React.js vs Angular. Which one is better for Web Development in 2021?
As you know, the IT market is very dynamic. That’s why we present only current data, so if you are reading this post in 2021 — you can be sure that you found the right source :)
Check out key differences between React.js and Angular as the most significant advantages and disadvantages of each of these solutions and see which one suits you better!
React.js vs Angular — key differences
Popularity
The first factor we decided to analyze is popularity. According to the latest Stack Overflow survey, both of them are among the most used web frameworks in the world.
React.js is now used by almost 36% of software developers worldwide and is the world’s second most popular framework. What’s more, some experts say that it may even take over the position of leader in the coming years, which has been jQuery for a long time.
When it comes to Angular’s popularity, it has fewer users than React.js and is used by one in four developers worldwide.
Source: https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2020#technology-web-frameworks
React.js vs Angular — usage
What is React.js used for?
React is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces (UI). Its use is extensive, and you can use it, for example, to create:
- dashboards or data visualization tools
- social networks
- ecommerce or retail solutions
- Single-page Applications (SPA)
- blogs
- Q&A websites (such as Quora)
- websites for collecting donations
- forums
- job boards
- rating websites
- e-learning modules
What is Angular used for?
Angular is a TypeScript-based framework for building mobile and desktop web applications. Like React.js, it also has multiple uses. The most popular of these are related to the building:
- single-Page Applications (SPA)
- mobile apps
- enterprise web apps
- Progressive Web Applications (PWA)
- Server-side rendered (SSR) apps
- interfaces with various animations
- web-based financial solutions
- banking applications
- email services
- job boards
- front-page websites
Usage trends
Another point worth considering when comparing the two frameworks is usage trends.
Here, as with popularity overall, Angular performs much worse. Just look at the chart created by Wappalyzer .
According to this graph, React.js usage is more significant and continues to go up, while Angular use is still the same.
Developer Insight
When analyzing the choice between two tools, it is also worth considering their users’ opinions. Especially if you don’t have much experience with any of these frameworks, it’s worth checking out how others rate each of them. When it comes to this aspect, framework React.js performs much better than Angular.
According to Stack Overflow , React.js is the most wanted and second most loved web framework globally. And what about Angular? It is the third most desired and only the 9th most loved web framework.
What are the pros and cons of React.js vs. Angular?
In the case of both React.js and Angular, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. What specific features are we talking about? Below, we’ve prepared a table with a summary of the essential pros and cons of React.js and Angular. Just take a look:
Pros of React.js:
- Easy to use and low entry threshold
- Maturity and stability
- Unidirectional data flow
- SEO-friendly
- Available as open-source
- Modern web application in a single command
- Virtual DOM
- Reusable components
- Fast Interface Rendering
- Short development time
- Popularity and a vast community
- Open-source
Cons of React.js:
- Lack of proper documentation
- JSX complexity
- Incompleteness
Pros of Angular:
- Code consistency and reusability
- Two-way data binding
- Directives
- Dependency injection
- Maintained by Google
- Popularity and a huge community
- Support for lazy loading
- A vast repository of open-source packages
- Fast load time
- Use of TypeScript
- Open-source
Cons of Angular:
- Performance
- Limited SEO Capabilities
- A lot of boilerplate code
- Too many versions (what may confuse)
Global companies that use these frameworks to build their projects
As we mentioned above, both React.JS and Angular are very popular. So let’s check which big companies have chosen these frameworks to build their applications.
Companies using React.js
Today as many as 1,157,127 websites in the world are using React.js. Below you will find the world’s biggest tech giants who have chosen to use this framework to build their web apps.
- Netflix
- Airbnb
- Amazon
- Uber
- Discord
- DropBox
Companies using Angular
Although the number of websites built with Angular is much lower than with React.JS (it is estimated to be around ), its popularity is also impressive. Users of this framework also include well-known companies such as:
- Microsoft (Microsoft Office)
- Deutsche Bank (developer portal)
- Google (Gmail)
- Santander (web-based financial solutions)
- PayPall
- Upwork
- Forbes
- Samsung (the front-page websites)
- YouTube (YouTube TV)
- Santander (banking application)
Conclusion
Both React.js and Angular are popular frameworks, with masses of followers among developers around the world. Before making a final choice, you should analyze the possibilities that each one offers or consult the decision with experts with web development experience.
However, if we had to choose a winner for this article, it would be React.js. This framework is significantly more popular and loved by the community, who appreciate many of its apparent advantages, such as performance or ease of use.
Planning to develop a web application using one of the frameworks we have listed? Contact us. We will be happy to help you choose the best option tailored to your individual needs.
Originally published at https://themasters.io/blog/posts/reactjs-vs-angular-which-is-better
