Full-Stack vs Mean Stack: Which One You Should Opt For?

Any website or web application consists of two major parts. One is the front-end and the other one is the backend. And the developers dealing with these two are termed as the full stack and mean stack developers. Today we will discuss Full-Stack vs Mean Stack in detail.

If you are still not sure what these terms are used for and whether you should opt for learning the full or mean stack, then this article will be of extreme benefit for any Professional Web App Development Company.

Here, we will be talking about the definition, benefits, and various other things that you should know about mean stack and fullstack web development so that it will be helpful when you will hire Full Stack Developer India. So, be with it until the end of this article and clear all your doubts regarding these terms.

What Does A Full-Stack Mean?

In terms of web development career, if you are a full-stack web developer, there are chances to get more opportunities and growth.

However, it is essential to know what the full stack web developer means. As said, web development is divided into the front end and back end programming.

And in the simplest words, the full stack developer is a person who can effectively handle the frontend as well as the backend of a website.

Choosing the right Technology Stack for Web App Development is highly essential and that’s where Full-Stack can be really useful.

The full stack developers have expertise in the programming languages as well as the frameworks based on the languages.

Therefore, we can say that the full stack developers have more knowledge of project handling and web development than the mean stack developers.

Full stack developers need to deal with both front and backend web development. And as the developers are well versed with the basics and are aware of the major pitfalls of the frameworks.

They can handle the projects better than the specialized developers with the knowledge of a single database and programming framework.

With the better scope and knowledge of the web development process, the full stack developers are likely to get more growth in the industry and have better salaries in comparison with the mean stack developers.

Benefits Of Full-Stack

Going with the full stack web development is not only beneficial for the developers, but it is also extremely efficient for the companies.

That’s the reason why you can see more full stack development vacancies in reputed IT companies than the mean stack development.

And as the list of benefits is too long, we are going to discuss the only important ones here, so that you can judge which one should have opted for the company.

Better-valued professionals

If a web development company is looking for a better-valued professional who can easily handle the different tasks and responsibilities in the web development company, the Full stack web developers can be a worthy professional to look for.

As said, these developers have a good knowledge of both the frontend and backend of a website; the company can use them more reasonably, where they are needed the most.

Can handle entire design and development procedure

Unlike the other developers, the full stack web developers are meant to handle the entire design and development of the whole project.

The company can entirely depend on the full stack developers and their skills to deal with the complete projects with ease.

They can be upgraded easily

New tools and the latest algorithms are the key things for web development. The companies must upgrade their infrastructure according to the numerous changes occurring every other day. And that’s where the full stack developers can come handy.

As developers find it easier to upgrade themselves to a newer version and cope up with the technical changes in the industry, the company can easily rely on them for better results.

Along with these, there are several other benefits of choosing the full stack developer for the projects.

So, if a company is after a better value project developer, and wants to hire someone with better skills and experience, hiring the full stack developers would be a perfect solution.

Full Stack Developer Responsibilities & Requirements

Now, let’s talk about the responsibilities of a full stack web developer and the skills that app developers should possess to work as a full-stack developer.

• The first responsibility of a full stack developer is to develop the front-end architecture of the website and designing the web pages according to the client’s needs and requirements.
• In addition to this, a full stack developer must design a compatible backend that works efficiently with the front-end of the website or application.
• Ensuring that the project is accessible and offers clients and users a great experience
• To make sure that the website is responsive and easy enough to be used on compatible platforms.
• Creating the database and ensuring the proper functionality of the website or application
• Make sure that the website can be easily maintained and is as per the latest industry standards.

Prerequisites of being a full stack developer

• Should have exceptional project management skills
• Should be well-versed with both client-side and server-side languages like Python, Ruby, and PHP. Information about the database technologies like MySQL and MongoDB would be an added advantage.
• Problem-solving skills are a must.
• Knowledge of the latest industry trends and the urge to learn the latest language enhancements.

What Does A MEAN Stack Mean?

MEAN stack basically is a modified version of the Full stack web development and unlike the full stack, the MEAN stack primarily focuses on MongoDB, Express, Angular, and Node JS.

With better support and modern designing culture, the MEAN stack developers can be treated for modern and more reliable web designing than the full stack developers.

The mean stack development can be considered as a branch of full stack development as here the developers need to focus on certain databases and scripts. This makes the mean stack developers more specialized web developers than the full stack developers.

So, if a company deals with more specific projects and is looking for the developers who can handle the frameworks better, MEAN stack developers would be a better choice to make.

Benefits Of Mean Stack

With better support and usability, Mean stack developers are of great benefit for a web development company.

And if a company also needs to be sure of before hiring the mean stack developers for the firm, there are a few benefits that can be achieved by hiring the mean stack developers for the projects.

Some of the most talked-about benefits of hiring the mean stack developers are:

Faster and smoother implementation

With the better implementation of the framework and reliable approach of web development, the mean stack development is relatively fast and has a smoother operation.

The MVC architecture and client-side as well as the server-side development make it a complete and reliable development cycle.

An open-source framework for better support and community help

The open-source framework makes sure that the developers get good support from the community. So, there are better chances to develop harder codes with ease and better success rate.

Combination of four high-end and useful technologies for web development

Mongo DB, express, angular and Node JS is a powerful and reliable combination of technologies if you are looking for a smoother and efficient web development experience.

And that’s what makes mean stack developers as a perfect asset for a web development company.

