Angular and React are JavaScript resources for building almost any frontend project you can imagine. Both make it easy to build complex and modern user interfaces for web projects. For this reason, they have frequently been in the news among online developer communities.
There is a big question: Which one will you choose for your next project between Angular and React?
There are plenty of comparable and unique features in each of them, and both are well suited for creating a project efficiently in any number of different circumstances. However, you have to take into account other variables such as budget, time, effectiveness, learning curve, etc. before deciding.
What is Angular?
Angular is an open source TypeScript-based platform and web application framework developed by a team at Google . The framework helps create single page applications using TypeScript and HTML . Angular is the technology you need if you want to create applications for both mobile and web.
Unlike other frameworks, Angular offers two-way data binding. This means that if you change a value in the input box, the value of the added property of the component class will automatically be updated. In other words, it will create seamless, real-time synchronization of data between the model and the view.
Why should you use Angular?
In Angular, everything happens under the same hood. The ecosystem is designed in such a way that you can create your application effortlessly. Features like templating, two-way linking, RESTful API modularization, Ajax handling, dependency injection, and many other features make your app development accessible and compact.
Although we will talk in detail about the features of Angular in the features section, here are some of the main reasons why you should consider choosing Angular.
Google Support
The main advantage of using Angular is Google. Google has long-term support for Angular. That’s why it continues to expand the Angular ecosystem.
All the Google apps you find use the Angular framework. As confidence in the framework grows, other developers are also finding opportunities to learn from experienced Angular professionals.
Detailed documentation
Angular provides detailed documentation to guide developers. Instead of forcing you to look in different places, you can find all the explanations you need in the same place. In most cases, absorbing comprehensive documentation is the most effective way to learn a language (besides practicing with the code).
Coding reduction
Angular promises less coding time and helps build incredibly fast applications. TypeScript helps Angular effectively identify and eliminate errors earlier in the development cycle than many other frameworks.
Angular frees you from worrying about whether something is a component, a service, or any other type of code by organizing them into neat, separate boxes. Then it presents them as modules. These modules make it easy to structure your app’s functionality, separating elements into reusable features and pieces.
Additionally, Angular offers cleaner coding overall. That said, cleaner coding does not ensure better readability. It simply means a more contradiction-free environment.
Features of Angular
Most of the time, the larger a framework is, the better its performance. And being a complete framework, Angular offers a ton of features.
These are just some of them:
- Built on TypeScript: Angular is built on TypeScript, and Typescript is a superset of JavaScript . To detect errors during the development of a mega application and identify glitches, TypeScript serves a beneficial purpose. And what’s more interesting, you can directly debug TypeScript codes in a web browser.
- Ajax Support: Angular has built-in support for Ajax and HTTP , allowing users to connect and communicate with backend software development services and increase performance. Furthermore, Ajax reduces the response time of requests from both ends.
- Component-based architecture: Angular initially started with an MVC Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture, but later switched to a component-based architecture. As a result, you can now split all applications into completely independent logical and functional components, while still testing and running all pieces of the application individually.
- Angular CLI: Angular Command Line Interface (CLI) is one of the most notable features of Angular that developers praise. It automates the entire development process using application initialization and configuration.
- Readability: Another aspect of the Angular framework is the improvement of readability. Most new developers adapt easily to reading code in Angular. Additionally, its accessibility makes it much easier for developers to interact with the framework.
- Easy to maintain : Last but not least, Angular offers greater maintainability. It helps replace decoupled components with improved ones, resulting in clean code that is easy to maintain and update.
Who uses Angular?
Currently, more than 500 large companies around the world use Angular. Angular has definitely secured its place at the top of the popularity list. And because of its diversity, everyone from the software development services to the gaming industry can rely on the framework.
Among the main companies that use Angular are:
- Microsoft
- IBM
- PayPal
- Upwork
- Deutsche Bank
- Samsung
- Forbes
- Guardian
- Rockstar Games
Now that you have an idea of what Angular is, let’s take a look at React.
What is React?
React is an open source JavaScript library developed by a team at Facebook . User interfaces for single-page applications can be created with react.
React is commonly used to create It can handle view layers of web and mobile applications.
Therefore, React supports mobile and web application development services. This flexible framework also allows you to build complex applications if you use it in conjunction with other supporting libraries.
In react structure flows from parent to child because it has one-way data binding. However, for two-way data binding, React offers LinkedStateMixin, which establishes the general data flow loop pattern.
In traditional data flow, for each new data entry the entire page had to be reloaded to see the changes. In React, reloading is not necessary. This is because React does not create any additional Document Object Model (DOM), as a traditional data flow would do when accepting new data updates.
