In the digital age, everything is changing rapidly, and we are witnessing many technological advances and new market demands every day. As a result, having an app or website is not the only method to expand your business in the digital age. Selecting the correct tech stack for your project requires a high level of intelligence.
In addition, choosing the correct stack for your firm will significantly impact your long-term success. Which one should you use? Which one will be the most effective?
Let’s together learn the difference and benefits of MEAN and MERN – two popular full-stack technologies to acquire answers to select one for your web development.
Table of Contents
What is MEAN?
MEAN is a full-stack technology that is extremely popular in the building of applications. “MEAN” stands for MongoDB, Express.js, Angular, and Node.js.
Programmers use this stack to create web applications. In addition, they use it to build hybrid mobile apps, not native apps.
The MEAN stack development is a JavaScript-based open-source platform. The MEAN stack helps developers create web and mobile applications rapidly. It provides a fast development approach with good tools and support for plugins.
What is MERN?
MERN is another powerful open-source full-stack technology. With MERN, you can construct great mobile web and hybrid apps using MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, and Node.js.
It is a JavaScript-based database, framework, and runtime environment similar to MEAN but with a different name.
One of the main reasons for the popularity of MERN is that it gives the development process an end-to-end framework. As a result of its expanding popularity, the MERN stack development provides a complete framework for developers.
MEAN stack vs. MERN stack – a tight battle
Angular JS framework is already fairly popular because of its MVC architecture. However, for each web application, MVC design may not indeed be necessary. Web applications can only optimize the component rendering code utilizing an abstraction of a UI layer. React JS is a library that fits this requirement.
The main distinction between MEAN and MERN stacks is the use of Angular JS and React JS libraries. Choosing between MEAN and MERN is somewhat complicated, as both the frames are dedicated to UI abstraction. On one side, Angular JS has Google Inc. support, while React JS is Facebook Inc.’s product.
The industry’s leading players, therefore, support each. In the following part, you can discuss in greater detail how you can choose which technology stack is the ideal choice.
MEAN stack vs. MERN stack – how do you select one?
As already mentioned, both Angular JS and React JS organize and deliver ideal code to the UI layer components. They are both supported by an extensive knowledge bank, example codes, and tutorials.
If you choose the right stack, you need to select a popular technology stack as fields of expert developers are increasing.
The success of Angular versus React encourages both MEAN and MERN stacks. Although Angular was famous, React is currently beating it. The StackOverflow Developer Survey 2019 also confirms the fact that the react is getting popular. Nearly 74.5% of developers like to build using React, according to this survey. For angular, the exact figure is 57.6%.
Therefore, this post separates the comparison into several criteria to assist you in choosing one of them.
The primary difference between the MEAN stack and the MERN stack development is Angular and React. Both stacks have favorable and unfavorable aspects. Let’s head straight to know what separates them!
1. Learning curve
MongoDB, Express.js, and Node.js are popular already and are well documented. In this regard, you will find no significant variation in the learning curve. Your learning curve will nonetheless differ from angular to react.
Angular is comprehensive and employs typescript and templates. You will undoubtedly witness a steeper angular learning curve, while React is a library with less learning curve. And, React provides richer documentation than Angular, making learning more accessible.
2. Profitability
As both MERN and MEAN stacks are prevalent, the profitability comparison between these two stacks would reveal between React and Angular. Since Node.js, Express.js and MongoDB are common.
Angular, which is a complete structure, deliver improved profitability. Angular offers a CLI and thus enhances the efficiency of designers. And you’ll find out that the Angular CLI makes it easier if you rewrite your code.
3. Data flow
In an Angular scenario, the data flow is bi-directional, i.e., the model status is automatically changed by changing the user interface. In the case of React, where the data flow is unidirectional, you find that somewhat different. If you use React, you can only alter the UI when the model state is changed.
