If you are planning to launch your web application chances are you would have become confused about the two most popular JavaScript frameworks – React and Angular. Which is very fair, Afterall, irrespective of what “famous JavaScript frameworks in the 2022” list you look at, you will find the two frameworks being present in them.
Now, although from a developers’ point of view there is no one answer to which framework to choose as they both come with their share of advantages, what we will do is this. We will break down React and Angular and help you decide the best option.
What is React?
It is a JavaScript library used for creating web applications. React builds user interface and web app’s view layer effortlessly through its declarative and component-based qualities. What makes it all the more useful for the developers is that at the back of its learn once write anywhere model, they can create complex UIs efficiently.
Features –
- Easy third party libraries usage
- Time-saving
- Composable and simple
- Fast development
- Code stability
What is Angular?
It is a frontend JavaScript framework used for creating scalable web applications. What works in the favor of Angular developers is that they use the framework’s component based architecture and two-way data binding to make the application run ten times faster. In addition to this, it comes with a range of other elements like routing, client-server communication, etc.
Features
- Massive community support
- Support for HTTP and AJAX
- Short and clean coding
- Easy updated with Angular CLI
- Local CSS
Now that we have looked at the basics of both the library and framework, let us get down to the differences.
React vs Angular – A 2022 Comparison
Understanding the differences that stand between Angular and React would help you better understand what would work for your specific project needs.
Languages
React makes use of the JavaScript ES6+ language in combination with the JSX script. This combination is what makes the code seem similar to ones in HTML. On the other hand, Angular uses TypeScript which is a very compact language that makes spotting typos and code navigation very easy.
Architecture
Even though both React and Angular come with a component-based architecture and are equally reusable, cohesive, and modular, the difference lies in the technology stack.
On one hand, React makes use of JavaScript, while on the other, Angular uses TypeScript which is a lot more error-free and compact.
State management
A web application uses states for multiple reasons, for example for updating data in real-time through re-rendering. React uses Redux for state management while Angular makes use of NgXS and NgRX.
UI component
React’s community takes the responsibility of building the UI tools while it also comes with the option to use multiple free and paid UI components. Angular, on the other side, has an inbuilt Material component that makes the process straightforward.
Directives
React templates are detailed at the end of every component enabling developers to know the code meaning without looking into the syntax. In the case of Angular, however, templates get returned with attributes and its syntax is extremely complex and sophisticated, making it difficult to understand for new developers.
Popularity
The comparison between React and Angular on the front of popularity is fairly neck to neck. Both the library and framework come with a range of ready-made solutions and technologies, making them equally famous in 2022.
Document Object Model
React makes use of a virtual DOM that enables the app development companies to make modifications without changing parts of the DOM tree.
Angular, on the other side, uses a real DOM where the entire tree data structure gets updated.
Development speed
Angular comes with CLI that enhances the development journey by designing the apps swiftly and creating components, services with one-line commands. This added with the clean TypeScript codes makes the development process speedier.
In the case of React, the development productivity and speed can be a bit slow because of the high involvement of third-party libraries like React-router-dom or Redux. What makes it all the more difficult is that the toolset for React Native mobile app development varies from one project to another, leading to investment of more effort and time when a new developer gets involved.
Now that we have looked into the comparisons of React and Angular, let us get down to what an entrepreneur should know – when to use which.
When to Use React for Web App Development
- For apps with multiple events
- When the app development team is more experiences that the HTML, JavaScript, and CSS team
- When you require sharable components in the web application
- When you need to offer a personalized app solution to the users.
Some web applications built on React are: Airbnb, Uber, WhatsApp, Instagram, Netflix.
When to Use Angular for Web App Development
If you are looking to hire the best Angular Developers, here’s what you have keep in mind before choosing.
- When you need ready-to-use full stack ecosystem
- When you need a feature-rich, scalable application
- When you are searching for performance-based web application solutions.
Some web applications built on Angular are: Upwork, Google, Nike, General Motors, Sony.
FAQs about Angular vs. React
Which is easy to learn and use – Angular or React?
Compared to Angular, React is a lot more easy to learn and add to a project. If you are a new developer, we would recommend you to invest time with React since at the back of its virtual DOM, the development efficiency of React is a lot higher.
What are some popular apps built on React and Angular?
Some of the famous apps built on React are – Discord, Airbnb, and Facebook. On the other hand, Angular is famous for Udacity, PayPal, Netflix, and Google.
Which of the two is better – React or Angular?
There is no one fixed answer to it. As you saw in the article, both of them come with their share of advantages and development-enabling feature sets. So, the answer to this would depend entirely on what features you are looking for in your project.
Conclusion
With this, we have dived into both React and Angular, the benefits they offer and when to choose which library or framework. We hope that you must have gotten the idea on the best option for your web project.
Ultimately, get an understanding of both the options and align them with your business goal and then take the decision.
