MEAN vs MERN – What Stack to Choose for Your Business

DevelopmentTechnology

Choosing the right tech stack for your business is undoubtedly a challenging task. The abundance of options makes it essential to carefully evaluate each stack's strengths and weaknesses based on your business needs. If you're gearing up to develop an app, two prominent tech stacks that often come into consideration are MEAN and MERN.

The MEAN stack, comprising MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS, and Node.js, and the MERN stack, with MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, and Node.js, offer distinct advantages. To make an informed decision, consider the following key factors:

Key Factors

1. Priority and Business Objectives:

• Evaluate your business priorities and objectives. MEAN's comprehensive framework, including AngularJS, may align well with certain project requirements, while MERN's flexibility with React.js may be more suitable for others.

2. Cost Considerations:

• Assess the potential costs associated with each stack. MEAN and MERN both have vibrant communities, but the availability and cost of skilled developers may vary. Consider your budget and the long-term cost implications.

3. Time Appearance and Development Speed:

• Time-to-market is crucial in today's fast-paced tech landscape. The development speed can differ between MEAN and MERN due to the nature of AngularJS and React.js. Consider which stack aligns better with your project timeline.

4. Accomplishing Project Goals:

• Define your project goals and features. MEAN's two-way data binding and dependency injection might be advantageous in certain scenarios, while MERN's virtual DOM and component-based structure could be more suitable for others.

Challenges in MEAN vs. MERN Stack

When considering whether to implement the MEAN (MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS, Node.js) or MERN (MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, Node.js) Stack for your project, various challenges may arise. Here's a closer look at the obstacles you might encounter:

1. Front-End Framework Divergence:

   • One of the primary challenges is the choice between AngularJS (MEAN) and React.js (MERN) for the front-end. Developers accustomed to one framework may find it challenging to adapt to the syntax, structure, and state management of the other.

2. Learning Curve Variations:

   • The learning curves for AngularJS and React.js differ significantly. The comprehensive nature of AngularJS can be an advantage for some, but it may also pose a steeper learning curve compared to the more modular and flexible React.js.

3. Developer Expertise:

   • The availability of skilled developers for each stack can impact your decision. If your team is more proficient in one of the frameworks, transitioning to the other may require additional training and time investment.
4. Community Support:
   • The level of community support and available resources for troubleshooting issues can vary between MEAN and MERN. Assessing the robustness of each stack's community can be crucial for getting timely help and staying updated on best practices.

5. Project Requirements and Scalability:

   • Consider the specific needs of your project. While both stacks can handle scalability effectively, the nature of your application and the expected growth may influence the suitability of MEAN or MERN for your scalability goals.

6. Ecosystem Compatibility:

   • Ensure that the third-party libraries, plugins, and tools you plan to use are compatible with your chosen stack. Differences in the ecosystems of AngularJS and React.js may affect your ability to integrate certain features seamlessly.

7. Legacy System Integration:

   • If you have existing systems or libraries developed using AngularJS (MEAN) or React.js (MERN), integrating them into a project built with the other stack could present integration challenges and require additional development effort.

8. Performance Considerations:

   • Evaluate the performance implications of your choice. React.js, with its virtual DOM, may offer advantages in certain scenarios, while AngularJS provides a comprehensive solution with built-in features that might be advantageous in other contexts.

MERN Stack

One of the most famous tech stacks for development is the MERN. It stands for Mango DB, Express.js, ReactJS, and Node.js. MERN stack is a widely used end-to-end framework for app development.

One of the most famous tech stacks for development is the MERN. It stands for Mango DB, Express.js, ReactJS, and Node.js. MERN stack is a widely used end-to-end framework for app development.

Advantages of MERN stack for app development

Excellent community support: MERN stack has great community support from a highly engaged community which makes it beginner-friendly.

React Library: MERN stack has an inbuilt React library, which offers developers access to high-end tools that make development easy and fun. And it comes quite handy from a design perspective.

Model-view-controller: MERN stack’s MVC architecture makes for a smooth development process, freeing up developers to specialize in improving app functionalities.

No context switching: Since MERN Stack uses only JavaScript for both frontend and backend development, app developers don't get to be bothered with context switching which makes for efficient app development.

Easy learning curve: Developers conversant in JavaScript and JSON can easily get on board with the MERN stack without much ado. The straightforward learning curve reduces training time and provides businesses access to a wider pool of developers, ultimately resulting in an honest product.

