Angular 2 Or React - Which Is A Better Choice For Developers?

With Angular 1.x getting older and Angular 2 picking up the steam, so many 1.x developers are wondering what to choose now? Should they also pick Angular 2? Or maybe React? Or something entirely new? Angular 2 is certainly the new hot framework of 2016 and it’s now time to showdown and how does it gets compared against 2015’s darling: React?

Why Going For Native?

1: Native apps are closer to the device’s processor. This explains that on average native code performs better than equivalent code which is written for a hybrid framework.
2: A native app lets you build in some features which may not be available in your hybrid framework of choice.
3: While you are working with the app you can target specific platforms with specific features thereby integrating with the hardware on a mobile device can be easily done with the same set of source code instead of incorporating with the custom module or non-web component in a hybrid
app.

By examining React Native and the combination of both Angular JS 2 and Native let’s have a look at creating a cross-platform native app experience. By providing a comparison among the two, we hereby intend to help you out by making the right choice for your application.

Choosing between Angular and React is similar to deciding between buying an off-the-shelf computer or assembling your own with off-the-shelf parts.

Merits of Angular 2

1: Low Decision Fatigue

Angular is a framework which offers a lot of opinions out of the box. With React you typically pull a number of other libraries off the shelf to build a real application. You would be requiring libraries for web API calls, enforcing unidirectional flows, routing and much more. The number of decisions is pretty huge and that is the reason why React has so many starter kits.

2: TypeScript A Big Win

It can be true up to certain extent that TypeScript is not loved by all, but it has many benefits like better IDE integration, amazing assurance and great autocomplete. React seems a bit inconsistent in this and also it offers three different ways to declare components which creates a lot of confusion for new developers.

3: Reduced Churn

React ecosystem has changed vigorously and at a rapid pace. This is particularly around flux implementation and routing. This says that anything you write in React today can be out of date or require changes in future if you rely on one of many related libraries. On the contrary, Angular 2 is a well-organized and mature comprehensive framework. It is less likely to change in a painful way after release. And as a full framework when you choose Angular, you can make a careful decision about the future while trusting a single team.

In React it becomes your responsibility to manage a bunch of different, fast-moving, open-source libraries into an exhaustive framework which could play well together. This is quite time-consuming and a tedious task to handle.

What Sets React Apart – Reasons To React

1: JSX

JSX which is an HTML-like syntax that compiles down to JavaScript. The Markup and code are composed in the same file which means you get code completion in hand as you type references to your component’s functions and variables. On the contrary, Angular’s string-based templates come with the usual downsides. This can be limited code completion, run-time failures and no code coloring in many editors.

Although you can move the templates to a separate file, if in any case, you do not like Angular string-based templates, but then you are back to wiring the two files together in your head with no code completion support. This is a cakewalk with React. JSX is so special as it allows composing components in a single compile-time checked file.

2: Simpler To Write

React is simpler to write and it is very easy to figure out what is quiet going in your code and when and where to write and make changes.

3: Multi-Platform Nature

React Native is multi-platform in nature which means that React’s aim is to abstract the business logic along with supporting the differences which may come in UI while rendering between each platform. Additionally, it focuses on managing a singular development experience irrespective of the platform.

4: Cross-Platform Apps:

React focusses on the speed of rendering and execution where you can easily create performance focused cross-platform apps. These apps can run both on the same code base and hold platform-specific components as well.

“Angular 2 versus React: There Will Be Blood” by @housecor https://t.co/ediqqrR528

— Wietse Van Ransbeeck (@WietseVR) September 24, 2016

Reaching On Common Grounds

Choosing between React Native and a combination of Angular 2 and NativeScript completely differs on grounds of requirements. React, which is a blazing-fast lightweight rendering framework can be used within larger application and Angular on another hand is an opinionated application development framework.

Thus the choice between the two should be focused on what exactly your application requires. You must go for React if your application is focussed on complex UI with plenty of rendering and custom elements. But if you are envisioning your application architecture something which has a single cross-platform code base and a declarative paradigm, you can combine Angular 2 and NativeScript.

Related Blogs:

References: backand.com, freecodecamp.com

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Rachit Agarwal

Director and Co-Founder at Algoworks Technologies

Rachit is leading the mobility business development function, mobility strategy and consulting practice at Algoworks. He is an expert of all mobile technologies and has experience in managing teams involved in the development of custom iPhone/iPad/Android apps.