Within the JavaScript ecosystem, a particular app will consist of a combination of technologies, called a “stack.” The MEAN, MERN, and MEVN (pronounced “Mevin”) stacks are among the most popular technology stacks that developers use to create websites and mobile applications. But, what are the major differences between these stacks? And, do developers prefer one over the other?
To understand which stack is the better one, we need to understand the underlying differences between them.
What is a technology stack?
First things first, tech stacks are comprised of the many components which work together to produce an application which serves the needs of users and businesses:
- A front-end framework does most of the “heavy lifting” of building a complex website or mobile app, so the developers and designers can focus on providing the specific features and fixes needed by the users and the business.
- Often a CSS framework helps translate the design decisions of designers to easily-achievable and reproducible steps for developers.
- A back-end framework does most of the “heavy lifting” of communication between the website or mobile app and the database and business logic.
- Miscellaneous back-end technologies used for a variety of tasks, such as organizing the gradual release of experimental features, tracking and reporting errors in the system, or accommodating sudden increases in usage (such as when something goes viral).
- Database technologies store and organize data, as well as provide features for searching, filtering, and reporting data.
What are the MEAN, MERN, and MEVN stacks?
MEAN stack: MEAN is an abbreviation that stands for MongoDB, ExpressJS, AngularJS, Node.js. This framework provides quick and easy development of web and mobile applications. The main components of MEAN are as follows-
- MongoDB: It is used to store the data of back-end applications as JSON files.
- ExpressJS: It is a back-end application that runs on top of Node.js.
- AngularJS: It is the front-end framework that runs the code in the browser.
- NodeJS: It provides runtime system for JavaScript on the back-end web application.
MERN stack: MERN is an abbreviation which stands for MongoDB, ExpressJS, ReactJS, Node.js. This framework also provides quick and easy development of web and mobile applications using java as its main component. Main components of MERN are as follows.
- MongoDB: It is a document-oriented No-SQL data store used to store back-end applications.
- ExpressJS: It is a layered framework built on top of NodeJS that takes care of the website’s back-end functionality and structure.
- ReactJS: It is a library that facilitates creating the user interface components of single-page web applications.
- NodeJS: It is a runtime environment capable of running JavaScript on a machine
What is the difference between them ?
In those stacks there are common letters which are M – E – N .
- M: MongoDB
- E: Express.js
- N: Node.js
Those are the Backend technologies be while the Frontend technologies are A – R – V for MEAN – MERN – MEVN .
Then Obviously,
- A: Angular
- R: React
- V: Vue
So, what’s the difference between Angular, React, and Vue?
Since the primary difference between these stacks lies in their use of Angular, React, and Vue.js, let’s explore what those frameworks do.
- Angular is a front-end framework led by the Angular team at Google. It is Typescript-based by default and used for web, mobile web, native mobile, and native desktop development. Angular is popular in the business world and is often used by traditional organizations, like hospitals and banks. Angular is a more opinionated framework in that it isn’t as customizable as frameworks like React or Vue.
- React is a front-end framework for creating web applications to be run inside the browser. It was originally designed by Facebook to be able to support many millions of users. React is the most popular among the startup, freelance, and software consultancy crowds. It’s highly customizable and really good at scaling for massive numbers of users, which makes it easy for teams to be confident about future growth.
- Vue.js is an easy-to-learn JavaScript framework. It’s known for its approachability, versatility, quality documentation, and speed. Vue was released in 2014 and is considered an up-and-comer as it doesn’t have the same market reach as frameworks like Angular and React just yet—but it is a fan favorite!
To the date, both MEAN stack and MERN stack are popular choices for web development, and each has its advantages depending on your specific needs and preferences. Here’s a brief comparison and a killer SEO title for each:
- MEAN Stack (MongoDB, Express.js, Angular, Node.js): Title: “Mastering the MEAN Stack: Powering Dynamic Web Apps with MongoDB, Express, Angular, and Node.js!”
- MERN Stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React, Node.js): Title: “Unleashing the MERN Stack: Building Scalable Web Applications with MongoDB, Express, React, and Node.js!”
To determine which stack is the best fit for you, consider the following:
MEAN Stack:
- Angular: A powerful front-end framework maintained by Google, best suited for complex, large-scale applications.
- TypeScript: TypeScript is often used with Angular for strong typing and enhanced tooling.
- Full-stack JavaScript: JavaScript is used across the entire stack, promoting code consistency.
MERN Stack:
- React: A popular and flexible front-end library maintained by Facebook, ideal for building interactive user interfaces.
- JSX: Allows developers to write HTML-like syntax within JavaScript, making React components easy to create and manage.
- Full-stack JavaScript: Like MEAN, MERN also relies on JavaScript for the entire stack.
Which is better MEAN, MERN, or MEVN?
MEAN stack vs. MERN stack vs. MEVN stack… which one is best? These stacks are all very similar. Once a developer knows one of these 3 stacks, it won’t be too difficult to learn the others. All of these stacks are useful – it just depends on the type of project you’re taking on.
In short, one isn’t necessarily better than another. Choosing the right stack for your software development process depends on the front-end framework or related tools you’d like to use. If a developer or team prefers to work with Angular, they may choose to work with the MEAN stack. Meanwhile, a developer or team who enjoys working with React will gravitate towards MERN.
Conclusion:
Companies like Accenture, Raindrop, Vungle, Fiverr, UNIQLQ, and Sisense among others use MEAN in their tech stacks. Brands such as UberEats, Instagram, and Walmart use MERN stack. Both the stacks provide an incredible user experience. Stability and scalability can be achieved with both stacks.
From this we can conclude that enterprise level projects require MEAN over MERN. MERN makes rendering UI simpler. Both are reliable for a quick front end development.
MEAN is good for large scale application. MERN is good for faster development of smaller applications.
