


JavaScript frameworks and libraries remain an indispensable part of Web app development in 2021. Their already-existing functionality substantially decreases development time making it easier to get an app up and running.
Still, concerns remain: which should you choose for your app? The choice is difficult.
Let’s make the decision a bit easier for you.
At IT Craft, software developers use all three, cutting-edge frameworks: Vue, React, and Angular.
Here, we focus on two—Angular and React—the two most popular among developers.
React vs. Angular debates seem endless. Little wonder.
In this short guide, we review the pros and cons of Angular and React and analyze where both apply better. You will understand why they are always front and center when discussing the next Web app.
Keep reading!
Although both React and Angular serve a similar purpose, they are substantially different. What is the difference between Angular and React ?
Angular is a framework.
React is a library.
Angular is a framework providing development tools for building single-page applications (SPAs).
Using React, the development team can quickly deliver the visual part of a Web app.
Angular provides standard, structured elements as a part of the package. Developers use these elements to construct a balanced app.
Angular and AngularJS are not at all the same. Do not confuse the two.
React is a collection of building elements which developers can freely mix to develop a system they want. React grants developers more flexibility.
The cost of building a Web app based on an unproven technology is high. Every new technology needs a thorough, in-depth evaluation before developers start using it for commercial projects.
When evaluating any new technology, developers study the following parameters:
how much effort does it take to master the given technology?
how much effort does it take to maintain and update the project?
does the technology help launch faster?
how fast do I get an answer when I face a problem?
Front-end developers need a tool that:
Both Angular and React fit in greatly with these requirements.
Both Angular and React are great. Angular has TypeScript (Typescript can also be added in React, too). TypeScript provides an impressive intellisense (code autocomplete) developer experience available in the world today. Developers save time when having constant access to inline documentation about different things. Structured and clear source code is possible. New developers can start working on a project without clarifying all the tiniest details in docs or source code.
Both Angular and React are very simple to integrate to a project and keep pace with project development.
Both React and Angular are developer friendly in a bit different ways.
The React bundle is lightweight compared to the Angular production bundle (React vs. Angular size: appr. 100 KB vs. 500 KB). Some Angular elements can be redundant when Angular is only used for UI development because they cannot be simply thrown away from the package. As a result, the size of the Web app is bigger and load time is longer. Package size becomes less important when the app is divided properly into parts.
There is an abundance of Angular things like forms & validators, etc. Because React only controls the visible part of the app, these features are not available for React users by default. (Developers either download additional modules or code them from scratch.)
As a part of its package, Angular provides developers with testing utilities for unit testing.
The necessary unit testing packages for React can be imported easily (e.g., using React Testing Library.)
Developers who know JavaScript can use both Angular and React.
One of the biggest Angular and React differences lies in Angular’s necessary steep learning curve compared to React.
It takes longer to master Angular skills. Developers must learn perks of the entire framework. Learning how to use the React library takes far less time.
As with everything, the necessary learning curve depends on each developer’s previous experience. Developers should not forget they need to learn different libraries to deliver a fully featured app.
Angular templates are basically an enhanced form of standard HTML. HTML developers save time here, but must learn know about Angular domain-specific language (DSL) things like ‘*ngIf’ and ‘*ngFor’.
React offers JSX, a JavaScript extension combining the best features of JavaScript and HTML.
All in all, developers spend time either learning Angular templates or JSX.
Another difference between React and Angular regards documentation.
Angular has a lot of documentation while React has little.
Why? React is a small library; it does not need long descriptions.
Both Angular and React have active, vibrant and large communities. This is important because Web developers can quickly get expert advice or find a quick solution for a typical issue.
Why is React so popular? What are the React advantages?
React is simple.
Developers download React, integrate it with the project, and immediately start producing source code for UI. Here is a short list of some benefits of React:
What is Angular used for? When is Angular preferable? What are some advantages of Angular web development?
Angular shortens overall development timeline providing an assembly for a future app. Angular is suitable for Web apps that app owners plan to maintain for a long time.
The benefits of making an Angular application include:
Previous experience in using AngularJS can be a potential benefit. If you learned AngularJS previously, it makes sense to opt for an Angular app. Although Angular and AngularJS frameworks are incompatible, principles remain and developers spend less time learning them.
The argument never ceases: is React more popular than Angular?
Yes, React is more popular.
However, this is not really relevant. Both are safe for the use. Neither will be deprecated in the nearest future without causing serious problems to the entire industry. So, everyone can count on an extended life cycle with a reasonable support timeline.
Both frameworks are popular and are used on large projects for big businesses, such as:
These companies use Angular for web development:
Companies that use React for their projects include:
React and Angular provide different paths to the same goal: fast, scalable, user-friendly Web apps.
Is React better than Angular? Is Angular better than React?
Neither is better.
In the end, developers deliver modular front-end applications using both Angular and React.
Differences between React and Angular represent different development philosophies.
When does one take precedence over the other?
When to use React and when to use Angular depends on:
Also, the discussion Angular vs. React for mobile development arrives at the same result. Both can be used to deliver mobile apps, but React can be more relevant thanks to the existence of React Native.
Consider the following if you are trying to decide which to use:
To sum up, both frameworks have relevant features. Both Angular and React deserve to be the top choice for development of single-page application (SPA).
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