What is the difference between Angular and React

Angular and React are the two most popular Web front-end development technologies. While both technologies are modern and mature and provide almost everything a front-end platform needs, it could be tricky to decide which one to choose, between Angular and React, for your next web application. In this paper, we will learn about the key differences between Angular and React and when to choose one over the other.

Angular vs React features
 

Feature	Angular	React
Type	Full-fledged framework	JavaScript library
Language	TypeScript	JavaScript
Data binding	Two-way	One-way
DOM manipulation	Real DOM	Virtual DOM
Bundle size	Larger	Smaller
Performance	Slightly slower	Slightly faster
Learning curve	Steeper	Easier
Popularity	High	High
Community support	Excellent	Excellent
Other features	Built-in routing, dependency injection, state management, etc.	Requires additional libraries for routing, state management, etc.
Learning curve	Complex	Easier
Third-party integration	Complex	Easier
Popular among	Enterprises	Startups/Enterprises

Framework vs Library

React is a JavaScript library developed by Facebook primarily for building user interfaces. Its core responsibility is to handle the view layer of applications. Being primarily a UI library, React focuses on component-based architecture, making UIs declarative. For additional capabilities like routing or state management, you might have to integrate other libraries (like Redux for state management, React Router for routing, etc.).

Angular is a full-fledged front-end framework developed by Google. It provides tools and patterns to handle most aspects of web application development, including the view, logic, routing, HTTP requests, and more. Being a complete framework, Angular comes with its own solutions for data binding, dependency injection, routing (with Angular Router), and even HTTP requests (with Angular's HttpClient). This holistic approach means developers often don't need to seek third-party solutions for common web app features.

Data Binding

React and Angular are two of the most popular front-end development frameworks, but they differ in how they handle data binding.

React uses one-way data binding, which means that the data flows from the parent component to the child component, but not the other way around. This makes it easier to manage the state of the application and prevents unexpected changes.

Angular uses two-way data binding, which means that the data flows in both directions, from the parent component to the child component and from the child component to the parent component. This can be convenient for some applications, but it can also make it more difficult to manage the state of the application and track down errors.

JavaScript
// Parent component
const ParentComponent = () => {
  const [name, setName] = useState('Alice');

  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Hello, {name}!</h1>
      <ChildComponent name={name} />
    </div>
  );
};

// Child component
const ChildComponent = ({ name }) => {
  return (
    <div>
      <p>Welcome to my website, {name}!</p>
    </div>
  );
};

In this example, the name prop is passed from the ParentComponent to the ChildComponent. The ChildComponent can display the name prop, but it cannot change it. If the name prop changes in the ParentComponent, the ChildComponent will automatically re-render with the updated value.

Example of two-way data binding in Angular:

TypeScript
// Parent component
@Component({
  selector: 'my-app',
  templateUrl: './app.component.html',
})
export class AppComponent {
  name = 'Alice';
}

// Child component
@Component({
  selector: 'my-child-component',
  templateUrl: './child-component.html',
})
export class ChildComponent {
  @Input() name: string;
}

In this example, the name prop is also passed from the ParentComponent to the ChildComponent. However, the ChildComponent can now change the value of the name prop using the @Input() decorator. If the name prop changes in the ChildComponent, the ParentComponent will automatically be notified.

Which type of data binding is better for your application depends on your specific needs. If you need to manage the state of your application carefully, then one-way data binding is a good choice. If you need a convenient way to bind data between parent and child components, then two-way data binding may be a better option.

Language

Angular is based on Typescript, whereas React is based on JavaScript.

React: Written in JavaScript but can be used with TypeScript. However, most of the code is written in JavaScript. You must be a good JS developer to write good React apps.

Angular: Written in TypeScript, which is a statically typed superset of JavaScript, adding optional type-checking, among other features. You can write most of your code on front-end in C# and use OOPs and other concepts. 

Learning Curve

Angular is based on MVC (Model View Controller), whereas React is based on Virtual DOM. When it comes to the learning curve, beginners may find it a little complicated to learn the MVC pattern. 

React: Due to its focused scope, React is often considered to have a gentler learning curve, especially for those new to web development or coming from other libraries/frameworks. Here is a learning tutorial: React.js for Beginners

Angular: Given its comprehensive nature and the many concepts it introduces, Angular is often perceived to have a steeper learning curve. Here is a detailed tutorial to learn Angular in 10 days: Learn Angular 8 Step By Step in 10 Days – Day 1

Integration

React: Because it's primarily a view library, integrating third-party tools or libraries might sometimes be more straightforward.

Angular: While Angular offers a comprehensive set of tools out-of-the-box, integrating some third-party libraries might require more configuration or wrapper modules.

Conclusion

While React is a library that offers flexibility by focusing on the UI component structure, Angular is a comprehensive framework that provides a wide array of tools for building complex web applications. The choice between them largely depends on project needs, team familiarity, and architectural preferences. If you are looking for a faster and lightweight front-end library, React is a better choice, but if you are looking for a complete framework that can do everything from front-end to back-end, Angular is probably a better choice.

One of the most popular Web stack these days is React, C#, and SQL Server/MySQL. The front end is developed using React/JavaScript/CSS, backend and API are developed in C#.