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For a product owner, project manager, or development lead, selecting a technology stack is more than a technical decision—it is the foundation for the success of your application.
As you navigate the sea of available languages and frameworks, you find yourself weighing the pros and cons of each option, assessing their compatibility, and factoring in licensing costs. With so many moving parts, this process can quickly become overwhelming, demanding more time, attention, and budget – as adding more frameworks increases costs and complexities.
This is where the MERN stack comes into play.
MERN stack is a combination of four open-source, cloud-native technologies, namely:
M > MongoDB
E > Express.js
R > React.js
N > Node.js
Together, these technologies cover all aspects of development, such as handling both the front-end and back-end seamlessly. It does so, all while ensuring high scalability and fast performance, specifically when developing dynamic and responsive web applications.
The wide adoption of the MERN stack, especially by industry leaders and top companies in the world, speaks volumes about its effectiveness. Its secret lies in being completely JavaScript-based, offering the same language for any development.
In 2023, JavaScript continued its reign as the most commonly used programming language for the eleventh consecutive year, further fueling the rise of popular frameworks like the MERN stack, rapidly becoming the go-to choice for full-stack web development.
Before diving further into the details, let’s explore the basics.
A stack is a collection of tools and technologies combined to build software. It includes operating systems, frameworks (for both front-end and back-end), databases, languages, web servers, and libraries. A stack enables developers to create, deploy, and maintain software applications efficiently.
In the context of the MERN stack, it makes use of four key technologies, including MongoDB (NoSQL database), Express.js (Back-end web app framework that runs on Node.js), React.js (Front-end library for building user interfaces), and Node.js (JavaScript runtime for executing server-side code).
Let’s discuss each of these in detail:
MongoDB is a highly flexible and scalable NoSQL database, meaning it stores data in JSON format instead of a relational database that contains rows and columns.
Its schema-less architecture enables the developers to add new fields without altering the entire schema. This minimizes the downtime and allows for faster development. Due to this, MongoDB has become the primary choice of developers working in an ever-changing and fast-paced development environment.
Express.js is a lightweight web application framework. It runs inside a Node.js server. It is a middle layer between React.js and MongoDB, i.e., the application's front end and database. It provides developers the ability to structure the application according to their requirements.
React.js is a front-end JavaScript library. It was designed by Facebook to create interactive web interfaces. React is known for its modular approach. It enables the developers to create reusable components that are easy to build, scale, and update. React allows developers to write HTML-like code inside JavaScript to make the components more intuitive and readable.
Node.js is an open-source JavaScript runtime environment. It enables developers to run JavaScript code outside a web browser. Following an event-driven architecture, Node can handle multiple requests simultaneously using its non-blocking, asynchronous I/O operations. This makes it highly efficient for back-end development.
Before MERN, the MongoDB, Express, Angular, and Node (MEAN) stack monopolized the full-stack web development industry.
One of the main features of MERN is that it utilizes React.js instead of Angular.js for front-end development. This proved to be a turning point for the future of most web development projects.
For additional information, here are some key differences between the two stacks:
As a project manager, if you are someone focused on high-quality deliverables for your software product launch, selecting the right stack is crucial, as it lays the foundation for future development. You may or may not need to understand every technical detail, but you do need to ensure the project stays on track. You need a tech stack that ensures front-end finesse with back-end power.
This is where you can put your trust in the MERN stack. It is a reliable, industry-recommended stack that has proven itself time and again, helping teams meet deadlines and deliver exceptional results. It’s the perfect choice to ensure your project runs smoothly.
Here are seven reasons why the MERN stack stands out as the preferred choice over other programming approaches:
One of the major reasons to use the MERN stack in your development is that there is no context switching. MERN utilizes a single programming language, i.e., JavaScript, throughout development. This results in increased productivity, a faster learning curve for JavaScript developers, and improved code consistency.
