React vs. Angular: The battle of frontend frameworks

Introduction

It is popularly said that the only thing constant in this world is change, this is very interesting and particularly true for the world of web development, especially in the crowded room which is frontend engineering. The field of frontend development has more frameworks than the number of letters in "Javascript", however, out of the crowd of frontend frameworks, two major players have emerged as favorites among developers: React and Angular. These powerful frameworks have transformed the way we build web applications, offering unique features, large ecosystems, and a passionate community of supporters. As a frontend engineer, choosing the right technology for your project can be quite the task. In this article, we’ll dive deep into the world of React and Angular, exploring their histories, strengths, weaknesses, and key differences, enabling us to make informed decisions about choosing a framework.

What is a Framework?

Before diving into the specifics of React and Angular, we need to understand what a framework is. In the context of web development, a framework is a collection of pre-written code that provides a structure and a set of guidelines for building applications.

Why do we need these frameworks?, it's because using the language ordinarily to perform some complex tasks would require you to write complex functionality which can be difficult and time consuming. In order to simplify the process, frameworks streamline development by offering reusable pre-written components, tools, and best practices. This allows developers to focus on writing the unique parts of their application rather than reinventing the wheel. It's like writing a function once and using it in different parts of your code, except this time it's on a larger scale comprising of numerous functions.

React and Angular: History and Overview

React

React, developed by Facebook and released in 2013, is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces. React's primary goal is to make it easier to create interactive UIs by breaking them into smaller, reusable components. React uses a virtual DOM (Document Object Model) to optimize rendering performance, ensuring that only the necessary parts of the UI are updated when the state changes.

In React, applications are developed by creating reusable components that you can think of as independent Lego blocks each with it's own data and functionality. These components are individual pieces of a final interface, which, when assembled, form the application’s entire user interface.

Rather than dealing with the whole user interface as a single unit, React.js encourages developers to separate these complex UIs into individual reusable components that form the building blocks of the whole UI. In doing so, the ReactJS framework combines the speed and efficiency of JavaScript with a more efficient method of manipulating the DOM to render web pages faster and create highly dynamic and responsive web applications.

Angular

Angular, developed by Google and first released in 2010 as AngularJS, is a full-fledged framework for building dynamic web applications. In 2016, Angular underwent a significant rewrite, resulting in Angular 2 and subsequent versions, collectively referred to as Angular. Angular is a component based framework for building large scale applications.

Just like react, it divides the UI into reusable components but unlike React which is a UI library which focuses solely on the view layer, Angular is a full fledged framework which provides a comprehensive collection of well-integrated libraries that cover a wide variety of features, including routing, forms management, client-server communication, and more.

Angular also exclusively makes use of TypeScript which is a strongly typed programming language that builds on JavaScript. This gives us a more controlled environment that prevents errors before even running our code by enforcing a type system to performing type checking, and the ability to compile down to a version of JavaScript that runs on all browsers.

We'll be comparing these two frame works based on some very important metrics:

Performance

React: React makes use of a virtual DOM which is a game-changer when it comes to performance. The virtual DOM is a copy of the real DOM in react where every change to the UI first occurs, the virtual DOM is then compared with the real DOM so the changes in the virtual DOM can be executed in the real DOM. By performing changes on the virtual DOM and only updating the parts of the real DOM that have changed, React minimizes costly DOM manipulations, leading to faster and more efficient updates.

Angular: Angular's performance has significantly improved with the introduction of Angular Ivy, a new rendering engine. However, because Angular is a complete framework with more built-in features, it can be heavier compared to React, potentially impacting performance in large-scale applications. Unlike React, Angular doesn't make use of a virtual DOM instead it uses change detection to track the changes to the application state. However, if change detection is used too often, this can lead to performance problems.

Tooling

React: React has a rich ecosystem of tools and libraries which makes development easier. The Create React App (CRA) CLI simplifies setting up a new project, while tools like React DevTools enhance debugging. In addition, the flexibility of React allows integration with other libraries, giving developers the freedom to choose their preferred tools like Redux for state management, React router dom for routing, and more.

