Selecting the right Framework for a new JavaScript Application or for a website is always a debatable topic as to whether AngularJS or ReactJS is the smarter choice. Both Angular and React are robust development technologies and have a lot to offer. It isn't easy to choose between them, as it has a direct bearing on the project's durability, code maintainability, and scalability.
Facebook maintains ReactJS while AngularJS is created and maintained by Google. Here we are comparing Angular and React to demonstrate these two frameworks features to help you to make an informed decision.
Before moving ahead with the key difference, let's have a look at
What Is AngularJS?
Angular is a basic JavaScript MVC framework which used to develop a compelling web application and is based on HTML and JavaScript. It allows developers to use it as a template language and HTML syntax to display the application's several components briefly and precisely. Also, by using simple JavaScript, it can create custom attributes.
Key Features of Angular
- Supported by Google
- Technology consistency
- Promotes separation of concerns by using the MVC design pattern.
- Validation and forms
- Open source: GitHub stars: 40,963
- The rendered JavaScript and HTML manages a physical separation.
- Forbes, Nike, Upwork, Sony, HBO, and Wix are using it.
- Support single Page Application and for error handling
- Easy to Unit test
- RESTful functionality
- Built-in support for HTTP, AJAX, and Observables
What is ReactJS?
React is a front-end Javascript library and was developed by Facebook. It allows developers to build secure and interactive user interfaces for both Mobile and web applications. It makes the code simple to understand.
Key Features of React
- Composable and simple
- Faster Development
- Enhanced user experience and fast performance
- React components
- One way data binding
- Code stability
- Complete support by Facebook
- Testing: Jest & Enzyme
- Has a Virtual DOM.
- Renders updates faster
- Open-source GitHub stars: 111,927
Development process management is another major difference between AngularJS and ReactJS, where data binding is bundled by default in Angular, Redux (state management container) generally augments ReactJS to work with immutable data and to provide unidirectional data flow.
The Difference in Applications
ReactJS was released in March 2013 and is extensively used for almost all of Facebook's applications. Other companies like Netflix, Uber, Dropbox, Airbnb, Twitter, Reddit, and Pinterest are also using React for their Framework.
On the other hand, Angular was released in October 2010 as a TypeScript-based JavaScript framework.
Framework Implementation
As an open-source JavasScript library, ReactJS needs external component libraries to call APIs (application programming interface), components for routing to enforce unidirectional flows, and to get more same number of features.
AngularJS comes with a considerable number of native alternatives and features, which enable any startups to start any project faster without being intimate.
Performance
Performance is an important key thing to consider before initiating any web development. Unlike AngularJS development, ReactJS instead of the regular one uses virtual DO where components are attached, and it comforts you to navigate within the site, and all the data gets displayed without refreshing
AngularJS framework uses MVVM (Model-View-ViewModel), to decrease the web pages loading speed and the number of entrances to the server considerably, and the communication stays in the asynchronous mode. The Angularjs app development is faster as the client's side visual interface and the part of the back-end queries get removed.
Data Binding
React uses the one-way data binding. In this first, the model element gets updated, and then it executes any changes in the User Interface view. Single direction data flow makes it easier to debug React applications and helps the propensity to separate from the classes and minimize the risks.
Angular uses two-way data binding and any single changes made in the User Interaction element get reflected in the similar model state, which makes debugging comparatively difficult, though It's easier to implement.
Scripting Language
Reactjs development process consolidates UI templates and JavaScript logic. This a concept that was never implemented before by any framework. React components contain the logic and markup in the singular file and mainly require the knowledge of JavaScript.
On the other hand, AngularJS applies TypeScript, which is a statically typed language. In this first, a developer needs to specify the variable's type (string, number, array, etc.). It has its directives such as ng-bind or ng-app to work on DOM (The Document Object Model). It also allows creating their own directives as well.
Community Support
ReactJS have a vast number of GitHub such as reactjs101, reactjs.org, reason-react, react-paginate repositories attributed with 1 million repositories, and over 1 million issues posted on GitHub.
With over 556K repositories, AngularJS also has a relatively large following on GitHub such as angular.js, angular-CLI, angular-seed.
Scalability
In terms of scalability, both framework features make them stand out and make them used by multiple, rapidly growing companies.
In comparison to ReactJs, AngularJS's intuitive design and powerful CLI makes it easy to scale, where ReactJS is testable and makes updates to be incorporated faster, which is crucial for projects to grow.
Conclusion
AngularJs and ReactJs both frameworks have great support for their communities, and their uses depend on how application development is being addressed. However, before choosing any, consider your requirement, functionality, and usability.