After wrapping up your last project, your software development team is exhausted. You reflect on the last sprint and recognize there are some serious changes that need to be made. You don’t know much about software, but have heard the term “stack” and still unsure what that even means.
Is your current structure for development your only option? Is there a better solution to speed up and simplify the process? Let’s open the curtain and introduce you to a development stack that is sure to bring you fantastic results for your future projects.
What is MEAN Stack Development?
MEAN stands for MongoDB, Express.js, Angular, and Node.js, and together, these 4 technologies form the basis for a powerful web development stack. MEAN relies heavily on JavaScript and TypeScript. As of the end of 2022, an incredible 1.8 billion websites exist, 98% websites use Javascript as a client-side language. MEAN software development is a very popular approach to building web applications, and gaining even more traction in 2023 due to its scalability and flexibility.
The 4 Technologies
- MongoDB is a document-oriented database that makes it easy to store and retrieve data. It’s designed to scale with your application, so you don’t have to worry about outgrowing your database as your application grows. MongoDB is a NoSQL database that is well-suited for handling large amounts of unstructured data.
- Express.js is a web application framework for Node.js that provides a simple and straightforward way to create web applications.
- Angular is a JavaScript framework that makes it easy to create dynamic and interactive web applications. There are over 5 million websites using Angular, giving you and your developers plenty of examples to learn from.
- Node.js is a server-side JavaScript runtime environment that allows you to run JavaScript code on the server. The runtime environment for the server-side code is known for its high performance and scalability. Node.js is 8x faster than Ruby and a massive 10x faster than Python. Along with being quick, node.js is scalable due to taking fewer resources for an application to accept current connections compared to traditional approaches.
Benefits of MEAN Stack Development
Using the MEAN stack for software development can be an amazing option for you and the team. With most projects using built-in JavaScript, it's the perfect time to hire a MEAN Stack Development Company. Let's run through a couple of the main benefits you gain from using MEAN stack.
Cost Effective
The entire stack uses one language (JavaScript) it makes it very easy to hire for as this is a very common language. Because so many developers know JavaScript that ultimately means there is a larger pool of possible workers which drives down how expensive they are.
Great option for MVPs
It is also great for MVPs, developing in MEAN stack is very fast and is one of the best options to get an MVP created quickly and cheaply. This helps by giving quick feedback on a product to make improvements.
Highly Versatile
The high level of flexibility when using MEAN stack is simply unmatched. The development and testing into the cloud are done seamlessly. The technology responsible for this feature is MongoDB which is tailored for the cloud, giving you easy automatic replication.
Disadvantages
With all advantages, come the disadvantages. First off, node.js requires a lot of working knowledge in order to take advantage of the potential scalability. While also using a language that many programmers find very frustrating to work with (JavaScript).
Angular, depending on the project, can simply be overkill for basic projects and applications. If you are willing to learn all about TypeScript, then Angular is a fine option to move forward with.
Express is very flexible and non-opinionated, which then means it will be up to the developer to make decisions about the tools and libraries. This could cause complications down the road and make it difficult for your team.
Compared to LAMP
LAMP stands for Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP. These technologies have been around since the 90’s and are universally trusted. LAMP is an open source, meaning they are ready for developers to use, this also frees developers to use any components they find to make the most sense for their web applications.
LAMP is not considered to be a “full stack” (like MEAN). For example, PHP is used for server-side programming while the client-side is done by JavaScript. By knowing this, you will need a full-stack developer for multiple developers to cover both languages. Another big downside of LAMP is that they have a very limited OS support with only Linux.
MERN vs MEAN
The big difference between the 2 is that MERN uses React JS and MEAN uses Angular. There are also many other small differences to be aware of. When using React JS, you will be working with a JavaScript library. When using Angular, it is a full-fledged MVC framework that uses JavaScript and is built using typescript.
Is it worth it to hire a MEAN Stack Development Company?
Hiring a 3rd party MEAN-Stack Company is the best option for proper coding and secured solutions. Very cost effective due to the components being free and can run on any server. The large pool of MEAN knowledge looking for a job is only growing, therefore bringing down the cost to hire.
With hiring and outsourcing a MEAN Development company or 3rd party, you will be given all of the tools and experience to start producing high-quality products in a timely manner. The team would be able to cover all development processes from frontend (what the client sees) to the backend (server side).
With the scalability of MEAN, it is ideal for mobile apps and similar applications. All it takes is a team with proper knowledge and skill to get your project out there.
Best Applications and uses for MEAN
- Web apps for big data
- Streaming apps
- News aggregation applications
- Social Media apps
- Mapping and location finding apps
- Calendars and more
Simply said, hiring a MEAN stack development team should definitely be on your radar. With the amazing benefits and simplicity it brings to the table, it is hard to pass up. If you have any questions regarding the MEAN structure and development, contact us for clarification to see if it suits your needs.
