React vs Angular: A Comparative Analysis Guide

The ongoing debate between React and Angular continues to be a hot topic in the IT industry, sparking questions like “Which is better—Angular or React?” and “Which one offers better pay?” However, for a programmer, it’s essential to weigh the pros and cons of each language or framework and make informed decisions. The choice between tools should be clear, considering factors such as the specific advantages and disadvantages of each and the conditions under which a particular tool excels.

It’s crucial not to be biased and declare one library or framework superior to another without considering their history. Backbone, jQuery, AngularJS, and ReactJS were all valuable tools in their time, each gaining prominence and surpassing its predecessors.

However, the landscape of web development evolved, communities grew, and changes were introduced to web platforms, leading to shifts in user preferences. Acknowledging this evolution is key, as the effectiveness of a tool often depends on the context and the specific needs of a project. For comprehensive guidance on choosing between Angular and React and staying abreast of the dynamic development landscape, consulting with an experienced Angular apps development company can provide valuable insights. Embrace the best practices and advancements in web development to ensure optimal results for your projects.

So, which one is the best suited for you in 2020? Overall, both these languages empower us to build rich front-end applications.

In general, each language has its weight and is significantly better than others depending on the user’s requirement and for what features it has been used.
Let’s dive into the sea and figure out the pros and cons of the two most popular Javascript Progressive Web Applicationsframeworks, React and Angular.

An Overview of Angular

The initial version of Angular was released on 14 September 2016 by Google. It’s a typescript-based framework for web applications which is completely different from AngularJS which is a framework based on JavaScript, which is based on the front-end development framework. Angular which was released way back in 2016 is from the same team which initially built AngularJS.

Angular follows both two-data binding as well as a one-way data-binding structure. We have noticed regular updates and releases for Angular and the current version which is trending in the market is Angular 7. If you wish, you can check the updates on the release of the different angular versions.  

Advantages of Using Angular

• It is an open-source platform that works on the front-end development of a mobile application. 
• Backed by Google Angular is well known for its wide community and support for developers’ services. There has been a rise in demand for the Angular framework because of support factors
• With the release of v7.0.2, the developers can save much of their time with the help of prompts for built-in features such as SCSS or routing when executing a command like ng-add @angular/material or ng-new.
• Angular has a feature of Bi-directional data binding which is, in fact, the basic difference between Angular and ReactJS. After each set of changes in data, it disperses influence.
• Angular can be coined as a reliable framework because it has off-the-track tools and robust components evolved in Juxtapose.
• Irrespective of its platform Angular framework runs on all browser environments.

Disadvantages of Using Angular:

• The learning curve of angular is steep which is one of its major disadvantages.
• Angular does not have a clear manual or documentation.  

When To Go With Angular?

If you need browser compatibility with all the browsers for your app then it will be suitable to use Angular. It will help you to make your app compatible even with browser versions that are older than IE8. With the release of Angular 8 in the market developers are more attracted to this framework as the release came with the performance-boosting features and support for server-side rendering. In case your mobile app needs to have complexity between low to medium, Angular is more suitable to go with.

An Overview of React

Backed by Facebook React was released in 2013. React framework supports JavaScript languages and supports both server-side and client-side data. React has a one-way data-binding technology that has a component-based architecture. It has a relatively low learning curve and a virtual DOM.

Benefits of React JavaScript Library

• React offers the ability to compound the components of the app within a single time file. It also promotes the development of machine-readable programs.
• React comes with a suitable setup for developers which has led to an increase in the number of developers using React Native for the development of applications.
• React JS framework has rendering features and approaches that reduce the amount of DOM operation and speed up the process of updating, thus making it more efficient.
• React has a feature of Virtual DOM which is helpful to the developer In managing an extensive database.  
• React is purely a JavaScript library product. Angular is a subset of HTML whereas React is not. 
• React is best suited for development if you opt for intensive, straightforward forward, and reliable programming. It is comparatively more advanced than Angular.  

Disadvantages of Using React

• MVC framework like Rail needs integration and configuration of ReactJS which slows down the development process and time.  
• If you dive into the disadvantages and advantages of React, you will notice that some specific applications might be suitable for the framework, but the rest may not be. Each Reactjs app development is different from the others which makes it not ideal for every type.

When to go with React?

If your application is to be loaded with lots of dynamic content then React will serve you in your purpose. Many tech giants like Facebook and Instagram use ReactJs for their mobile apps because ReactJS is dynamic. 

Sometimes, going with React will be beneficial over Angular and vice versa. Some of the top brands using React are, Dropbox, Netflix, Paypal, Flipkart, and Uber. 

React Vs Angular – A Brief Overview

The two frameworks Angular and React are backed by two powerful tech-giant Google and Facebook respectively. The performance of these two is often a hot topic to be debated upon.

Libraries and frameworks possess different licenses. Some of the licenses are flexible and allow adjustments as per the requirements. They are coined as open-source products, other licenses restrict the designing of commercial applications and editing of content after its creation.

