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?
Today, we’ll explore the basics of MEAN, MERN, and MEVN and look at the benefits of using each technology stack in a development project.
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, MERN, and MEVN are technology stacks that help people create websites and mobile applications. All three include MongoDB, Express.js (hence why each begins with “ME”), and NodeJS. The primary difference between the MEAN, MERN, and MEVN stacks can be found in the third letter of each acronym. MEAN is a JavaScript stack that relies on the use of Angular for its front-end JavaScript framework, meanwhile, the MERN stack relies on React and its ecosystem. Finally, MEVN relies on Vue.js and its ecosystem.
Here’s a more in-depth picture of the elements that make up these stacks:
- MongoDB – A “NoSQL” database used for storing data for a back-end JavaScript application. If your application has users, MongoDB is an example of a database where your user information will be kept.
- Express.js – A light backend framework for serving content to the web. If your backend application needs to send information across the Internet, Express provides tools for accomplishing that.
- Angular/React/Vue.js – Front-end JavaScript framework
- NodeJS – A JavaScript “runtime environment” used to run JavaScript outside of a browser, such as on a backend server in the cloud.
A big similarity between MERN, MEVN, and MEAN is that they’re all composed of open-source technologies. They also offer protection against Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks, active support and helpful documentation, and user-interface components for building reusable bits of a web app.
MEAN, MEVN, and MERN stacks are not complete without a testing suite, for ensuring everything works as intended, as well as support for MVC architecture (or similar)—which is a great way to produce a well-organized codebase.
Ok. 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!
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.
