MERN stack development has gained popularity as a comprehensive framework for full-stack development. Many developers aspire to become full-stack developers due to the freedom it offers in crafting end-to-end applications and the broader skill set it provides compared to other roles.
As you delve into mastering MERN stack development and showcasing your skills, creating complete projects becomes crucial. But before diving into project ideas, it’s essential to touch upon the basics of full-stack development.
What exactly is the MERN Stack?
The MERN Stack, a JavaScript-based framework, enables the swift and straightforward deployment of full-stack web applications. Comprising MongoDB, Express, React, and Node.js, this stack was designed to expedite and enhance the development process.
These four robust technologies collectively offer a comprehensive architecture for crafting open-source projects, such as online applications.
How does the MERN Stack operate?
Utilizing solely JavaScript and JSON, the MERN architecture empowers developers to swiftly construct a three-tier structure—comprising the frontend, backend, and database—facilitating seamless development.
With MERN, you can handle an entire project mainly using JavaScript and JSON. So, a developer just needs to be really good at one programming language and understand JSON files.
In MERN stack, developers create URLs like “application/users/create”. These URLs let people create, see, and change data that’s stored and retrieved from the MongoDB database. These URLs play different roles, and when someone makes an HTTP request, it gets things going.
M for MongoDB: In MERN, the “M” stands for MongoDB, the database used in a MERN app. MongoDB stores data for the back-end of applications. It organizes data as Objects within Collections within Documents.
E for Express JS: Express is a framework that manages the structure and functions of the back end. It sits on top of Node.js, speeding up web app development.
R for React: React is a tool for creating user interfaces on single-page web apps.
N for Node.js: Node.js is a tool used to run JavaScript on the backend. It’s open source and functions across various platforms, using V8 engines to process JavaScript code outside of web browsers.
MERN Stack Projects Ideas for Beginners
Full-stack developers have diverse backgrounds and different levels of expertise. You might know a lot about designing the front end but still be learning about the back end. There are many platforms where you can show off your skills in MERN stack development.
Being a full-stack developer involves tackling various challenges. A full-stack developer needs to be skilled in many programming languages and technologies. So, when you propose complete and advanced MERN stack projects, you’ll outline the main goals, but it’s up to you to figure out how to achieve them.
These MERN stack project ideas can jazz up your portfolio. These projects are particularly beneficial for budding web developers, helping lay a solid groundwork. While individuals with basic front-end and back-end knowledge can manage these tasks, executing them proficiently requires skills and expertise. Here are some beginner-friendly MERN project ideas.
Travel Log App
This complete web service will let users share their travel adventures with a community of fellow explorers.
This app will allow users to:
- Discover other travelers’ experiences.
- Share their own expertise.
- Include various details about their encounters while traveling.
TO-DO List
Making a To-Do List is a common project using the MERN stack. You’ll build a website where users who are logged in can add or remove tasks from a database. This project covers authentication, CRUD (creating, reading, updating, deleting), databases, and more.
Media Player-App
This is a straightforward MERN stack project to try out. Create a media player app to explore features like song shuffle, playlists, media player API authentication, toolbar statistics, header setup, music search, and footer design.
Chat Messaging Application
As social networking sites with their own messaging tools became more common, standalone messaging apps became less popular. Even though it’s not directly in line with current industry needs, creating a messaging app is a great MERN stack project for learning, as it’s not too complex but still offers valuable insights.
Fitness Tracker
Here’s another easy MERN stack project idea. Many New Year’s resolutions often focus on getting healthier. Plus, with the ongoing COVID situation, the idea of “survival of the fittest” has become quite popular. Because of this demand, creating a health-related app can be valuable. It offers a chance to learn how to build something with more user interaction, enhancing skills in creating a great user interface and experience.
Advanced MERN Stack Projects Ideas
As technology evolves and the website development field progresses, staying updated with new skills, tools, and methods is crucial for developers. It’s essential to move beyond basic MERN stack projects and challenge yourself with an advanced project.
It supports developers in ongoing learning and applying new skills. Plus, if you build something valuable with significant growth potential, it could turn into an excellent startup opportunity! That’s why having advanced MERN stack project ideas is important to level up your professional journey.
6. E-Commerce Platform
An e-commerce website stands out as a top MERN stack project idea for developers at any level, whether they’re beginners or seasoned professionals. This project could cater to either a brand-new business or an existing one.
The e-commerce platform is versatile: it could buy discounted items from people, refurbish and resell them for profit, or sell brand-new products to customers.
Moreover, the website needs to showcase the available products, whether used or new, that customers can buy. It should also include a user registration feature for building profiles. This project serves as an excellent example of a MERN stack website.
7. Application for Food Delivery
This app helps restaurants connect with customers. Restaurant owners can sign up, and display their menu and prices. Customers can sign up too, browse nearby restaurants, and place orders.
Restaurants confirm takeaway orders and send them to a delivery rider. Customers who order can track the delivery rider’s location. The shopping cart and payment pages in the app need to be special and easy to use.
8. News Application
As people increasingly want the latest news due to digital advancements, this app becomes handy. It lets users easily post their news or articles directly within the app. Users can also include images to make their articles more visually engaging.
9. Weather App
Creating a weather app using ReactJS is a fantastic project that doesn’t demand extensive coding time. Initially, we can use simulated, challenging data until everything works perfectly. Building this app helps us learn how to link to external APIs and show the necessary results accurately.
Mastering this skill will be incredibly valuable when crafting other single-page apps that fetch data from external sources and exhibit the outcomes.
10. Storytelling via Data Visualization
If you’re a fan of stories, you might find this topic more engaging to work with. Tools like Tableau, FusionCharts, and Sisense come in handy for these projects. They help you present your results visually and verbally, providing stakeholders with the insights they need to act upon your findings.
Conclusion
For beginners, the MERN stack opens up numerous project options spanning the entire stack. As a MERN stack development company, we’ve compiled a list of our top MERN stack projects to kickstart your journey. Our aim is to spark inspiration for your future projects as you work towards becoming a more skilled MERN Stack developer. Consider trying one of these ideas to create your own MERN stack sample project.