Angular and React Both are open-source and as far as the popularity is concerned both these technologies are being used by major brands.

Before diving in the sea, it’s suggested to have a glimpse at the quick overview of the AngularJS Framework platform and React Library which will be beneficial to you in deciding which one to go with for your next project.

Comparison- React vs Angular

In-Depth Comparison Between Angular 7 and React

Architecture — Angular Framework or React Library?

The key point that is to be kept in consideration while comparing the two technologies is that React, is simply a JavaScript library and Angular is a fully-ripened MVC framework. This states that Angular initially offers more in terms of functionality as compared to React. But, React remains highlighted because it offers a contemporary climate for coding. In some contexts, React offers a better solution.

DOM – Real vs Virtual

One of the major advantages of React is that it has a Virtual DOM which makes the applications incredibly fast whereas, on the other hand, Angular applications have Regular DOM which adversely affects the performance of the application. When compared to speed-based user experience, React dominates Angular.  

State Management

States are considered the unavoidable reality while building any applications. React developer deals with the state using Redux or MobX, to understand whether to use Redux or MobX we would recommend developers do some detailed research and experiment a bit. In Angular applications, developers need not use Redux unless the application being built is a massive one.

Data Binding – Two-Way vs Downward (one-way)

One of the major differences between Angular and React is the difference in approach toward data binding. React has a one-way data binding feature only. In case of any change, the model state first needs to be updated to render changes to the UI element. Only changing the UI elements will not render any change in the model.

In Angular developer needs to practice two-way binding of data, which states that in case of any change in the corresponding model, the states get changed and UI elements get updated.

The method used for data binding in Angular is easier as compared to the one used in React. But still, as the project becomes larger, React provides a better overview of data. Both React and Angular have their disadvantages. So, you need to understand the concepts and determine what influences your decision.  

Brands Using Angular and React

TypeScript for Angular or JavaScript for React

React uses JavaScript, a language that is dynamically typed and familiar to most of the developers in the development community. This can be an added advantage whereas, on the other side of the sea, JavaScript is not enough for working with Angular.

To work with Angular, you need to learn TypeScript, which is a statically typed language. The code written in TypeScript is converted to JavaScript which means that one can also write ES5 code in a TypeScript file. To work with TypeScript, you need to have prior knowledge of JavaScript to ease the complications in learning.

Angular and React For Mobile Solutions

Both Angular and React offer solutions for developing mobile apps.

Using Angular one can work to develop hybrid mobile applications using the Ionic framework. It has a robust library for UI components and includes a Cordova container. However, the resulting app built using this is simply a web app inside a native web view container. Because of this, the Ionic-based app developed using Angular can lag.

React Native, on the other hand, is a platform that is backed by Facebook for building purely native mobile applications with the help of React. Unlike Ionic, React Native allows you to create your components as per the requirement and then bind them to native code written in Java, Objective-C, or Swift.

Testing React and Angular

Testing and debugging for the Angular application for the entire project can be done with the help of tools Jasmine, Karma, and Protractor. In the case of React, Jest from Facebook which is incorporated in every project is used to test the code which you have written. Jest requires some additional configuration to be done from the developer’s end. React set of tools is required for testing different sets which increases the efforts and time required in the testing process.

Overall Angular has an advantage over React when it comes to testing the application.  

Learning Curve – Much Steeper for Angular

The learning curve for Angular is much steeper as compared to that of React. The framework of Angular is more complex and verbose with alternative ways to solve a single set of problems. Intricate component management demands many repetitive actions in the case of Angular. This makes these languages ideal to develop Progressive Web Applications. 

For Angular, you will need to know:

-components

-modules

-directives

-services

-decorators

-routing

-templates

-dependency injection

-zones

-pipes

-change detection

-Rx.js

-AoT compilation

To learn React you will need to know:

-JSX

-how to create components

-how to manage the internal state

-how to use props for configuration

A routing library (since React doesn’t come with one).

-state management with Redux or MobX.

The entry barriers to the world of Angular Developers are objectively higher as compared to those of React. The recent updates and new concepts being introduced might be hectic for the newbies. This does not state that Reacts is “easy to learn” as it has its complications.

Concluding Thought: React vs Angular

The relative merits and demerits of Angular and React will always be a hot topic for debate. In the end, both are quality technologies that offer a lot to the development community. This brings out a whole new difference in both platforms when it comes to application development. The angular and react contain features that make it a vital aspect to compare to achieve success in the market.

React Vs Angular is a similar case as comparing Android with Apple or the brand Nike with Adidas.

You can opt for Angular, other times you can go with React, and other frameworks like Vue can serve you the purpose. We have a well-versed team in Angular as well as React, our developers are always ready to explore new technologies and if asked some may prefer to work on a different framework VueJS. It entirely depends on the team and your requirements to decide which one to go with.
The reality is that both these frameworks have their importance. It depends on the development teams’ interests and the company’s requirements. There is still a mobile app development company that prefers to work on Ember besides these two.