Which Popular Tech Stack is Right for Your Next Web Development Project?

Last Updated on 2024-10-11

Are you considering using a popular tech stack in your next development project? This article will help you compare some of today’s most popular tech stacks.

Different tech stacks have been widely used in software development. But they each have their own set of strengths and usability factors. With many options available, choosing the right stack can be overwhelming.

Don’t fret! We’ll compare popular tech stacks like MEAN, MERN, MEVN, LAMP, serverless, and Ruby on Rails. This list will help you make an informed decision in choosing the right fit for your project. Let’s start!

Battle of the Six (6) Popular Tech Stacks

The best tech stack for you depends on your specific needs and project requirements. So choose the most suitable one among the popular tech stacks listed below.

1. MEAN Stack

What does MEAN stand for? It’s the acronym for MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS, and Node.js.

Built on JavaScript as a full-stack development solution, it is widely known for ease of use, performance, flexibility, and scalability.

Here’s an itemization of the tech in the MEAN stack:

• MongoDB—NoSQL, source-available cross-platform database management system that utilizes JSON-like documents with optional schemas.
• Express.js—A minimalist backend web application framework that provides robust features for hybrid, single-page, and multi-page apps.
• AngularJS—It’s a JavaScript library used to build user-end interfaces.
• Node.js—The application runtime environment that executes JavaScript code outside a web browser.

This tech stack is best for small development teams working on cloud-native and modern apps.

Advantages	Disadvantages
All tools use JavaScript and are open source, so full stack development is faster and more efficient	The risk of losing data is higher during heavy workflows
It helps you create a presentation layer for live updates and demonstrations	It needs more maintenance procedures due to frequent updates
It can run on any operating system allowing your team to develop, test, and deploy cloud apps without trouble	It may not be easy to integrate into different architectures since older apps may not be using JavaScript

2. MERN Stack

This tech is quite similar to the MEAN stack but uses React instead of AngularJS. It’s a newer frontend framework known for its speed, flexibility, and component-based architecture. In turn, it makes it easier for you to build dynamic and interactive user interfaces.

MERN is the best stack if you want to build simple to intermediate single-page apps quickly.

Advantages	Disadvantages
React developers are more available than AngularJS developers	A list of functionalities gets sacrificed due to a non-existent full stack framework
MERN is optimized for single-page application development	Requires modules to fill in the missing functionalities
Easy to use while increasing full stack development abilities

3. MEVN Stack

Hey, here’s another relative to the previously mentioned stacks. The only difference is that it uses Vue.js. This framework is simple, user-friendly, and easy to integrate.

This popular tech stack is an excellent choice for lightweight, powerful applications. Do you have a teammate who is also a new backend or frontend developer? With its minimalist but performance-driven approach, MEVN might be your best jam too.

Advantages	Disadvantages
Ready for development right out of the box	Vue.js may be popular, but it has limited resources
Cost-effective solution for web app development due to its minimalist approach	Needs to be updated often
Faster performance compared to AngularJS and React

4. LAMP Stack

Great news for PHP developers! The LAMP stack is a popular open-source tech stack built on PHP. A lot of development teams use it because of its core design. You can build applications without the use of external data or software.

It consists of the following technologies:

• Linux—A popular open source, Unix-like OS used for servers, such as web, database, file, and email.
• Apache—A popular open-source, cross-platform web server software that serves web pages per client’s requests.
• MySQL—It’s an open-source relational database management system that allows for at-scale use. 
• PHP—The popular programming language that works well with Apache to build dynamic web apps and pages.

Why should you utilize the LAMP stack? It is known for its stability and ease of use. Also, it’s a good choice for building small-sized, medium-sized, and large-scale web applications. Its non-blocking structure helps your app maximize uptime because it can still be responsive even with a higher workload. In fact, WordPress, Slack, and Drupal run on LAMP.

It’s also important to note that you can exchange PHP with Perl or Python. At the end of the day, it’s your project, so it is only fitting that you choose your preferred programming language.

Advantages	Disadvantages
Has a vast community that can support each tech used in the tech stack	Limited to the Linux operating system
Can be customizable thanks to available solutions as a mature, popular tech stack	Limitations on possible back-and-forth switch between frontend and backend tools
As a fully open-source stack with a non-blocking structure, it enables faster development and increases app scalability	It may be challenging to integrate with the cloud, which can potentially cause its usage to dip

5. Serverless

Say hello to a newer web development paradigm. AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, and Google Cloud Functions are popular serverless computing platforms.

The serverless stack also enables your team to build apps by triggering functions in response to events. Moreover, this popular tech stack offers scalability, reduced maintenance overhead, and cost efficiency.

The serverless stack also enables your team to build apps by triggering functions in response to events. Moreover, this popular tech stack offers scalability, reduced maintenance overhead, and cost efficiency.

This is the perfect choice if you and your development team want to focus on coding, not managing infrastructure. It is also good if you want to scale your applications quickly and easily.

Advantages	Disadvantages
Cost-effective and highly efficient for development teams to use	Limited to no control over the available tech in the stack
You don’t have to assign a developer to maintain and manage your tech	If not done right, the scaling costs can be higher beyond a predetermined size

6. Ruby on Rails

Ruby on Rails is a popular development framework written in Ruby. It is known for its speed, productivity, and ease of use. Since it follows the model-view-controller pattern, it is a robust full-stack development framework that is highly organized and efficient.

And what’s the best part? Ruby on Rails has a vast ecosystem of reusable code libraries along with an active developer community. So, if you and your team prefer productivity and elegant code, then Ruby on Rails is definitely for you.

Advantages	Disadvantages
An active community of developers you can tap for support	Uncustomizable and not commonly used by development teams
Has built-in default structures to help you develop new apps quickly	It cannot be used to develop complex apps

What Popular Tech Stack Is the One for You?

Each popular tech stack has its strengths and weaknesses. They also cater to different development preferences and project requirements.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution for your project. However, knowing these tech stacks and what they bring to the table enables you to choose wisely. So look into what you need, get familiar with the tech, and consider your team’s preferences.

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