Angular vs React: Which one to choose and when?

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Javascript is one of the most widely used programming languages today. Many developers, both new and experienced, choose to use Javascript to construct their applications or projects, but they are sometimes perplexed while deciding which framework or library to use for their projects.

Although Angular and ReactJs are their top priorities, the majority of them are unable to decide which one is best for their project. However, selecting the right one for the right set of projects necessitates a thorough understanding of a number of key factors. We’ve addressed some of the most important points in this blog by comparing Angular with React.

In this blog, we will cover:

  • A brief introduction to Angular and React
  • Understanding the difference between Angular and React from a technological industry perspective
  • Who uses what?
  • Conclusion

A brief introduction to Angular and React

Angular vs React

Angular

Angular is a client-side typescript-based framework purposely used to create interactive dynamic web applications. These applications are majorly used to service information based on 3 important pillars i.e. time, location, and user.

Angular vs React
Angular vs React

React

React is a flexible javascript library responsible for building reusable UI components. It is an open-source component-based frontend library responsible only for the view part of an application and works in a virtual document object model.

AngularReact
Angular is a design framework and platform efficient for creating single-page applications (popularly called SPA’s)React is a javascript library for building the interactive user interfaces

Understanding the difference between Angular and React

To understand the difference between Angular and React we will consider the different options. Let us explore the advantages, disadvantages, and risks in a tabular format-

Advantages of Angular and React

AngularReact
Complete framework
Managed by Google
Supports both web and mobile-based applications
Supports both single and multi-page applications
Less dependent on external librariesTypescript language is similar to Object-Oriented programming (OOP’s) and makes it easy for developers to learn and understand
Based on model view controller and real document object model (DOM)Good performance
Two-way binding and offers compile-time checking to prevent errors at runtimeSmall learning curves as backend developers are already aware of the OOP’s basics
Can work in parallel with the AngularJS applications and offers hybrid support (wherein both AngularJS and Angular components can run in parallel)
User interface binding happens at the object or the property level
Less opinionatedAngular applications offer two frameworks for unit testing (i.e. Karma and Jasmine)
Supports many out of box features like Reactive programming (RxJS), Angular CLI, Angular Material (Bootstrap), Angular Universal (Server-side rendering)
It is a library
Managed by Facebook
Supports both web and mobile-based applications
Supports both single and multi-page applications
Offers good external library support to achieve functionalities
The internal architecture is based on JSX which is an extension of the Javascript library
Based on the view partWork on the virtual document object model (DOM) and thus offers better performance and efficient memory management
Light in size
Offers direct linking of states to the  user interface
Flexible opinionated
React applications can only be tested via the Jest testing framework
Offers backward compatibilityMinimum bundle size of 80 KB

Disadvantages of Angular and React

AngularReact
Being a framework it is a bit heavy in the size
Considerably less backward compatible with AngularJS versions
Minimum bundle size of 500 KB
Frequent minor and major releases is a headache (but offers good long time support for older versions)
React applications need multiple integrations and support tools like Redux, Webpack, etc.
One way binding results in additional effort to do value mapping and change detection
Deep learning curve
Running a react application with Angular application has its complexities

Risks of Angular and React

AngularReact
Since it is a framework it needs good learning and hands-on experience to implement or completely rewrite an application
Require application upgrade to a major version every 3rd or 4th year
Highly dependent on additional packages may lead to increased vulnerabilities in the application and development delay

Who uses what?

React was initially developed by Facebook to optimize the ease of building new components for their user interface applications but in turn, it was adopted by a lot of other companies that process a heavy amount of data in minutes.

React

  1. Metaverse, Whatsapp, and Instagram
  2. Airbnb
  3. Uber
  4. Netflix
  5. Dropbox
  6. Etc.

Angular

  1. Eat24
  2. CVS shop
  3. NBA
  4. Delta
  5. wix.com
  6. Google Express
  7. Etc.

Which one to choose and when?

When it comes to selecting a suitable framework or library – for example, Angular vs React – it might be tough to choose one because each has its own set of characteristics.

Choosing between Angular and React is ultimately a matter of personal preference. This is due to the fact that both JS frameworks may tackle the same problem but in different ways.

Choosing Angular

In the following cases, the Angular framework is the ideal platform for developing a dynamic app:

  • You wish to increase your productivity by utilizing software that has previously been created.
  • You want a large-scale framework with a lot of functionality.
  • The development team has worked with C#, Java, and older versions of Angular.
  • The difficulty level of your app should be kept to a minimum.

In comparison, there are more built-in features.

Choosing React

In the following scenario, the React framework is the ideal platform for developing a dynamic app:

  • You want to create an application that can handle several events.
  • CSS, HTML, and JavaScript are all skills that the development team has.
  • You’ll need a unique approach to app development.
  • You wish to make web application components that can be shared.
  • ReactJS offers a simple learning curve that facilitates rapid development.

Conclusion

In this blog, we explore the idea of choosing the framework/component library. You are free to make a decision based on the amount of time you want to spend on learning and your budget. If your team is well versed with programming then I would probably go for Angular since Typescript has many similarities with programming languages otherwise React if it is a smaller application and offers much less customization. Both technologies have their advantages and disadvantages and it boils down to the business and application requirements, complexity, and learning curve of the developers. In our upcoming blogs, we will discuss more these two frameworks and other JS frameworks. Stay tuned to keep getting all updates about our upcoming new blogs on different technologies.

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