Both MEAN and MERN stacks are full-stack JavaScript frameworks. The MERN is a stack of MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, and Node.js while MEAN is of MongoDB, Express.js, Angular, and Node.js. Both have a major impact on how the web applications are developed nowadays. These stacks are popular among the community and offer flexibility and perfection in web application building. They are shaping the modern way of web development. Now let’s discuss a bit more about how MERN and MEAN stacks have become modern web development tools.
Everything Runs on JavaScript
It means we are using JavaScript for doing everything, whether it is frontend, backend, or even for writing database queries. This makes the development easy because we will have better team collaboration by working in the same language. If you know JavaScript, MERN and MEAN stacks will become easy to handle. As a full-stack developer, you can switch between roles effortlessly.
In summary, you don’t need to learn a new language and new syntax to master a server-side language. Learning and working both becomes quite easy if you opt for these stacks.
Built for Scalability and Flexibility
Both of the stacks MEAN and MERN use MongoDB as the database. MongoDB is a NoSQL database in which we can organize data in any manner and it is very easy to scale up. This database goes well if the requirement is for more storage and better performance, which is essential for growing applications.
These stacks are not limited to MongoDB, as Node.js can connect with any database like SQL, Postgre, etc. These two stacks work best with BaaS services like Google Firebase, AWS Amplify, and Supabase too.
Awesome Frontend Frameworks
Both the MERN and MEAN are the frontend frameworks and MERN uses React.js, which is generally known for its re-usability and fast performance. React is a very popular JavaScript library developed by Facebook. MEAN uses Angular, which is completely a framework in itself with its own built-in tools to handle complex frontend requirements smoothly. Angular is developed and maintained by Google.
It depends on whether you prefer the flexibility of React or the structured approach of Angular. Both stacks are the best in their approaches.
Open-source and Developer Friendly
While both of the stacks are open source and easy to begin with, we have access to plenty of libraries as well as wide community support. This even makes it easier for us as a developer to find solutions quickly to speed up our development process by using the built-in modules.
Faster Development
Full stack development was always a difficult and time-consuming task. Now we do not have to spend much time on the environment setup because we have CLI tools such as Angular CLI for MEAN development and Mongoose for the MERN. This means setting up projects and managing databases are much simpler now. We can now simply focus on building features rather than spending hours doing the configurations.
Best for Realtime Apps
Both of the tech stacks are excellent for creating any kind of real-time apps such as chatting apps, live dashboards, or any kind of collaborative tools. Both of them use Node which handles multiple tasks at the same time without even slowing down the application.
Cost Effective Solutions
Both of the technologies are open source and do not need you to pay any kind of license fee. We as a developer can use the same language for any project, which overall makes the development efficient by saving time and money. This makes both of the techs a great choice even for startups.
Check out the Key Differences between Mern and Mean Stacks
| Feature | MERN Stack | MEAN Stack |
| Full Form | MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, Node.js | MongoDB, Express.js, Angular, Node.js |
| Front-end Framework | React.js (Library) | Angular (Framework) |
| Architecture | Component-based | MVC (Model-View-Controller) |
| Performance | Faster due to virtual DOM | Slightly slower due to real DOM |
| Flexibility | More flexible, easier to integrate with other libraries | Structured and opinionated approach |
| Best For | Single-page applications, interactive UIs | Enterprise-level applications with structured development |
So, which stack is best for you to learn? Is it MERN or MEAN?
Both stacks are powerful solutions for modern web development. It is totally up to the individual choice.
MERN Offers Flexibility, High Performance, and Fast UI Rendering
If you want to build apps that offer high flexibility, greater performance, and faster UI rendering experiences then learn MERN. MERN is best for startups and dynamic applications. To be good in MERN, one should learn React with Node.js.
MEAN Stack Offers Structured Architecture
However, if you build a large-scale application that requires a lot of structured architecture with a powerful framework such as enterprise-grade apps and large-scale projects like an online store app then you can go with MEAN. MEAN includes good knowledge of Angular with Node.js.
Whether you learn MERN or MEAN, learning Node.js is important. It will include training on MongoDB and Express.js too.
Final Thoughts on MEAN and MERN Stacks
The MERN and MEAN stacks are transforming web development and making it even easier to build scalable, modern, and user-friendly applications. Whether you are creating a real-time app or a complex tool required for business analysis, these techs will provide you with all the tools you will ever need to succeed.