Flexibility: With its open-source nature and no licensing disputes to stress about, the MERN stack offers flexibility to settle on your choice of development tools, components, and frameworks. You get to create and customize your app any way you wish and find yourself with top-quality, high-performance products. The JS stack gives developers the pliability to create pages on the server as and when required.

MEAN Stack

In 2022, if you go through the latest development survey, you will get to know that all the best app development agency uses the MEAN stack to develop scalable apps. MEAN stack represents MongoDB, Express.js, Angular, and Node.js. Best app Development agency prefers MEAN Stack for developing both adaptable mobile and web apps since it is a JavaScript-based open-source tech stack.

Being a JavaScript tech stack, MEAN is often used for developing all types of applications starting from native and hybrid mobile apps to web apps. It uses Angular JS which may be a structural framework for a few of the foremost dynamic mobile and web apps. The MEAN stack includes all the tools and plugins needed to form app development a smooth and quick process.

Advantages of using MEAN stack:

Easy on the pocket: MEAN stack is cost-efficient for start-ups and small businesses. Being open-source and JavaScript-based, it lowers development costs as well as maintenance.

Isomorphic coding: MEAN allows isomorphic coding using which code can be written easily in one framework to a different. It enables easier data flow across components on both the client and server sides because it uses a standard language for both.

Scalability: MongoDB features like auto-sharing, high availability, and replication make the MEAN stack exceptionally conducive to scaling up applications as your traffic grows with time. It also helps you easily scale all the front and backend layers alongside the database.

Reusability and Speed: Since Angular is an open-source JavaScript framework, the MEAN stack provides developers with a high level of reusability, testability, maintenance, and excellent development speed.

Security: Keeping your application secure from cyberattacks should be one of the highest priorities for businesses. The 2020 McAfee mobile threat report states that half the mobile threats in 2019 came from malicious apps. MEAN stack gives developers all the essential security tools to stay their apps safe from malicious threats.

Cloud compatible: MEAN stack further increases speed and reduces circle space cost by being cloud compatible. MongoDB sends cloud functions within the app keeping your app lightweight, fast, and simply accessible.

Easy Switching: Using an equivalent language on both server-side and client-side means developers can easily switch between the 2 sides enabling quick development.

Conclusion:

MERN Stack is great tech for learning but it’s not for businesses, so you should prefer MEAN Stack which is the best choice for most App development as well as for Web development agencies. If you are going to build an application for your business then you can opt for an organization that develops their app using the MEAN stack.

FAQ About MEAN vs MERN

1.What is the MEAN Stack?

The MEAN Stack comprises MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS, and Node.js. It's a full-stack JavaScript framework used for building dynamic web applications.

2. What is the MERN Stack?

The MERN Stack consists of MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, and Node.js. Like MEAN, it's a full-stack JavaScript framework but incorporates React.js instead of AngularJS for the front end.

3. MEAN Stack vs. MERN Stack - What's the Difference?

MEAN and MERN differ primarily in the choice of front-end technology. MEAN uses AngularJS, while MERN employs React.js. Both are powerful stacks that enable end-to-end JavaScript development.

4. Why Choose the MERN Stack?

Choosing the MERN Stack might be preferable for developers who appreciate the flexibility and efficiency of React.js. React's virtual DOM can lead to better performance, and its component-based architecture simplifies code maintenance.

5. Why Choose the MEAN Stack?

Opting for the MEAN Stack might be the right choice if you are comfortable with AngularJS or if your project aligns better with Angular's comprehensive framework, which includes features like two-way data binding and dependency injection.

6. MEAN and MERN - Are There Key Similarities?

Yes, MEAN and MERN share commonalities in their back-end components, utilizing MongoDB for the database, Express.js for server-side scripting, and Node.js for server-side runtime.

7. MEAN or MERN Stack - Which is More Popular?

Popularity often depends on community preferences and specific project requirements. Both MEAN and MERN have sizable communities, so choosing between them should be based on factors like development familiarity, project complexity, and scalability needs.

8. MERN Stack vs. MEAN Stack - Which is Better for Scalability?

Both stacks can scale effectively. The choice might depend on the specific scalability needs and the comfort level of your development team with either React.js or AngularJS.

9. Can I Switch Between MEAN and MERN Stacks in a Project?

While it's possible to switch, it can be challenging due to the differences between AngularJS and React.js. It's advisable to choose the stack that best aligns with your project's requirements from the start.