MEAN Stack Vs. MERN Stack: The Best Stack to Choose in 2023

Technology stack development has become highly sought-after in web development in recent years. And why won’t it be? Stack development allows businesses to get full-fledged software development services from the start to the finish in one place.

MEAN and MERN are two of the most popular stacks that are being widely used today. Although both these stacks are quite similar, they are equally unique in their ways. So, you might get confused while deciding to pick one of these stacks for your project.

In this blog, you will learn everything you need to know about these two stacks. Go through it now and decide wisely whether you want to hire a MEAN or a MERN stack developer.

What is MEAN Stack Development?

MEAN stands for MongoDB, ExpressJS, AngularJS, and Node.js - the four technologies that are used in this stack for web app development. This technology stack allows business leaders to build scalable and dynamic software products to meet their short and long-term goals.

One of the most prominent highlights of MEAN is that all technologies under it are supported by JavaScript. It means when you hire MEAN stack developers, you should look for someone with extensive knowledge of JavaScript to work on your software’s front-end and back-end.

AngularJS is a front-end framework that is used by a MEAN stack developer to build highly interactive web applications. Moreover, Express.js and Node.js are back-end components for managing everything that you can’t see on the front of the website.

What is MERN Stack Development?

MERN stack is a combination of MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, and Node.js technologies for web app development. It is also a JavaScript-based framework, hence you should hire dedicated MERN stack developers with knowledge of JavaScript programming language.

Just like Angular in MEAN, React is the front-end framework in the MERN stack. Whereas, Node and Express are the same back-end components in this stack as well. MongoDB is responsible for storing the data of the application.

With the inclusion of React, web app development via MERN becomes relatively smoother and easier. However, the performance and feature differences between MEAN and MERN are not limited to this. Let’s learn about the differences between the two in detail now.

MEAN Vs. MERN: What to Know?

Regardless of what industry you are in, you would surely want to choose the best stack for your software development needs. Both MEAN and MERN stack development services have their pros and cons that make them ideal for your project and vice versa.

• Performance

As mentioned above, MERN uses React for front-end development whereas MEAN uses Angular, This gives MERN stack a slight edge over MEAN when it comes to performance. It is so because React promotes faster and more efficient development as compared to Angular.

However, this doesn’t mean that MEAN stack development is poor in performance. It is also very good, but just not as good as MERN.

• Productivity

When we talk about productivity, the MEAN stack outperforms MERN by all means. This is because it uses Angular for front-end development. AngularJS uses a command-line interface tool which allows it to build and maintain applications directly making it more productive.

On the other hand, React is less productive because it needs support from third-party libraries. So, if you want a productive choice, you should Hire MERN Stack Developers.

• Third-Party Support

Third-party libraries are important for all types of software development to add new functionalities to web apps without coding. Whether you choose MEAN or MERN, you will get extensive third-party support. But you might just get more of it when you choose MEAN stack.

The reason is simple, MEAN has been around longer than MERN. So, it has comparatively more resources now. However, MEAN will surely gain more third-party resources in the future.

Bottom Line

Even though there are many prominent differences between MEAN and MERN, there is no real factor to determine which is better. Both these technology stacks are most effective when used right according to their capabilities.

For example, MERN is your best choice if you want to build a high-performing web app quickly. Similarly, MEAN is ideal if you want vast third-party libraries to enhance your app’s functionalities.