In all, if a company is looking for specialized professionals, the high-quality Mean stack developers would be a great asset.

The mean stack developers have great expertise on MongoDB and node JS which is sufficient enough to build more dynamic and easier to handle projects.

If a company is after a better performance and works on different kinds of projects, mean stack developers can be a worthy choice to make.

Mean Stack Developer Responsibilities & Requirements

Now, let’s talk about some of the many responsibilities that a mean stack developer should fulfil.

Also, we will be talking about the prerequisites that fulfill you as a mean stack developer for a company.

Here’s a shortlist of responsibilities and requirements of the MEAN stack developers should be aware of.

Mean stack developer’s responsibilities

• Manage the Node JS, Mongo Db, Angular, and Express JS efficiently to enhance the project’s smoothness.
• Database handling according to the front-end design and requirements.
• Deploy the applications on the cloud for better and faster response.
• Refine the development environment based on the client’s needs.
• Study the project details carefully and use the skills to get the best end-result.

Prerequisites of being a Mean stack developer

• Experience to work on the database
• Ability to lead a team to developers
• Should have strong problem-solving skills
• Should be able to handle the server-side coding and requirements

Mean Stack vs Full-Stack: Feature-Based Comparison

Now, once you are aware of what is full and mean stack web development, it is the right time to make the Full-Stack vs Mean Stack comparison.

Instead of comparing them head-to-head, we are going to compare them based on their features and usability. So, let’s get started.

Front-End Development

The first point to compare the two stacks is to compare the frontend development. Though both the developers can work on front-end development, as the technologies used in both aspects are different, you should choose the perfect one according to your needs.

The Mean Stack developers work on the frameworks and are a better choice to opt for if the company is looking for a modern and robust front-end development.

As a more effective front-end framework, AngularJS offers the developers features to code more generically and the ability to perform otherwise difficult tasks for the frontend developers.

The framework not only offers the developers a reliable way to code the different functionalities, but the open-source community provides the proper help to achieve the difficult things for a developer.

In all, if you were looking for a better-designed front end and more control over the project, you should opt for the mean stack developers.

So, Mean Stack wins the Full-Stack vs Mean Stack battle here.

Back-End Development

When it comes to the backend web development, it all depends on the skills of the developers and the way they implement the backend functions according to the front-end actions.

And this is why full stack developers are considered as a more reliable choice for backend web development.

With a better understanding of the technologies and the base programming language, the full stack developers can perform better while working on the backend where the coding skills are more important than the framework handling.

Also, the full stack developers are more versed with database handling.

So, if you are looking for more experienced and reliable developers for making a database-driven website or web application, it would always be a better choice to rely on the full stack developers.

Also, they can work on the front-end applications too when and as needed. So, Full stack wins the Full-Stack vs Mean Stack battle here.

Frameworks

Frameworks play an important role in web development. And if you are an experienced web developer, then it is essential to know more than one framework that is being followed by the community and has better usability than others.

And this is where both full stack and mean stack developers hold experience in. However, they both differ in the number of frameworks to work in and the proficiency level.

MEAN stack developers are great in working on the framework but the fact is that they are only versed in different kinds of frameworks.

On the other hand, the full stack developers not only have a good command over the base programming language but they have a better understanding of various types of frameworks that are based on their specialization.

So, if you are looking for a better-valued option, then it would be none other than the full stack developers.

So, this was a brief comparison between the Mean Stack vs Full-Stack that you should be aware of. Choose the right developer for your firm and get the most valuable employee for your projects and needs.

Read also: A Definitive Guide On Single Page Web Applications (Frameworks, Architecture, & Example)

Similarities Between Full-Stack & Mean Stack

Now, once we have covered the differences and possibilities of full and mean stack development, now we should also talk about the similarities they both possess.

Though there are only a few similarities between Mean Stack vs Full-Stack, still to know and judge the capacities, it is extremely essential to have a look at these similarities.

They both can handle the complete web development

Whether it is about the frontend web development or the backend, the full stack and mean stack developers can easily handle the complete project with ease.

On one hand, where the full stack developers have the experience to deal with core programming as well as the frameworks, the mean stack owners only expertise in certain types of frameworks.

With efforts, they both can work on the projects and handle the complete project management with ease. So, Mean Stack vs Full-Stack have something common as well.

They both are a great asset for a company

As said, both full stack and mean stack developers can be used in different ways according to the company’s policy and projects’ needs.

Also, based on the experience the developer has, the company can help them achieve new career goals.

In other words, they both share an important place in the web development company and if you are looking to make a bright career in an IT firm, you can opt for either option and get the best benefits according to your skills and management.

There is always a ground for improvement

Whether you are a full stack developer or work as a mean stack developer, there is a great ground to expand your skills and expertise. Even if you are a mean developer, we will suggest you try hands-on other frameworks to gain experience and knowledge.

If you are a full stack developer, then there are lots of things to try on. You can learn new languages, frameworks, and scripts that can help you achieve more experience and a better position in the company.

So, never limit yourself to one place and always try to learn the related technologies according to your interest.

Chintan Gor

CTO, eSparkBiz

Enthusiastic for web app development, Chintan Gor has zeal in experimenting with his knowledge of Node, Angular & React in various aspects of development. He keeps on updating his technical know-how thus pinning his name among the topmost CTO's in India. His contribution is penned down by him through various technical blogs on trending tech. He is associated with eSparkBiz from the past 14+ years where one can get premium services.