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Admios has launched its new webinar series called “Tech Showdown.” Throughout the webinars, we will have our developers debate the pros and cons and different perspectives of technical concepts. On our first episode, we had our developers Giancarlo and Josue debate on Angular vs. React. Here are some key points they discussed.
The big question is: Should I choose Angular or React? Each has a lot to offer and it’s not easy to choose between them. This debate will not offer a clear answer on which framework is better, but it will provide a newcomer trying to figure out where to start, an architect picking a framework to start developing, or a company planning a new project with all the pros and cons to see which framework is tailored for their project and environment.
Below is a summary of their arguments if you prefer to read instead of watch.
Features
Giancarlo, who is totally in favor of letting everyone know how awesome Angular is, feels that Angular has many features that React might not provide to the developer because Angular is a framework while React is just a library. Using Angular for “big projects” is easier because developers can use many features and applications React does not provide.
As for Josue, he believes that using Angular is good to use for big projects but for him, the main issue when starting a project is that one doesn’t know beforehand if the project is a big thing or not. One of the benefits of using React is that one can just get started. Josue says that most startups don’t know or have a clear idea of what the product is going to be, and one of the things you can avoid if you go through the React route is “YAGNI” (you aren’t going to need it).
Experience and Longevity
Without a doubt, Angular has a very specific way of handling things. If you start using Angular for a specific tool you will need people with experience using this framework. If developers don’t have this knowledge, they will invest a lot of time trying to understand how the framework works because developers will have to adapt to what Angular has predefined. On the other hand, React gives developers the benefit to set things as you want them to behave and to build in compliance with what you need and while it might not have this tool out of the box, the solution is based on integrating other projects. This doesn’t mean you can’t handle it; it means you will have to integrate its past libraries. That isn’t necessarily a downside of React, it’s just another way of developing and implementing.
It is much easier to start working on a project with JavaScript and React rather than Angular when developers are at a learning point, but if developers already know the drill and just need the functionality, Angular is key. So many developers don’t get or like Angular or haven’t even tried it because of the learning curve they have to go through. In the beginning, for a newbie, Angular can be seen as complex and intimidating to start but, once you get the hang of it, It’s a winner's plate! It’s not a hard framework to learn.
Project Needs & Requirements
One of the most important questions developers have to answer is what are the project needs? Angular has got some benefits, but they come to shine if you already have a very structured project. In the world of tech, it doesn’t go that way, that’s why the methodologies are called agile because you don’t know how things are going to roll. If there is a sudden change in the project or team itself, React would facilitate the option of a new developer coming into the project.
Both tools offer solutions for very specific needs. It depends on what your project is meant to do to see what tool would apply to it. So, if you want something in a small project you can go for React, if you want something solid for a big project you can use Angular. It really depends on what the client or project a developer is working for. For instance, startups don’t always have a well-defined budget or understanding of team growth. In these types of projects React would be beneficial for them. Yet again, if you work for an organization that has been around a while and knows what they want, Angular will be a better choice because it’s what you need is consistency, not flexibility.
It’s important to mention that Angular is not interchangeable with React or vice versa. They fit different shoes. One of the main concerns experienced developers have is that they see React being used in projects that do not fit with this framework. Once a developer starts using React in a project, it’s really hard to switch, it’s not easy and there is too much work and time involved to change to Angular. The discussion before starting a project has to go beyond which tool performs best or is more convenient, it all comes down to doing the research on what our project must do and based on that making the right decisions focusing on the tools the project needs.
The debate of Angular vs React shows there is no absolute right choice. Each of these technologies has its own benefits and drawbacks. Based on the project you’re working on and your individual requirements, one of these is going to be more suitable than the others. It’s always key to do your own research before deciding.
Making a Decision
You might have already noted that each framework has its own set of capabilities, both with their good and bad sides. To decide what framework suits you best, it is necessary to review some key questions from the project’s perspective:
- How big is the project?
- How critical is long term maintenance?
- Are you expected to be flexible and nimble as requirements change?
- What capabilities and features will be needed?
- How big is the team?
- How do you expect the team to grow in the future?
- How experienced are the developers and what is their background?
- Is this a project for a startup or a big company?
Admios has 15 years of experience build great applications in both React and Angular. If you’re looking to start or expand a new project with either of these front end technologies, we’d be happy to chat and lend a hand.
