Angular and React are front-end JavaScript frameworks that allow developers to speed up the web development process. Both these frameworks have quite a few similarities and differences. For example, both Angular and React allow users to create interactive and scalable web apps, are open source, have component-based architecture, etc. Additionally, both allow file uploads – Angular JS upload file and React file upload. When it comes to Angular vs. React, the key difference is that Angular is a JS framework based on TypeScript, whereas React is essentially a JS library based on JSX.
Today, a broad range of JavaScript frameworks are available. However, Angular vs. React is the most discussed topic because of the impressive features they offer. Read on if you want to learn about the features, similarities, and differences between these frameworks.
What Is A JavaScript Front-End Framework?
JavaScript, or JS, is a lightweight and easy-to-learn programming language that allows you to create interactive and dynamic web pages. For instance, you can use JS to add interactive elements like buttons, visualizations, animations, and videos to your website or web page. However, creating such web elements can take a lot of time. This is where you need a front-end JavaScript framework.
A JS front-end framework consists of pre-written JavaScript code libraries for common programming tasks and features involved in web app development. As a result, these frameworks help speed up the web app development process.
What Is Angular Framework?
Angular is a popular open-source JS framework for web and mobile app development. It has a component-based architecture that allows you to create high-performance, scalable web apps. Created by Google and managed by Google’s Angular Team, this TypeScript-based framework is also widely used for single-page applications.
What Is React?
React or React JS is an open-source JavaScript library that allows you to create interactive web apps (with dynamics UIs) using reusable components. It makes use of virtual Dom, thus making it easy to integrate the framework with any app. Also, React is created by Facebook.
Angular Vs. React – What Are The Key Features?
Angular vs. React both come with a comprehensive set of features for building interactive web apps.
Angular
Progressive Web Apps
Angular comes with several advanced web development features, allowing you to develop native-like Angular apps that work on all modern web browsers and different types of devices.
Observables
Angular has built-in support for AJAX and HTTP. It essentially uses observables as an interface to handle different types of data. For instance, the HTTP module makes use of observables for AJAX requests and responses.
TypeScript-Based
Angular is created using TypeScript, which offers several benefits:
- Static Typing: TypeScript also offers optional static typing. This means once you’ve declared a variable, it won’t change its type and will only take certain values.
- Enhanced Productivity: TypeScript and Angular help with code consistency, which in turn improves productivity. For example, all the components of Angular have the same basic structure. This means if you learn how to write one component, you can write the other components quickly. Additionally, Angular components are reusable.
- Error Detection: TypeScript is also capable of detecting bugs at the compile stage, which means fewer errors.
Large Community Support
Angular is supported by Google, and it has a massive community. You can always get help regarding Angular-based web development from the community. Additionally, the open-source contributions from the Angular community are a big plus.
Angular CLI (Command Line Interface Tool)
Angular’s efficient command line tools allow web developers to build apps quickly and easily. The CLI also reduces the time needed for installing and configuring the required dependencies.
Forms and Validation
Angular also supports the validation of forms input, which allows you to ensure that the user input is correct. It enables you to validate the input from the UI. You can also display different validation messages.
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Enhanced Error Handling
Error handling is among the most crucial aspects of app development, as it helps improve user experience. Angular comes with a global errorHandler class that enables efficient handling of the errors that occur in your Angular app, and is also helpful in tracking error logs. It essentially logs all the errors to the console and prevents your application from crashing.
Two-Way Data Binding
Additionally, Angular supports bidirectional data binding. This feature allows your app’s components to share data. You can use the two-way data binding to update values between the child and parent components simultaneously.
React
Supports Third Party Libraries
React allows you to use third-party libraries. These libraries help boost the app development process.
Additionally, if you want to learn about React file upload, check out this article.
One-Way Data Binding
React also supports unidirectional data flow, which means the data only flows from the parent component to the child component. This one-directional data binding process provides code stability and also makes it easy to debug a React app.
React Components
Components in React are independent and reusable pieces of code. They essentially allow you to split your UIs (user interfaces) into independent pieces. There are two main types of components in React, namely functional components and class components.
Interactive User Interface
Additionally, React enables you to build rich and interactive user interfaces to enhance the user experience. It lets you create separate components in your app to build a large UI.
Faster Development
React is super easy to learn and provides reusable components, thus aiding in faster development. Reusable components mean React app developers can reuse the components created for other apps in their new apps.
Fully Supported By Facebook
React is created and also fully supported by Facebook. It has excellent community support, and there are lots of tools and extensions available for React developers.
Virtual DOM Implementation
React applications create a virtual DOM for every DOM element or object. This, it is much easier to manipulate. In short, it keeps the virtual copy of a user interface in memory.
React Native
React Native is a JS-based framework for mobile development. Thus, it allows you to build high-performance, cross-platform mobile apps using reusable code components.
Angular Vs. React – What Are The Key Differences?
The table below will help you understand the difference between Angular vs. React:
| Angular | React | |
| Usage | A complete front-end JavaScript framework used to build enterprise-level single-page apps | A JavaScript library used to create UI components for apps with frequently variable data |
| Released in | 2009 | 2013 |
| DOM type | Real | Virtual |
| Third-party libraries | A complete solution with lots of built-in features | Allows you to use third-party libraries |
| Type of data binding | Two-way/bidirectional | One-way/unidirectional |
| Ease of learning | Beginners have to spend a significant time to learn Angular | Easy to learn even for beginners |
| Programming language | Angular is written in TypeScript | React is written in JavaScript |
| Community | Massive community and excellent community support | Facebook developers community |
| UI components | Angular comes with a range of material UI components | Material UI library and a wide range of community-developed UI components |
| Price | Open-source | Open-source |
Angular Vs. React – What Are The Advantages and Disadvantages?
Advantages of Angular
- Angular CLI enables seamless updates
- High-performance apps
- Efficient cross-platform development
- Impressive material design library
- Clean code development
- Angular framework is also capable of handling routing, making it easy to move from one view to another
- Clean code
Disadvantages of Angular
- Steep learning curve/difficult to learn
- Third-party integrations are also challenging
- Limited SEO options
- Documentation needs improvement
- Can get slow when web pages also include interactive elements
Advantages of React
- Simple design and also easy-to-learn
- Improved support for server-side rendering
- Declarative and composable
- SEO friendly
- Easy to migrate or upgrade to newer versions
Disadvantages of React
- Users need to learn the process of integrating a UI with the MVC framework
- React is constantly evolving, so developers have to learn new mechanics constantly
Conclusion
Angular vs. React is an old debate.
Angular is a complete front-end JS framework used for creating enterprise-grade single-page apps, while React is a JS library concerned with UI components. Both Angular and React have many similarities and differences, and which one you should choose depends on your skills and personal preference.
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Sidra is an experienced technical writer with a solid understanding of web development, APIs, AI, IoT, and related technologies. She is always eager to learn new skills and technologies.