Is MERN Stack Development Dead in 2024? What You Need to Know?

We are living in an era where technology rapidly changes. Nowadays, plenty of libraries and tools are entering the market, which undoubtedly resolve previous problems and boost our website and app performance.

In recent days, there has been a trending topic: “Is MERN Stack Development Dead in 2024?” which has been discussed by some YouTubers.

So today in this blog, we’ll analyze in-depth and attempt to answer all questions related to MERN development. We’ll also discuss whether you should still learn it in 2024/2025 or not. Let’s dive in deep.

What is MERN stack ?

Before understanding whether MERN is still relevant to learn in 2024/2025, let’s first understand what MERN is.

The MERN stack is a popular web development stack that comprises four key technologies:

• M stands for MongoDB, a NoSQL database that stores data in a flexible, JSON-like format.
• E stands for Express.js, a lightweight web application framework for Node.js
• R stands for React.js, JavaScript library for building user interfaces
• N stands for Node.js, a JavaScript runtime built on Chrome’s V8 JavaScript engine,

The MERN stack, comprising MongoDB, Express, React, and Node.js, has been a popular choice for building robust and scalable web applications for several years. Similar to MERN, there are two other popular web development stacks available:

• MEAN: Where Angular is included instead of React.
• MEVN: Where Vue.js is included instead of React.

These stacks also help us create Single Page Applications (SPAs) similar to React. Okay, I hope you now have a proper understanding of the MERN/MEN stack. Below you can check that how much popular React is.

Technology	Weekly Download	GitHub Stars	Official Website
Reactjs	22,463,022 (08 July 2024)	225K	https://react.dev/
Angular	3,190,470	95K	https://angular.dev/
Vuejs	4,731,433	45.7K	https://vuejs.org/
Svelte	1,068,552	77.5K	https://svelte.dev/

Now, let’s return to our main topic: Is the MERN Stack Dead or Alive in 2024?

Is MERN Stack Development Dead in 2024?

In simple terms, MERN is not dead; instead, it has evolved significantly. Let me explain why I say this, speaking as a developer with over 4 years of experience in web development.

As I’ve already stated in my blog, web development technology evolves rapidly. Take React.js, for example, a popular library for creating user interfaces and SPAs, maintained by tech giants like Facebook.

If you are still using React in 2024, it could be seen as outdated. The official React website now suggests moving away from plain React alone. Instead, it recommends using frameworks like Next.js, Gatsby, or Remix.js.

Have you noticed this earlier ? Recommendations to shift from plain React to frameworks like Next.js, Gatsby, and Remix began when these frameworks entered the market. However, many developers still choose to use plain React for various reasons.

Why does React recommend using these frameworks instead of plain React ?

As the single-page application market continues to grow, various frameworks enter the market to enhance the performance of applications when utilized.

Here are the some of benefits to use React frameworks :

SEO Optimization:

Did you know that search engine bots dislike React websites? You might be surprised, but it’s true. Google and other search engines have difficulty with React websites, resulting in lower website visibility and reduced traffic.

These frameworks offer better SEO capabilities through pre-rendering and server-side rendering, which is challenging to achieve with plain React.

Scalability:

Frameworks like Next.js and Gatsby are designed with scalability in mind, making it easier to scale applications as they grow. If you create the same website using Next.js or Gatsby, achieving scalability is not a significant issue with these frameworks.

Improved Performance and Built-in Features:

Frameworks like Next.js, Gatsby, and Remix.js often optimize performance through features like server-side rendering (SSR) and static site generation (SSG). Moreover, they come with built-in features such as routing, data fetching strategies, and optimized build processes, which streamline development and deployment.

These are just some reasons why React recommends using these frameworks. Once you start working with them, you will discover plenty of differences.

Why You Should Still Learn MERN in 2024/2025?

Despite these trends, MERN stack development is far from dead. Here are some reasons why MERN continues to be relevant in year 2024/2025:

Below are the details of popular packages from the NPM website. Take a look at the website’s statistics: React downloads are still increasing significantly. Here is the link of the website : https://npmcharts.com/

Between June 17 and June 23, 2024, it was downloaded approximately 25 million times, placing it well ahead of its competitors in the rankings.

Now, do you think React is dead? As of now and for the upcoming years, the answer is NO.

Now, let’s take a look at the popular Node.js framework, Express.js. Take a look at the download statistics from the last week.

Within one week, Express.js was downloaded over 30 million times. Therefore, the data clearly shows that Express.js is here to stay for the upcoming years, with no competitors currently available.

What should you do if you are a MERN stack developer or learning for 2024/2025?

If you are a MERN stack developer or thinking of learning it from scratch, you should keep yourself updated. Here are some tips that I advise fellow developers to follow.

Master in JavaScript

The MERN stack developer handles both frontend and backend completely but the good thing is that whether it’s frontend or backend, everything relies on JavaScript.

Mastering JavaScript helps you become a proficient developer, ensuring longevity in your career, results in more growth. Nowadays, JavaScript is also used in mobile app development with React Native and for machine learning with TensorFlow.

Learn TypeScript

TypeScript is a strongly typed superset of JavaScript that adds optional static typing to the language. It is developed and maintained by Microsoft. This helps catch errors early in the development process and provides better code quality and reliability.

Nowadays, most companies are using TypeScript in their projects. So if you are a beginner or have not used TypeScript, you should start working on it. It is almost similar to JavaScript, so there is nothing to worry about.

Stay updated with market

Ignoring market web development trends means you are falling behind in this competitive world. Keep yourself updated with what’s happening in web development, such as React and Node.js. For example, in React, instead of using traditional data fetching methods like fetch or Axios, stay informed about React Query, a powerful library for data fetching and caching.

How did MERN stack development dead trends start?

This trend started when some YouTubers, aiming to promote their other courses, labeled the MERN stack as dead. I’ve also seen many videos where people expose these tactics as merely a way to earn money.

However, based on the data above, it’s clear that the MERN stack isn’t going anywhere. Your focus should be on mastering JavaScript, as it remains the key to success.

Why there is no jobs in market nowadays ?

The job market for React developers can vary depending on several factors, including geographic location, industry demand, and the overall economic climate.

In India, it mostly depends on other Western markets like the USA, UK, etc., as most clients are based in those countries. Some companies might be moving to other frameworks or technologies, such as Angular, Vue.js, or Svelte.

If you are still looking for React opportunities, you should also update your skills to include Next.js and Gatsby, as they have gained popularity in the market.

Conclusion

In the end, I hope you now have a clearer understanding of whether MERN stack development is considered dead or not. I repeat, the MERN stack is here to stay for a long time. However, there are always updates and new tools/libraries that you should be aware of and know how to use so that your web app performs like a rocket.

If you have still any doubts, just drop me a message below here. I’ll be happy to assist you.