack first and then move to Mean vs Mern comparison.

What is Mern Stack?

Just like Mean Stack, Mern Stack is a combination of technologies. Mern Stack consists of MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, and Node.js. All the four components of Mern Stack provide the developers with an end to end framework to work.

The basic difference between Mean Stack vs Mern Stack is of React.js and Angular.js. Most of the developers prefer to React over Angular today.

We hope that by now you are clear with the basics of these popular technology stacks. Here are some of the common features of Mean Stack vs Mern Stack.

The Common Features:

Both the technology stacks are easy to implement and flexible. Applications are built on the Model – View layout. Each of the components in these technology stacks serves its own purpose.

MongoDB is a well known and valuable database that is used in both the stacks. Node.Js enables the Mean and Mern stack developers to develop highly functional backend applications with JavaScript running on the server-side.

Express.Js is for managing HTTP requests, render basic routing and producing an API.

List of other common features:

  • Both of them can cover the entire development cycle – right from front end development to backend development using JavaScript.
  • Both support the Model View Controller architecture to make the development process smooth.
  • Mean and Mern have a pre-built exclusive set of testing tools.
  • Both are open source frameworks.
  • Both technology stacks have a great support team and substantial documentation.

Now, we will discuss the benefits of Mean vs Mern individually for you to understand how Mean Stack vs Mern Stack performs in terms of practical implementation.

Moreover, you will be able to decide Mean vs Mern which is better for your project.

Benefits of MEAN Stack:

  • With the help of Mean Stack, it has become a lot easier to switch between the client and the server. This quality makes it fast and simple for the developers as they have to work with JavaScript. Developers with expertise in JavaScript are capable of managing the entire project with it. Here, node.js will help the developers to launch an application on the server without deploying it on a stand-alone server.
  • Another benefit with MEAN stack is that it is easy to transfer a code written in one language to another.
  • Not only MEAN is flexible but also allows the developers to test an application on a cloud platform easily. The right web development company can easily develop and test an application along with introducing it on the cloud. It also allows you to add more information by increasing the number of fields in the form.
  • What’s more? It has proven to be cost-efficient. It is because with MEAN stack you only need expert JavaScript experts. Whereas, in the case of LAMP stack you need developers who know to code in MySQL, PHP, and JavaScript too. As you need less number of developers for mean stack development services, the cost will automatically go down.
  • All the Mean Stack technologies are open source and therefore free. It aids in the development process and also reduces the overall cost.

Benefits of MERN Stack:

  • The basic building block of React is a component that maintains its state as well as renders itself. A component summarizes the state of data and view and this is how it is rendered. By splitting an application into components allows the developers to focus on the development and reasoning of the application. These components communicate by sharing their state information in the form of read-only properties to their sub-components. They communicate with parent components by callbacks.
  • As React can run on the server, its code can be used on both browsers and servers. It means you can create pages on the server whenever you want to.
  • All the technologies in MERN Stack are free and open source. Also, MERN Stack is backed by a huge community of developers to help you out wherever you get stuck.
  • Again, MERN stack also covers the complete development cycle – starting from frontend development to backend development.
  • MERN stack supports the MVC architecture which makes the development process hurdle free.
  • The MERN Stack comes with a set of pre-built exclusive testing tools.
  • React is a library. It is better than a framework because frameworks have their set ways of doing things. On the other hand, a library provides you with the tools to develop your application. An experienced developer can craft his application with the help of a library as there is complete freedom to choose from the library’s functions.

We hope that by now you are somewhat clear on the Mean stack vs Mern stack comparison. If not, listed below are some differences.

Differences Between Mean Stack vs Mern Stack:

☛ Performance

AngularJs has finally released a stable version now. There were major changes in shifting from Angular 1 to 2. Today, it is stable and known as one of the amazing JavaScript-based MVC frameworks. AngularJs helps in better management of files and abstraction in coding.

On the other hand, ReactJs will help you develop the code faster. Even though it is just a library, it performs better than AngularJs. Therefore, in terms of performance in Mean vs Mern, Mern has an upper hand.

☛ Architecture

When it comes to the enterprise-level application of stack, LinkedIn chose Mean over Mern. The reason being the maintenance of an architecture. Even though Mern makes UI rendering quite simple, it is after all only a library.

On the other hand, AngularJs renders you with a well-organized framework to support an MVC or an MVW architecture. In these architectures, the database and UI code is separated from an intermediate layer. It helps in managing and upgrading the code easily.

Hence, MEAN stack is preferred for Enterprise level applications.

☛ Use of Third Party Libraries

When you want to develop a large scale application, it is necessary to use multiple third parties for various purposes. As AngularJs is a framework, it comes with ready to use features that make it easy for you to use third-party libraries. AngularJs supports “$http” calls to establish a connection with the backend server.

Whereas, ReactJs needs additional libraries for supporting similar calls.

In conclusion, when you want additional features in your application, ReactJs will need additional configurations and AngularJs makes it as easy as a plug and play a job.

Conclusion

After all the technical details given to you, you might be wondering how to choose the right one between Mean stack vs Mern stack. The final choice comes down to the web design company you hire as they will understand your project requirements better.

A development company will take into consideration factors such as architecture, code maintenance, use of third party libraries etc to choose a technology stack for your project.

MEAN has been around for a longer time as compared to MERN. People are slowly learning about the benefits of choosing MERN for their projects. As mentioned earlier, the basic difference between the two is of Angular and React.

Some famous companies using Angular are NASA, HBO, Nike, and YouTube. The famous companies using React are Uber, Dropbox, Instagram, PayPal, Netflix, and Flipkart.

To be honest, both MEAN and MERN are reliable technology stacks that will help you create light-weight JavaScript applications.

It is believed that Mean stack is an ideal choice for large scale applications and Mern stack is ideal when you want faster development in small applications. Just like any other comparison, both of them have their pros and cons too.

We have managed to give you a detailed Mean vs Mern stack 2020 comparison and benefits to help you make an informed decision. We all know choosing the wrong technology stack may result in irreversible repercussions.

Are there some technical questions in your mind about MEAN and MERN? Leave it to us! Leave a message to us on [email protected] and our team will get back to you!