In today’s fast-paced and highly competitive environment, merely having a business website may not be good enough for your business or brand. You need to have a web app or mobile app to facilitate interaction with customers. Which one is ideal for your app development project? The choice between AngularJS Vs ReactJS development may leave you in a serious fix. From features to performance and compatibility, there is a lot to be considered when making the decision between the two JavaScript frameworks.
AngularJS
AngularJS is an open-source frontend development framework built on JavaScript and HTML. It is a comprehensive MVC (Model-View-Controller) controller framework developed and maintained by Google. AngularJS app development accelerates the development of single-page apps (SPAs), multiple-page apps (MPAs), and web applications. AngularJS app development companies build the dynamic components of websites or web apps using this framework without worrying about the modules.
ReactJS
ReactJS is an open-source JavaScript toolkit (library) for building dynamic and interactive user interfaces. It is an amazing tool for captivating and high-end user interfaces such as buttons, on-screen menus, search bars, etc. ReactJS is created and maintained by Facebook. With ReactJS app development, it is possible to create a highly sophisticated and interactive UI for web apps and mobile apps for Android and iOS.
Understanding the difference between AngularJS Vs ReactJS
There are several criteria or parameters on the basis of which AngularJS and ReactJS can be differentiated.
Type (Library vs. Framework)
AngularJS is a comprehensive, fully-featured web framework, whereas ReactJS is an open-source JS library. While using ReactJS, React JS app development companies need to depend on other libraries and frameworks in order to build a complete web application. However, AngularJS is a complete web development solution for creating web-based apps.
Syntax
The tech stacks of both AngularJS and ReactJS are quite different. React JS app development involves the use of JSX to create ReactJS-based applications. JSX is easily recognized by JS developers. On the other hand, AngularJS app development companies use TypeScript, which is a superset of JS, to create Angular applications.
Learning curve
For ReactJS development, a developer must first learn JSX, which is an easy language. Since it is based on the JavaScript programming language, it makes it easier for ReactJS developers to get directly into the development process. However, due to frequent updates, ReactJS needs constant learning.
AngularJS has a steep learning curve compared to ReactJS. AngularJS development has an intricate component management system that requires knowledge and command of different languages. Also, being a complex and verbose framework, AngularJS offers multiple solutions to a problem, making it a bit more difficult to learn than ReactJS.
Integration
AngularJS is a comprehensive web app development framework. It can be directly used to build web apps without requiring any other libraries, Due to its complete structure, it is highly rigid and inflexible.
On the other hand, for most app development projects, using ReactJS alone won’t be sufficient. A ReactJS development company will need to use extra libraries to create a web app. This makes ReactJS highly flexible and easy to integrate with an existing system.
Performance
The Model-view-view model (MVVM) architectural pattern of AngularJS reduces the loading speed of web pages significantly. Also, asynchronous communication reduces the number of entrances to the server. AngularJS is known for its low performance with heavy and complex apps.
On the other hand, ReactJS has its own virtual DOM, which makes seamless navigation possible. All data gets displayed without even refreshing the page, which makes it the best platform. ReactJS is also capable of handling frequent UI updates, for faster performance and hassle-free UI rendering.
Data binding
AngularJS uses two-way data binding (bidirectional), which is similar to the MVC architecture. Here, the Model and View are connected, so that changing data affects the view. A change in view triggers changes in data.
ReactJS makes use of one-way (unidirectional) binding, which is generally more predictable. One-way data binding helps control the complexity of the apps and makes debugging easier.
Testing
With AngularJS, testing and debugging for a project can be completed using a single tool. However, ReactJS app development companies require a set of tools to carry out different types of testing.
Popularity
Despite being younger than AngularJS, ReactJS has 195k stars and 40.3k forks on GitHub. On the other hand, AngularJS has 59.4k stars and 28.2k forks. According to NPM trends, there is a huge difference in the number of downloads between ReactJS and AngularJS. ReactJS has been downloaded nearly three times more than AngularJS. As per the NPM reports, ReactJS has hit 17,037,966 monthly downloads, while AngularJS has hit 545,236 downloads in the past month.
Top AngularJS-using companies
- Amazon
- PayPal
- Forbes
- Nike
- Upwork
Top companies that use ReactJS
- Skype
- Uber
- NetFlix
Every business has its own app development requirements and needs. When comparing the features and functionalities of AngularJS and ReactJS, we find that both are masters in the world of web app development. However, the choice between AngularJS development and ReactJS development would ultimately come down to the type of project and app size.
For large-scale and highly complex projects and data-driven web apps, it would be a wise decision to hire an AngularJS development company. On the other hand, if the focus is more on functionality and creating a lightweight app in a short time period, choosing a ReactJS development company would make more sense. Choosing the right front-end development technology depends on the requirements of the end-user.
If you are unsure about the selection of the frontend app development framework or technology, you can take help from the best frontend development companies.
We are one of the popular frontend development companies in India that cater to global clients with intuitive frontend design using the best platforms like Angular and React JS. To book a free consultation for the selection of the technology and for frontend development, get in touch with Inextrix Technologies.