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Why Choose MERN Stack for Your Applications? Advantages of MERN Stack for Web Development

MERN stack is an open-source, full-stack JavaScript solution to build dynamic, responsive, advanced and attractive websites or applications quickly and easily.

By Mustafa Najoom»Oct 26, 2022»9 min read
Why Choose MERN Stack for Your Applications? Advantages of MERN Stack for Web Development

We are currently in an era in which technology evolves frequently. In the past decade, we’ve witnessed the rise of social media, cloud technology, IoT, MERN stack, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, all of which have altered the way we do business and build technology-based solutions for our customers. We are left with trailblazing mobile apps, smartwatches, wireless earbuds, fitness trackers, AI-enabled devices, electric cars, and other gadgets.

In mobile app and web development, back-end development technologies such as Java and PHP have given way to front-end technologies such as Angular.js, Node.js, and React.js. What’s more, these technologies have improved over time, allowing us to improve coding efficiency while also reducing code size.

The fads and technologies of custom software application development are changing so fast that developers must stay abreast of emerging market trends. The use of Stack for web and mobile app development is on the rise and selecting the right technology for your software product is vital to your company’s success and viability.

As a result, many companies like Gaper are now helping businesses grow their development teams. If you are looking to hire MERN stack developers for your business, startup, or enterprise, set up an appointment with us. Our MERN engiineers are vetted to match market standards. You can also avail a 2 week free trial in case you are not satsified with the MERN stack developer.

The question now is: why should you choose MERN stack for your applications?

What is a Stack?

In technical terms, a stack is a collection of operating systems, tools, languages, database systems, scripting languages, web servers, frameworks, APIs, etc., that work together to create a complete software solution.

Or, another way to put it: a stack is a collection of software programs or technologies that collaborate to accomplish a common goal, such as software development. It comprises software applications that are closely related to each other and can help with workflow and the development of an efficiently developed functional application.

What is MERN Stack?

MERN stands for MongoDB, Express, React, and Node.js. The MERN stack is an open-source, full-stack JavaScript solution to build dynamic, responsive, advanced and attractive websites or applications quickly and easily.

MERN stack was created to make application development fast and convenient. Hence, each component of MERN serves a specific purpose that we must understand. A MERN stack developer, simply put, is a subset of full-stack developers that use the four specific technologies we listed above.

MEAN vs MERN vs Full Stacks

Now that the concept of a stack itself has been established, it is important to know the difference between three popular stacks in tech.

MEAN stack is a compilation of technology based on JavaScript which is used to develop more complicated websites and web applications. It is popular among many large companies such as YouTube and PayTM.

Given the way it provides developers with access to a standard coding language, the decelopment process is both simplified and able to be used in a more versatile way. While this is also used to develop web applications, it replaces ReactJS with AngularJS.

MERN stack is also a JavaScript stack, and is an assembly of the latest technologies which allows developers to create web applications using multiple frameworks, libraries, databases, and more. It makes use of open-source components-which are backed by community support-to provide better end-to-end framework support, and is therefore a very powerful technology.

While it is more similar to MEAN stack, they use different tools for building front-end web apps. Many well-known enterprises such as Fabeook and Netflix use MERN stack to build their mobile applications.

Full stack refers to the tools, technologies, and skills that are required for a project, which a developer uses to work on the front-end and back-end. That is to say, full-stack developers work on both the server side and the client side.

It allows developers to also switch between different roles and technologies as necessary for development, and simplifies team management.

Why Should You Choose MERN Stack For Your Applications?

MERN stack is a top-notch choice for developers, and here are a few reasons why:

  • MERN provides an end-to-end development environment with a full-stack development environment.
  • The Model View Controller (MVC) architecture, powered by MERN, allows developers to design roadmaps effortlessly.
  • MERN comes with testing tools that make detecting errors a breeze.
  • Because every line of code in MERN full-stack development is written in JavaScript, developers can easily join in and work with various frameworks, whether for the client-side or server-side.
  • MongoDB integrates well with Node.js, making it easier to store, signify, and deploy JSON data in web apps.
  • Express compresses HTTP requests and responses in URL mappings for server-side functionality.
  • React is useful for creating interactive HTML UIs and interacting with remote servers.
  • The whole thing makes it easy for JSON data to flow from front to back while making it faster to build and debug.

MERN Stack Use Cases

MERN essentially allows you to build whatever you want. With that being said, it is more ideal for cloud-based projects which are JSON-heavy, and involve dynamic web interfaces. Examples of MERN stack use cases include:

Workflow management

News aggregation (such as blogs and online newspapers), to-do apps, and calendars are all easily created through MERN stack.

Interactive forums

These include websites which strongly involve communication and messaging options as a part of their design.

Social media products

Posts, advertisements, and the type of samples of sites available on social media accounts can all be done through MERN stack as well.