React’s unidirectional data binding provides a more incredible overview, which enables you to manage massive projects. This allows the MERN to stack to organize huge projects more efficiently. On the other hand, the two-way data-binding given by Angular is a more practical approach if you are running a small project. Hire a MEAN developer to help you leverage this completely.
4. Third-party support
While working on apps at a business level, it is another excellent consideration to use third-party libraries. MEAN contains a corner with integrated functionality for HTTP requests and backend connections.
However, ReactJS does provide other libraries for similar functions. MEAN handles plug-and-play extensions from third parties, while MERN requires additional settings for the like.
5. Popularity
Undoubtedly, both developers are fast-growing and popular, and many organizations use both frameworks to create different apps. You can argue that there is no substantial difference between MEAN and MERN; this is hard to select any person from.
However, sure, the perspective of the request requirement changes. MEAN is better suited for applications of enormous scale, but MERN is better for speedier development and smaller applications.
There isn’t a lot of difference between these two other than this. You can therefore select the context of your requirement based on the need. But MEAN has the upper hand over MERN in terms of popularity. You can consequently regard MEAN rather than MERN as adaptable to developers.
6. Expertise and experience
If your development team is knowledgeable and web framework skilled, it is not very important to support the documentation. The learning curve, which makes it possible to select the MEAN stack, is less appropriate here.
If you have a reasonable level of experience in your development team, you must consider the learning curve such that the MERN stack is a better alternative.
7. Performance
The MEAN stack uses Angular to update the actual DOM (Document Object Model). DOM serves as the XML and HTML document programming interface.
MERN uses React to update the virtual DOM, on the other hand. You can therefore code apps faster with MERN.
Therefore, no structure can fulfill all corporate goals. You must research every feature, tailor it to the immediate development needs and choose intelligently to achieve a better outcome and accomplish your business objectives.
8. MVC architecture
You need to keep an up-to-date architecture in case you design an app on a business level. Therefore, the MEAN stack and not the MERN stack must be selected.
For years MEAN has been a viable alternative and has a record. It includes support for the MVC architecture, a wide variety of support tools, and a complete development cycle coverage (front and client-side). This helps you get the support of the architecture of the model viewing controller.
For the ordinary developer, it’s safer to bet on MEAN, but MERN is slowly moving in the correct direction. However, if you manage the code, you can go with the MEAN stack.
9. Long-term maintenance
MEAN and MERN are both robust, open-sourced, and JavaScript-based tools for web development. The critical factor in what to use is down to popularity. React and Angular are both very popular. However, React is getting increasingly popular, and in the future, it will be easier to hire React engineers.
Therefore, the critical difference is the Angular against React, and a high number of developers mentioned they were interested in studying React in 2019. And React became popular from late on. React, thus, is the current and future, MERN.
Consider using the MERN stack if you have a substantial pipeline of enhancement work for your app and expect significant long-term maintenance demands.
Paypal are using MEAN stack in their
web app and mobile app
10. Testing and scalability
An angular app testing experience differs from the React app tester experience. This often affects your selection for the MEAN stack development. You may quickly test the Angular App using just one tool like Jasmine.
However, this is different in the case of a reaction application, and several tools will be required. You will need a tool such as Jest to test the JS code, while a program such as an Enzyme may be necessary to test the elements.
When you develop your application using React, you will probably use many third-party libraries; your effort to test it is thus incredible.
The best security is ensured by both the MERN stack and the MEAN stack in terms of security. Therefore, one of them you can choose.
However, MERN wins the game since it is more scalable than MEAN concerning security.
Conclusion
MEAN and MERN remains state-of-the-art full-stack technology that enables remarkable applications to be developed. These two have increased popularity and are driven by frontier framework structures, i.e., Angular and React. These are the two in the current market. Here, we mentioned in this blog how MEAN and MERN play an essential part in web development.
Since these two masterpieces have excellent characteristics, choosing one is a tricky issue. And anyway, Both MEAN stack and MERN stack have the best functionality and features. So hire a MEAN developer or MERN developer to construct a dynamic app, depending on your company requirements.
