Tech Stacks
What is a Tech Stack?
A tech stack is defined as the set of technologies an organization uses to build a web or mobile application. It is a combination of programming languages, frameworks, libraries, patterns, servers, UI/UX solutions, software, and tools used by its developers. https://stackshare.io/stacks
- There are a ton of different frameworks, products, and services you can use for each part of your stack!
- The tech stack is the particular choice of frameworks, products, and services you use for setting up your front-end and back-end servers and databases.
Examples
The following examples are some of the most common tech stacks used in industry. There are several books and resources that cover building these tech stacks in more depth.
Common Tech Stacks (MERN, MEVN, MEAN, Ruby on Rails, Python/Django, LAMP, etc.)
| Tech Stack | Expanded Acronym | Front-End | Back-End | Database | Deployment | Notable Features | Use Cases |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MVP | Minimal Viable Product | NextJS | Supabase | Supabase | Vercel | Very easy to set up, deploy, and iterate on; get feedback quickly | |
| MEAN | MongoDB, Express.js, Angular, Node.js | Angular (TypeScript) | Node.js + Express.js | MongoDB | Vercel, Heroku, AWS, Azure | Full JavaScript stack; easy to switch between client and server-side development | Real-time apps, single-page apps, RESTful APIs |
| MERN | MongoDB, Express.js, React, Node.js | React (JavaScript/TS) | Node.js + Express.js | MongoDB | Vercel, Heroku, AWS, Azure | React for modern, dynamic front-end; reusable components | Social networks, dashboards, e-commerce platforms |
| MEVN | MongoDB, Express.js, Vue.js, Node.js | Vue.js (JavaScript) | Node.js + Express.js | MongoDB | Vercel, Heroku, AWS, Azure | Lightweight front-end framework; focuses on simplicity and integration | Lightweight SPAs, prototyping, fast-loading UIs |
| Ruby on Rails | - | ERB, React, Vue (optional) | Ruby on Rails | PostgreSQL, MySQL | Heroku, AWS, DigitalOcean | Convention-over-configuration; strong developer tools; fast prototyping | Content management systems, SaaS, startups |
| Python/Django | - | Django Templates, React, Vue | Django (Python) | PostgreSQL, MySQL | AWS, DigitalOcean, Heroku | High scalability; built-in admin panel; strong ORM; excellent documentation | Enterprise apps, scientific platforms, e-commerce |
| Ionic Web/Mobile App |
- [Optional] Some familiar tech company stacks (for longer-term development, higher-complexity)
Note, these are the most common tech stacks used in industry, but there are so many more different web products that you can choose from for each of the parts of your stack (front-end, back-end, and deployment). The next section is dedicated to exploring the different choices that exist! If you just want to know how to build the MVP stack, we recommend you jump to the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) Stack page.