Top 10 MEAN Stack Development Tools to Get Started

Today, the world of software is constantly evolving, and one such evolution has been the introduction of the MEAN stack. The way programming has become reliable and faster, the need for continuous development and demand for more efficient digital solutions is also rising. Such digital solutions save time as compared to traditional technologies. 

MEAN stack is one of the most recent technologies that have the power to change the game for the future. Probably this is the reason why the majority of developers across the globe are learning MEAN stack development. Even experts say the technology will top the charts in the coming years. 

Developers nowadays want to master this technology but fail to do so as they do not have the accurate resources to learn the MEAN stack and get started with it. Well, we can help you in this matter. 

This blog post has covered in-depth information about MEAN stack development tools that helps you get started with it in no time. All you have to do is go through this blog post and bring everything into practice. This way, no milestone or goal would seem hard to achieve. So, what are you waiting for? 

Let’s dive into this blog post to reveal about MEAN stack development and its necessary tools. 

What is MEAN Stack Development?

MEAN stack is an open-source collection of JavaScript technologies (i.e., MongoDB, ExpressJS, Angular, and NodeJS respectively) that play an imperative role in developing dynamic, efficient, quality, and highly functional web applications in a minimum time.

When developing a website or application, a developer basically involves working on different technologies, frameworks, and languages. The best thing about MEAN stack is that it offers you a complete package, ranging from the client-service side to the database. 

MongoDB is an open-source, document-oriented database and performs well in terms of performance and storage. Even MongoDB is also considered a storehouse for application data. Database and application both use JavaScript. It eliminates the need for translations when the object travels within the software. 

Free and open-source web application framework for NodeJS, ExpressJS encourages the faster development of web applications. ExpressJS improves the interactions between the data and the front end of the web application. Not only this, but it also facilitates the smooth transfer of data to the end-user because of its minimalist features.

Maintained by Google, AngularJS is an open-source front-end structural framework used for developing dynamic single-page applications. 

From facilitating the quick data serving connecting with AngularJS to supporting ExpressJS development, NodeJS can support millions of connections simultaneously. NodeJS also makes deploying the MongoDB database to the cloud a breeze, thanks to its inbuilt server. Highly scalable. Compatible with low-resource requests than any other resources. 

What Tools Are Necessary to Get Started?

First, let’s focus on the primary MEAN stack tools every developer should master. 

1. MochaJS:

JavaScript test framework based on NodeJS, MochaJS is one of the MEAN stack development tools widely used to examine both in the console and browser. One can use this quick testing suite for unit and addition testing. Not only this, but it works best for BDD (Behavior Driven Development) and TDD (Test-Driven Development).

2. Chai

Chai is a BDD and TDD assertion framework for NodeJS that can be incorporated with any testing framework. It can run in a browser or with NodeJS. It acts as an assertion tool, consisting of plugins, including chai-subset, chai-things, chai-as-promised, etc. 

3. PassportJS

If you’re looking for a tool that can provide you with a maximum choice of different paths for your app authentication, PassportJS is the perfect name. It is authentication middleware for NodeJS. From username and password model to login via Google, Twitter, or Facebook, PassportJS offers a good choice of app authentication. Above all, implementing it with any ExpressJS app is also easy with PassportJS. 

4. Webpack

Bundling Javascript files to use in a browser has become a matter of a few clicks with Webpack. Do you know the plus point of choosing this MEAN stack development tool? It allows you to establish one or many bundles that load at different runtimes and decrease the initial loading time. 

5. Sinon.JS

Looking for a MEAN stack development tool that can work with any testing framework? SinonJS is the answer. It is a standalone testing framework for JavaScript that supports mocks, spies, and stubs. It offers cross-browser support and can run on a server with the help of NodeJS. 

6. WebStorm IDE

The next tool on our list is WebStorm IDE which is durable and embraces everything required to develop NodeJS applications on both client and server-side. It is one of the best attributes, especially when you’re only doing HTML/CSS/JavaScript development. WebStorm IDE is a great tool developed for JavaScript. It provides complete ease to perform unit testing, tracking, and debugging when integrated with MochaJS.

7. VueJS

If you use AngularJS for MEAN stack development, you can also choose another substitute, i.e., VueJS. This tool is the right pick especially when you don't want to make a complex web application and have to configure controllers, routings, and services. This framework has the ViewModel. It points to the fact you can get attributes for larger frameworks in a lighter version for developing single-page applications. 

8. PM2

PM2 is an easy-to-use process manager for NodeJS applications with useful built-in attributes, such as load balancer, watch mode, etc. 

9. MeteorJS

Next on our list is MeteorJS, which is another renowned framework developed for faster JavaScript prototyping and writing cross-platform code. This framework is completely based on NodeJS, integrated with MongoDB, and one can use it with the JavaScript UI widget library. MeteorJS is considered a perfect tool for prototyping apps, but it is important to note that it is not the ideal solution for maintaining the one that’s already available. 

10. ExpressJS

Although we have discussed ExpressJS, we have added this framework to our list so that you won’t miss mastering this. It is a must-user minimalist framework used for NodeJS web applications. The amalgamation of ExpressJS and NodeJS allows you to develop software with JavaScript. Establishing a whole website is easier as NodeJS can help build the server-side part of the app, whereas Express.js helps publish the applications on your website.

Conclusion

Well, this is all about the best tools that can help you in the MEAN stack development journey. MEAN stack development has turned out into a major topic of discussion in the tech world after technical experts have recommended this technology. And if you’re on the hunt for the best MEAN stack development company to help you build unique digital solutions, we can help you.

75way is a renowned expert specializing in MEAN stack development. Our experts have a better understanding of this technology and know how to use the above-listed tools for high-performing solutions. We have helped many clients to accomplish their goals and can help you too. So, it’s time to rely on our expertise.