Advantages of MERN Stack For Web Development

A large number of companies are increasingly using MERN to build scalable web applications. The role of the backend developer has changed significantly in recent years, with an increasing focus on developing scalable solutions that are secure, reliable, and easy to maintain.

It requires an understanding of which programming languages are best-in-class for the specific task at hand. Also, in most cases, back-end development for web applications needs to process information from proprietary sources.

Therefore, developing well-structured data pipelines can be difficult but fun for individuals who like to build robust web development systems from scratch.

Let’s discuss the advantages in detail:

  • Open-Source Technology

Startups prefer MERN because it is an open-source code that is constantly being evolved by tech professionals from around the sector. All technologies that can be followed in MERN are open source.

All frameworks improve the performance of coding and supply tools for faster app improvement. It additionally facilitates the efforts of developers to change something. Below is a list of frameworks that have risen to fame in recent years.

FrameworkAboutLicenseRelease Date
AngularPopular JavaScript framework created by GoogleMIT LicenseJan 5, 2010,
Meteor JSA powerful framework that is more than a JavaScript frameworkMIT LicenseJa18, 201212
React JSCreated by Facebook, currently the most popular JavaScript FrameworkMIT LicenseMay 24, 2013,
Ember JSAn open-source Model-View-View Model frameworkMIT LicenseDec 8, 2011,
AureliaJSA collection of Modern JavaScript modulesMIT LicenseFeb 14, 2018,
BackboneJSJavaScript framework with RESTful JSON and Model-View- Presenter patternMIT LicenseSep 30, 2010,
Vue JSRapidly growing JavaScript frameworkMIT LicenseJuly 28, 2013,
KnockoutJSOpen-source Model-View-View Model (MVVM) frameworkMIT LicenseJuly 5, 2010,
SveltaOpen-source JavaScript framework not using virtual DOMMIT LicenseNov 20, 2016,

Frameworks like these improve coding performance and offer limitless tools to help you build more advanced apps faster, so most companies promote MERN because it has a much more open-supply code.

  • Cost-Effective

Since MERN stack always uses one language, Javascript, it would be beneficial for companies to only hire Javascript experts instead of different experts for different technologies. This move will save a lot of time and money. It is increasingly popular with startups because it saves money by not having to bring in external developers separately for the front-end and back-end of the project.

  • Switching between client and server is simple

Everything in MERN stack is written in a language that is easier for developers to master (one can learn it in 4-6 months). It is also simple to swap between client and server side work, giving developers more flexibility for development.

  • Quicker Development Process

Every MERN stack developer can use this process to develop applications in a faster process. Since this is an open-source technology, developers don’t need to build anything from scratch. You’re only required to make some customization for developing a digital platform

  • UI rendering and performance

React JS is the best at UI layer abstraction. Since React is just a library, it gives you the freedom to build your application and organize your code however you want. So, it is better than Angular in terms of UI rendering and performance.

Is MERN Stack Worth Learning?

Based on the numerous aforementioned advantages of MERN stack, suffice to say it is a highly efficient framework for the development of applications. Moreover, MERN is scalable and flexible, and it provides many features that turn development into smooth sailing for a developer. It is the best choice for any start-up, and is most definitely worth investing some easy time and effort into learning.

How to Master MERN Stack

There are three main ways to learn the MERN stack.

  • Self-study through free resources available online
  • Buy an online course from code academy like Udemy that deals with the MERN stack.
  • Join a code academy like Nerdii, which teaches you MERN stack along with many other skills.

How can you hire an excellent MERN stack developer?

If you’re planning to hire a MERN stack developer for your next project, you can set up a quick call with Gaper. Gaper has been working with software developers in 20 countries and amidst a growing demand for MERN stack and full-stack developers around the world, our AI-driven marketplace of engineers have more vetted MERN stack developers for hire.

If you want to learn more about the MERN stack and its uses, check out our earlier article!

Frequently asked questions

What does MERN stand for?
MERN stands for MongoDB, Express, React, and Node.js. It is an open-source, full-stack JavaScript solution for building dynamic, responsive web and mobile applications quickly.
What is the difference between the MEAN and MERN stacks?
Both are JavaScript-based full-stack technologies, but they use different tools for building front-end web apps. MEAN uses AngularJS while MERN replaces it with ReactJS, which the article argues gives MERN an edge in UI rendering and performance.
Why is the MERN stack considered cost-effective for startups?
Because MERN uses a single language, JavaScript, across the whole stack, companies can hire JavaScript experts instead of separate specialists for front-end and back-end. This avoids bringing in separate external developers for each layer, saving time and money.
What kinds of applications is the MERN stack best suited for?
MERN is ideal for cloud-based, JSON-heavy projects with dynamic web interfaces. Common use cases include workflow management tools like news aggregators, to-do apps and calendars, interactive forums, and social media products.
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Written by

Mustafa Najoom

Marketing & GTM, Gaper

Mustafa is a CPA turned B2B marketer focused on go-to-market strategy, working on growth at Gaper, the AI-native partner that builds and deploys production AI agents.

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