When it comes to web development there is no end to ways you can do it. But when it comes to using the popular frameworks, MEAN stack and Full Stack top the list. In this article, we will get into the MEAN stack developer Vs Full Stack debate, what the difference between MEAN stack and Full stack developers, and what they bring to the table.
Before jumping into mean & full stack developer, let’s clear our basics first.
What is a stack?
A stack is a collection of technologies, software products, and Backend development languages. There are two types of stacks for technical development: Application stack and technology stack. Application stack consists of application programs that work together, perform tasks and help manage tasks. The technology stack consists of technology services that are used for creating applications.
Website development consists of two components- The Frontend and Backend languages. The frontend is the visible side of the site while the backend is where all the work is done. The frontend involves web design and interfaces while the backend deals with databases and server-side programming.
Both these components (mean & full stack developer) are dependent on each other and thus it is important that both frontend and backend are well designed. While some developers choose to specialize in one of these components, some choose to master both. They are Full stack developers.
A full stack developer has to learn many different programming languages, frameworks, and tools which help them to create websites faster. One such tool is the MEAN stack.
What Is The Difference Between Mean Stack Developer And Full Stack Developers?
To answer your question about what is the difference between MEAN and Full stack developers, first, understand that a Full stack is a group of tools and programming languages for web development, and a MEAN stack is a Full stack framework consisting of MongoDB, ExpressJS, AngularJS, and NodeJS. Now have a look at the comparative table below for understanding the difference between MEAN and Full stack developers.
| Full stack developer | MEAN stack developer |
| An IT professional who works on web development- both client-side and server-side. | An IT professional working on web development using a collection of Javascript technologies to develop both client and server-side of the web app. |
| Full stack is primarily referred to as a developer. | MEAN is an acronym for a full-stack framework that the Full-stack developer uses for web development. |
| A full-stack developer has knowledge and expertise in using a number of programming languages and web development frameworks. | MEAN stack consists of 4 full-stack technologies and is an integral part of full stack web development. |
| Developers can use any frontend and backend technology and programming language. | Developers use AngularJS for the frontend and NodeJS for the back end in the MEAN framework. |
| Developers can work with databases like SQL, MySQL, Oracle, etc. | The developer uses MongoDB only when using MEAN for web development. |
When it comes to web development, it can be tough deciding which is a better MEAN stack developer or Full stack. So let’s understand and try to decode that too.
- The full stack is not limited to any particular language. MEAN, however, is limited to Javascript and all the tools are Javascript based.
- For becoming a full-stack developer you will have to learn multiple languages for web development along with concepts of web design. With MEAN you learn JavaScript-based tools and frameworks.
For Frontend Development:
MEAN has AngularJS which supports two-way data binding, and enables you to use HTML syntax and express components easily. It has MVC architectural patterns for developing large websites. However, with MEAN you have to work with this only. While with Full-stack you have access to other frontend frameworks like ReactJS, VueJS, JQuery, etc.
For Backend Development:
MEAN uses NodeJS for server-side development along with ExpressJS which simplifies backend development. However, it offers limited features when it comes to server-side development. When you choose Full-stack you get to choose among PHP, Python, and other scripting languages which offer powerful results.
For Databases:
MEAN stack developers rely on MongoDB which is a popular choice among modern developers because it is easy to scale, non-relational, and focuses on document-based data storage. Full stack developers have access to many other databases.
In the MEAN stack Vs Full Stack confusion, hope we were able to clarify what these two mean and how are they different. To sum it up, the MEAN stack is a part of the Full stack that you will have to learn. MEAN stack developers have a good grip on JavaScript because they work extensively and exclusively on it while Full stack developers have knowledge of various different languages. Both of them are good and you can choose any of them based on your requirement. Consider the features and match them with your project specifications.
FAQ’S
Ans- Yes, a MEAN stack developer is a Full-stack developer. A Full-stack developer works on both frontend and backend and so is the MEAN stack developer. The difference between them is, however, that MEAN stack is a part of Full-stack and is a technology set whereas full-stack is the knowledge-based skill of developing both front end and back end.
Ans- Yes, it is good but this also depends on your requirement. MEAN stack offers advanced features for faster and easy web development. But it is limited to the Javascript language and you will not be able to use any other programming language and tools apart from MongoDB, ExpressJS, AngularJS, and NodeJS.
Ans- MEAN stack is a part of Full-stack so when you learn Full-stack you have to learn MEAN stack or its components. In terms of learning, Full-stack developers have to learn a wide range of programming languages along with MEAN stack, like MERN stack, and other languages like ReactJS, Python, PHP, jQuery, etc, databases like Oracle, SQL, etc., and much more.
Ans- You can learn Full-stack by enrolling in a structured program that offers deep learning of the topics and languages, helps you practice the development theories, and offers expert guidance during development issues. Geekster offers comprehensive courses for freshers and professionals to learn Full-stack development and accelerate their career growth.