Angular: Angular comes with a robust CLI that simplifies project setup, testing, and deployment. Angular's CLI is one of the most powerful in the frontend development, offering built-in support for features like Angular Universal (server-side rendering) and Angular Service Worker. The integrated nature of Angular ensures a consistent development experience across different parts of the application.

Ecosystem and Community

React: React has a massive and vibrant community, with a plethora of third-party libraries, plugins, and extensions available. The React ecosystem is highly modular with a variety of tools performing the same tasks, allowing developers to pick and choose the best tools for their needs. The community-driven nature of React ensures continuous innovation and a wealth of resources for learning and problem-solving.

Angular: Angular also has a strong community, bolstered by Google's backing. The Angular ecosystem is more opinionated, providing a comprehensive set of tools and libraries out of the box. This can lead to a more cohesive development experience but may also limit flexibility compared to React.

Learning Curve

React: React's learning curve is relatively moderate, especially for developers already familiar with JavaScript. The core concepts, such as components, state, and props, are straightforward. However, mastering the ecosystem, including state management libraries like Redux or MobX, can take time but it is relatively easy to pick up.

Angular: Angular has a steeper learning curve due to its comprehensive nature. Developers need to grasp concepts like dependency injection, decorators, and RxJS for reactive programming. While the extensive documentation and resources help, the initial learning phase can be challenging.

Architecture and Design

React: React utilizes a component-based architecture, promoting the reuse of UI components across the application. Each component manages its own state and lifecycle, resulting in a modular and maintainable codebase. React also employs unidirectional data flow which ensures predictable state management and easier debugging, this simply means that data has one, and only one way to be transferred to other parts of the application. So, child components are not able to update the data that is coming from the parent component but data can move from parent to child components.

Angular: Angular employs a component-based architecture as well but extends it with powerful features like dependency injection and services. Angular applications are organized into modules, components, services, and directives, creating a well-structured and scalable architecture. Two-way data binding combines property binding which sets a specific element property with event binding which listens for an element change event and simplifies synchronization between the model and the view, although it can sometimes lead to performance bottlenecks.

Popularity

React: React enjoys immense popularity, with widespread adoption across industries. Companies like Facebook, Instagram, Airbnb, Netflix and HNG where I'm currently interning use React in their production environments. The large community and extensive job market make React a highly sought-after skill for developers.

Angular: Angular is also popular, especially among enterprise-level applications. Organizations like Google, Microsoft, and IBM rely on Angular for their complex applications. While Angular’s popularity has seen fluctuations, its comprehensive nature and powerful features keep it relevant in the industry.

Application

React: React is ideal for building interactive UIs and single-page applications (SPAs). Its flexibility and performance make it a great choice for projects where high responsiveness and dynamic content updates are crucial. React's ecosystem supports mobile development through React Native, expanding its applicability beyond the web.

Angular: Angular shines in building large-scale, enterprise-level applications. Its all-in-one nature, strong typing with TypeScript, and extensive tooling make it suitable for complex projects with multiple teams. Angular's strong opinionation ensures consistency and best practices across the application, reducing development overhead.

Advantages

Disadvantages

Conclusion

Choosing between React and Angular ultimately depends on your project requirements, team expertise, and personal preferences. React offers flexibility, performance, and a gentle learning curve, making it a great choice for dynamic UIs and mobile applications. Angular, with its comprehensive features and robust architecture, excels in building large-scale, enterprise-level applications.

Both React and Angular have their strengths and weaknesses, but they are both powerful tools that can help you create amazing web applications. As a frontend engineer, mastering either of these technologies will significantly enhance your skillset and open up exciting opportunities in the world of web development.

Though I personally use React, I tried my best to be as objective and non-biased as possible, In my web development journey, I look forward to using Angular as well. I am currently having an internship at HNG where I'll be testing my skills in frontend development along with numerous other developers. I look forward to the experience, networking with other developers and improving my skills as a developer.

You can also apply to for the HNG internship if you're looking for an opportunity to learn, improve your development skills, have access to a community of developers and other opportunities.