What is Angular JS?

AngularJS is a structural framework for dynamic web apps. It lets you use HTML as your template language and lets you extend HTML’s syntax to express your application’s components clearly and succinctly. AngularJS’s data binding and dependency injection eliminate much of the code you would otherwise have to write

What is React JS?

ReactJS basically is an open-source JavaScript library which is used for building user interfaces specifically for single page applications. It’s used for handling view layer for web and mobile apps. React also allows us to create reusable UI components

What Is a Framework?

A software framework (be it front-end or backend) includes standardized, pre-written code, which makes the development of certain functionalities easier and faster. You have less freedom to code, as you have to code as the framework architecture dictates.

What Is a Library?

A library is a collection of functions and functionalities, which you can use to achieve a certain end. You have more freedom to design and construct the system when using a library, but that adds more responsibility on the coder to be able to use it efficiently and find the right library for the right job, because, for projects which need to grow over time and become more serious, this could become significantly riskier and more difficult to manage.

There are three major elements of concern:

HTML: Used to build the structure of your web page.

CSS: Used to format the appearance of different structural elements.

JavaScript: A programming language used to describe the functionality and handle all the dynamic elements on the web page.

The key differences between AngularJS and ReactJS are as follows:

DOM Manipulation:

Angular: AngularJS update the Real DOM directly. It has two-way data binding which updates the MVC.

Reactjs: ReactJS does not update the Real DOM directly but it updates the Virtual DOM. It performs one-way data which updates the view. React is all about components.

Scalability:

Angular: Powerful CLI and its design make it more scalable.

React: Efficient workflow is very important so that code can be easily tested and deployed therefore more scalable than angular.

library compatibility:

Angular would have done better if not Typescript that requires type definitions for every library.

React. Although it doesn’t work with DOM, it is pure JavaScript logic and its popularity even the DOM based libraries have their alternative in React.

Beyond the web:

Angular: Comes with ionic 2 and native script, but neither of those mobile frameworks allows angular to reach the performance of reacting native.

React: Comes with react native, Alibaba rax, react Windows and next.js, it is the best choice for developing mobile apps.

Simplicity:

Angular: Angular on the other hand,it is quite easy and simple to understand . Its inherent complexity sometimes causes confusion.

React: React is not simple by any means and it takes quite some time to set up a project.

Development time:

Angular: although being very competitive, the amount of unnecessary syntax it requires to do simple things puts angular in the last place.

React: Takes longer to set up, but then you can start to make an app and it should be relatively easy to add new features.

Conclusion: Which is better React or Angular?

Both React and Angular work on completely diverse approaches to front-end application development for startup, small and medium enterprises. The technologies are both powerful and flexible and while neither is better or worse, it depends on your business application goals and system constraints that make the final choice.

Overall, both frameworks provide a robust set of tools for quality, scalable, reactive web-based applications. For those who prefer to code in classic JS, React may find more favors, but for those looking at a more mature and sophisticated solution, AngularJS might be your best bet.