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Node.js VS MEAN

Compare Node.js VS MEAN and see what are their differences

Node.js logo Node.js

Node.js is a platform built on Chrome's JavaScript runtime for easily building fast, scalable network applications

MEAN logo MEAN

A Simple, Scalable and Easy starting point for full stack javascript web development
  • Node.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-18
  • MEAN Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-30

Node.js features and specs

  • Asynchronous and Event-Driven
    Node.js uses an asynchronous, non-blocking, and event-driven I/O model, making it efficient and scalable for handling multiple simultaneous connections.
  • JavaScript Everywhere
    Developers can use JavaScript for both client-side and server-side programming, providing a unified language environment and better synergy between front-end and back-end development.
  • Large Community and NPM
    Node.js has a vibrant community and a rich ecosystem with the Node Package Manager (NPM), which offers thousands of open-source libraries and tools that can be integrated easily into projects.
  • High Performance
    Built on the V8 JavaScript engine from Google, Node.js translates JavaScript directly into native machine code, which increases performance and speed.
  • Scalability
    Designed with microservices and scalability in mind, Node.js enables easy horizontal scaling across multiple servers.
  • JSON Support
    Node.js seamlessly handles JSON, which is a common format for API responses, making it an excellent choice for building RESTful APIs and data-intensive real-time applications.

Possible disadvantages of Node.js

  • Callback Hell
    The reliance on callbacks to manage asynchronous operations can lead to deeply nested and difficult-to-read code, commonly referred to as 'Callback Hell'.
  • Not Suitable for CPU-Intensive Tasks
    Node.js is optimized for I/O operations and can become inefficient for CPU-intensive tasks, slowing down overall performance due to its single-threaded event loop.
  • Immaturity of Tools
    Compared to more established technologies, some Node.js libraries and tools still lack maturity and comprehensive documentation, which can be challenging for developers.
  • Callback and Promise Overheads
    Managing asynchronous operations using callbacks or promises can lead to additional complexity and overhead, impacting maintainability and performance if not handled correctly.
  • Fragmented Ecosystem
    The fast-paced evolution of Node.js and its ecosystem can lead to fragmentation, with numerous versions and libraries that may not always be compatible with each other.
  • Security Issues
    The extensive use of third-party libraries via NPM can introduce security vulnerabilities if not properly managed and updated, making applications more susceptible to attacks.

MEAN features and specs

  • Full JavaScript Stack
    The MEAN stack uses JavaScript for both client-side and server-side development, creating a more unified and cohesive development environment.
  • Open-Source
    All components of the MEAN stack are open-source and have large, active communities that contribute to continuous improvement and support.
  • Scalability
    MEAN stack applications can be easily scaled by distributing the load across multiple servers and databases, especially MongoDB, which is designed for horizontal scaling.
  • JSON Natively
    Data flows seamlessly in JSON format, which makes it easier to work with NoSQL databases like MongoDB and allows for a consistent data format across the stack.
  • Rapid Development
    MEAN stack simplifies the development process, enabling rapid prototyping and faster iterations due to its non-blocking architecture and well-integrated tools.

Possible disadvantages of MEAN

  • Immaturity
    Some MEAN stack technologies, particularly Angular and MongoDB, are relatively new and may not be as mature or stable as established alternatives.
  • Callback Hell
    JavaScript is an asynchronous programming language, and excessive use of callbacks can make the code more difficult to read and maintain, often referred to as 'callback hell'.
  • Performance Bottlenecks
    While efficient for many use-cases, Node.js' single-threaded nature can be a limitation for CPU-intensive tasks, potentially leading to performance bottlenecks.
  • Tooling Diversity
    The plethora of available tools and frameworks within the MEAN ecosystem can be overwhelming and may cause inconsistencies if not chosen and managed carefully.
  • Security Concerns
    Using MongoDB's flexible schema can lead to unintentional vulnerabilities if input validation and authorization are not handled properly.

Node.js videos

What is Node.js? | Mosh

More videos:

  • Review - What is Node.js Exactly? - a beginners introduction to Nodejs
  • Review - Learn node.js in 2020 - A review of best node.js courses

MEAN videos

What is REVIEW? What does REVIEW mean? REVIEW meaning - REVIEW definition - How to pronounce REVIEW?

More videos:

  • Review - Mean Creek (2004) - Movie Review | Best Movies You've Never Seen

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Node.js and MEAN)
Developer Tools
98 98%
2% 2
Runtime
100 100%
0% 0
Web Frameworks
96 96%
4% 4
Python Web Framework
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Node.js and MEAN

Node.js Reviews

Top JavaScript Frameworks in 2025
JavaScript is widely used for back-end or server-side development because it makes a call to the remote server when a web page loads on the browser. When a browser loads a web page, it makes a call to a remote server. Further, the code parses the page’s URL to understand users’ requirements before retrieving and transforming the required data to serve back to the browser....
Source: solguruz.com
9 Best JavaScript Frameworks to Use in 2023
Node.js applications are written in JavaScript and run on the Node.js runtime, which allows them to be executed on any platform that supports Node.js. Node.js applications are typically event-driven and single-threaded, making them efficient and scalable. Additionally, the Node Package Manager (NPM) provides a way to install and manage dependencies for Node.js projects...
Source: ninetailed.io
20 Best JavaScript Frameworks For 2023
TJ Holowaychuk built Express in 2010 before being acquired by IBM (StrongLoop) in 2015. Node.js Foundation currently maintains it. The key reason Express is one of the best JavaScript frameworks is its rapid server-side coding. Complex tasks that would take hours to code using pure Node.js can be resolved in a few minutes, thanks to Express. On top of that, Express offers a...
FOSS | Top 15 Web Servers 2021
Node.js is a cross-platform server-side JavaScript environment built for developing and running network applications such as web servers. Node.js is licensed under a variety of licenses. As of March 2021, around 1.2% of applications were running on Node.js. Among the top companies and applications utilizing this modern web server are GoDaddy, Microsoft, General Electric,...
Source: www.zentao.pm
10 Best Tools to Develop Cross-Platform Desktop Apps 
Electron.js is compatible with a variety of frameworks, libraries, access to hardware-level APIs and chromium engine, and Node.js support. Electron Fiddle feature is great for experimentation as it allows developers to play around with concepts and templates. Simplification is at the center of Electron because developers don’t have to spend unnecessary time on the packaging,...

MEAN Reviews

We have no reviews of MEAN yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Node.js seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 896 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Node.js mentions (896)

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MEAN mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of MEAN yet. Tracking of MEAN recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Node.js and MEAN, you can also consider the following products

ExpressJS - Sinatra inspired web development framework for node.js -- insanely fast, flexible, and simple

Ruby on Rails - Ruby on Rails is an open source full-stack web application framework for the Ruby programming...

VS Code - Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft

Django - The Web framework for perfectionists with deadlines

Laravel - A PHP Framework For Web Artisans

Meteor - Meteor is a set of new technologies for building top-quality web apps in a fraction of the time.