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ReactJs vs Angular: 8 Differences You Need to Know
There is no app developer who is not familiar with JavaScript, one of the most popular languages at present. From experienced to freshers, everyone has used or will use this programming language to develop webs and applications at some point in time. However, regardless of their expertise and working experience in the field, they are still confused when it comes to picking the right JavaScript framework for their projects.
Amidst all the well-known frameworks, the two names that stand out for front-end development are ReactJs and AngularJs. Both of them are robust technologies used by most of the programmers to create single-page apps. There is no denying the fact that ReactJs and Angular share equal popularity and are constantly evolving, hence, keeping the competition fierce. However, the two are often compared as they belong to the biggest competitors - Google and Facebook.
Angular is designed by
the former while the latter backs and maintains ReactJs. Moreover, they offer
advanced and customized features for web application
development.
As a developer, you must be aware of how selecting the right
one for the app or web can be a hard nut to crack. Therefore, to save you from
any dilemma, we have decided to get you acquainted with the pros and cons of
both the frameworks in detail. We have compared ReactJs and AngularJs based on
different factors so that you can make a calculated decision for your next
project.
Let’s get started:
Before you jump to the differences between the two, we have
explained the two JavaScript frameworks in brief to give you an insight into
what these two languages are. Have a look:
ReactJs
Developed by Facebook and its community in 2013, ReactJs is
an open-source JavaScript library to build dynamic UI components for web
applications. It is preferred for developing HTML elements for front-end and
based on JSX (a PHP extension) other than JavaScript. The codes within this
framework are easy to understand and launch. ReactJs Developers can create web
pages using React components and utilize server-side to ensure high-performing
and flexible solutions to the clients. Over the past years, React has emerged
as one of the most successful languages and is still continuing to grow at a
constant rate. Although it has its limitations as a JS library, when it is
combined with other libraries, the results are powerful, ensuring effective
solutions.
Angular
Angular is also an open-source front-end platform to develop
apps that uses HTML as a template language and its syntax to express the
components clearly. It is an MVC (Model View Controller) framework created by
the Angular team of Google and is backed by the company itself. It was launched
in September 2016 and known as Angular 2.0 and is a rewrite of AngularJs
which was introduced in 2010. It is TypeScript based used to create Single Page
Apps (SPA) and a part of MEAN stack, compatible with various code
editors.
Parameters |
ReactJs |
Angular |
Learning Curve |
If one has a strong command of JavaScript, then learning
ReactJs is smooth sailing as there are no classic templates, complicated
features or dependency injection. The framework is easy to understand and
working in its ecosystem will be convenient as well. Furthermore, beginners
and learners can find useful resources to hone their skills and create apps
successfully. However, setting up a project can be a stumbling block
initially as there is no predefined structure. Make sure that you learn Redux
first which is used in React applications and keep pace with the
updates. |
Learning Angular will be a tough row to hoe when compared
to ReactJs as it comprises a huge library. There are numerous concepts that
one needs to learn which is time-consuming and complex. It offers multiple
ways to solve one problem with a lot of unnecessary components. Moreover,
some of its features are combined with the framework, thus, making it
unavoidable to learn and use them. You have to be familiar with TypeScript,
RxJs, dependency injection, etc., and also need to keep the regular updates
of the changes that are frequently introduced. |
Data Binding |
ReactJs supports one-way binding which implies that any
changes in the model will affect the view but it won’t be the other way round.
When one introduces the updates in a model, it shows the changes in the UI
but alterations in UI are not evident in the model state. This singular
behavior minimizes the risk of error and controls complexity. |
Angular adopts a two-way binding approach which combines
the Document Object Model (DOM) values with model data. In simple terms, any
updates in the model will be evident in UI elements and vice-versa. The
positive point is that Angular developers need not write the codes again,
making the task easier for the developer. |
Language |
It is based on JavaScript and combines with JSX which is
an extended XML syntax. This makes the coding easier as it almost looks like
HTML, protects the coding from any injections and detects the errors
instantly. JSX performs the same functions as TypeScript and is used for
browser compilation via babel which is a translation code to turn it into the
format that the browser can read. However, some developers can find it too
complicated to comprehend. |
Although Angular is a framework, it used TypeScript which
is a superset of JavaScript, making it suitable for larger projects. It is
more compact than JS and easily spots mistakes in tying and convenient to
navigate. Adding more to its list of benefits, TypeScript includes faster
code refactoring, autocompletion and is clean and scalable. |
App Structure |
There is no specific right structure in React. Developers
have the complete liberty to choose the structure for the app. However, the
problem is that designing the structure at the beginning of the project
consumes more time and makes it difficult to start. Also, React has only ‘V’
part, i.e., View of MVC as Model and Controller are parts of other
libraries. |
It has a fixed, fully-featured MVC framework which is an
addon for complex projects and divides the apps into three interconnected
components. So once you learn it, it is easier to manipulate. The three
layers are Model, View and Controller, popularly known as MVC. |
Document Object Model (DOM) |
As ReactJs uses virtual DOM, it makes the framework super
fast. All the changes in elements can be done quickly without rendering the
whole DOM. This eventually adds to the performance and takes it to the new
level as there is no need to change 100 items. It was this feature of ReactJs
that created a buzz when it was introduced as speed is always the selling
point. |
On the contrary, Angular sticks to the traditional and
real DOM where the complete structure needs to be modified even if the
alterations are made in one element. The entire tree structure of HTML tags
is updated to finally mark the one change. |
Dependencies |
There is no concept of the built-in container in ReactJs,
hence, it doesn’t support dependency injection. Therefore, one has to use
certain tools to inject dependencies in the ReactJS applications, such
as Browserify, RequireJS, ECMAScript 6 modules, etc., which are used via
ReactJs-di, Babel and more. However, the crucial task is to pick the right
tool to use. |
Dependency injection provides Angular with an edge over
ReactJs. This is done through parameters like $routeParams, $filter, store,
and $scope. The two primary tools that make injection possible are $inject
and $provide. It uses Object Oriented Programming (OOP) which implies that
dependencies are written in different files. |
Directives and Templates |
There is no separate division for templates and
directives, hence, they need to be explained in one place. This makes it
easier for readers to comprehend the codes even when they don’t know the
syntax. |
It has its own directives, such as ng-bind and ng-app or
you can create your own as well. The latter option paves way for better work,
however, making it can be complicated to understand. |
Performance |
With virtual DOM, ReactJs’ performance only gets better as
the structure tree is lightweight, reducing the load on the browser.
Moreover, with one-way data binding, there are no watchers, unlike
Angular. |
Bidirectional data binding adversely affects the
performance of Angular as it assigns more watchers to track the changes which
further makes the whole process cumbersome. However, the recent updates have
boosted the overall performance of Angular apps which are comparatively
smaller than ReactJs apps. |
Also Read: DOT NET Development- Providing language interoperability
To conclude
We would say that ReactJs vs Angular is more about personal preference, business goals, and objectives. Both frameworks have got immense support from their respective communities, however, each of them has different philosophies and scope. ReactJs is perfect for custom solutions and computation-less apps while Angular is preferred for cross-platform, progressive web apps and hybrid apps.
Whether you are a developer or looking for the right solution for your business -be it retail & e-commerce, food & restaurant or any other one, evaluate both the options on different criteria and then reach a logical conclusion. We hope that this blog will help you in your quest and you will compare the two wisely.