Why should you use React?
React is extremely lightweight, and it’s also faster to learn and get up and running with. Additionally, during the development process react allows the use of third-party libraries It also has a two-way data linking process.
These are some of the main reasons to start using React.
Easy to learn
React is comparatively easy to learn and implement, so businesses can get up and running quickly. The library is SEO friendly, and focuses on rendering speed. Businesses that use React typically expect reduced loading time and better rankings in search engine results.
Reduced coding
In React, for both the client-side and server-side of an application you can have similar code. Therefore, any React-powered website has high-speed advantages, making it attractive to crawlers, users, and developers alike.
Facebook Compatibility
An excellent advantage of React is Facebook itself. Like Google with Angular, Facebook is feeling bullish on React. And due to its wide accessibility and uses, React has a greater range of possibilities for new developers to learn this framework quickly and take that first successful step towards application development.
React Features
Now let’s take a look at the main features of React:
- Declarative UI: The React engine uses HTML to compose the UI of the application. As a result, the workflow is not interrupted, and Angular itself can determine the flow of the program instead of you spending valuable time planning it.
- Maneuverability: React offers a simple user interface design and provides numerous extensions to fully support the application architecture. Likewise, React native, a framework inherited from React, is commonly known for building cross-platform mobile applications.
- Clean abstraction : React does not bother the user with its complex internal functions. Internal processes, such as Digest cycles, are not required for users to learn and understand. As a result, React offers a clear architecture like Flux instead of architectures like MVC/MVVM.
- Virtual DOMS: React provides a virtual DOM that copies the existing DOM and maintains the cache, saving you the effort of re-rendering DOM trees, over and over again, every time you update the HTML code .
- Reusable Components – React provides a stand-alone component-based structure. Thanks to this reuse, all your React components can be recycled in other parts of the application.
- Cross-platform functionalities : Another amazing outcome of React is the derived framework called React Native, created for cross-platform mobile app development. Additionally, it uses React.js for developing specific mobile applications.
Who uses React?
- According to the 2018 State of the Developer Ecosystem Survey , 60% of developers worldwide use React. Additionally, Facebook used React for the platform’s mobile app.
Among the main companies that use React are:
- Netflix
- Yahoo
- New York Times
- Discord
- Dropbox
- Ubereats
- Atlassian
Similarities between Angular and React include:
- Architecture: Both Angular and React have a component-based architecture. In particular, a component is a piece of a UI. For example, components can be a login dialog box with text, a password field, or a login button.
- Open Source : Both are open source .
- Popular : Often developers in software development services use both angular and react to build single page applications. That claims that single page applications can be made for faster and better digital solutions.
- Development side : To develop the frontend of a mobile or web application both angular and react technologies are used.
- Performance: Angular and React offer similar performance. The difference depends mostly on the user’s perspective.
- Ease of Upgrade: Both Angular and React offer easy upgrades. Angular depends on CLI and react uses external libraries.
Angular vs React: Which should you use?
Both these two web technologies have great features and specialties. In the end, choosing between Angular and React depends on the team and the type of project.
If you overlook some drawbacks, Angular is the most complete solution for you. On the other hand, React is exceptionally flexible with fundamental advantages such as virtual DOM and adaptability with other frameworks, libraries, and tools.
Initially, React seems very comfortable to get into. But this does not mean that it will not be complicated in the future.
On the contrary, Angular seems more complex. Therefore, a developer has to focus and spend a lot of time learning because Angular has a very steep learning curve. However, once you get past that curve, you’ll find that Angular is much easier to maintain and extend, especially when it comes to large-scale applications and projects.
Most beginners will probably start with React and eventually move on to Angular.
Summary
Simply put, both technologies are unique in their purpose. Each one has extensive features and capabilities that make them irreplaceable.
However, the final decision of whether to use Angular or React depends more on the user’s purposes than on the functionalities offered by these technologies.
Whatever you choose, it is worth noting that Angular and React programmers receive more attention and higher salaries today . In the coming years, interest in building single-page applications will only grow.
So, regardless of which one appeals to you more, we can count on both Angular and React to be popular choices for developers for a long time to come.
Guest article written by: 
Glad you are reading this. I’m Yokesh Shankar, the COO at Sparkout Tech, one of the primary founders of a highly creative space. I’m more associated with digital transformation solutions for global issues. Nurturing in Fintech, Supply chain, AR VR solutions, Real estate, and other sectors vitalizing new-age technology, I see this space as a forum to share and seek information. Writing and reading give me more clarity about what I need.