Traditionally, companies hire separate developers for each layer of the application. For instance, an HTML or CSS specialist for the front end and a Python or Ruby developer for the back end. However, the MERN stack rectifies this situation and allows companies to hire full-stack developers for front- and back-end development.
Being an open-source technology, MERN is cost-efficient. This also means continuous updates, community support, and knowledge sharing without licensing fees. You get all the benefits with zero cost.
For example, Sapient Code Labs, previously facing scalability challenges and high maintenance costs, transformed its legacy system by adopting the MERN stack. This resulted in a 40% reduction in their maintenance expenses.
React.js, with its component-based architecture, allows you to create reusable and interactive UI components. These components stand on their own and can be used across various applications. This reduces the development time and increases efficiency.
MERN is known for creating fast, dynamic, and highly scalable applications. With the use of MongoDB, MERN can handle large volumes of data. Node.js event-driven architecture can process thousands of requests simultaneously without creating new threads for each request, making it ideal for scaling applications.
SiteMana, an email marketing platform, utilized the MERN stack to build its application. The event-driven architecture of Node.js enabled it to scale its platform to handle over 10 million email recipients monthly.
MERN stack has robust testing tools that detect bugs and errors in the code. This allows developers to quickly identify issues, maintain code quality, and ensure that individual components interact properly.
Now that we have explored the benefits of the MERN stack let's look at the various industries and sectors where it has been successfully used to build efficient and scalable applications. Some of the most common use cases of the MERN stack are:
Facebook, a leading social media platform, developed the React.js library to enhance user experience. It employed React to create its main page, Ads Manager, and the mobile app. Utilizing React’s component-based architecture and virtual DOM, Facebook is catering to its 2.2 billion users across the globe. React.js enables faster development and efficiently renders components to provide a smoother user experience.
Airbnb is an online rental platform that offers a diverse range of accommodations. Airbnb utilized React.js to build its new web application due to its flexibility and modular approach. With millions of users worldwide, the platform had to be robust, scalable, and versatile. This is precisely what React provided. Leveraging React.js, the engineers could complete the development in six months, which would have otherwise taken a year or so.
Netflix is among the most popular Over the Top (OTT) providers. Netflix employed the Node.js architecture and MongoDB to handle large volumes of data and enhance its performance. Utilizing Node.js, the company noticed a 70% decrease in start-up time.
Engineering leaders at Netflix recognized Node.js for handling high volumes of data and hinted that they are also expanding its use to other stack layers.
Uber, a ride-hailing service with an average of 17 million trips daily, utilizes Node.js for several components of its mobile and web applications. Using its asynchronous and single-threaded event loop, the Node’s ability to handle thousands of requests simultaneously makes it the ultimate choice for Uber. Employing Node, Uber can process a high volume of requests efficiently. It has also significantly reduced Uber's management overhead.
As the web development landscape evolves, the MERN stack continues to solidify its position as a leading choice for building modern and scalable applications. The MERN stack is set to evolve with the upcoming release of MongoDB 8.0, enhancing performance, scalability, and resilience, making it ideal for AI-driven and data-intensive applications like the Internet of Things (IoT).
Express.js is evolving to better support real-time communication and serverless architectures. At the same time, React will see significant updates in 2024, including broader adoption of React Server Components and AI innovations like Vercel's Generative UI.
On the backend, Node.js will continue to excel in edge computing and serverless environments, providing low-latency, scalable solutions. Its integration with AI tools like TensorFlow.js ensures Node.js remains a crucial technology for building intelligent, future-ready applications.
To navigate the rapidly evolving world of web applications, businesses collaborate with experienced technical partners to transform their ideas into impactful solutions. Heliosmosaic Technology Solutions is a reliable partner with expertise and support to turn your vision into reality.
Unlock the potential of scalable and reliable web applications with Heliosmosaic Technology Solutions' expertise in the MERN stack. Our team of seasoned developers is ready to help business leaders like you build robust, high-performance solutions tailored to your needs. Let Heliosmosaic take your web development to the next level—partner with us today!
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