It’s time for another development battle! What framework you’re going to build your app in is a big decision. With so many options, how do you choose?
Today, we’ll be discussing the advantages of Angular and Vue. Then we’ll have 8 rounds of one-on-one fighting to see who comes out on top in each category.
It’s time for another development battle! What framework you’re going to build your app in is a big decision. With so many options, how do you choose?
Today, we’ll be discussing the advantages of Angular and Vue. Then we’ll have 8 rounds of one-on-one fighting to see who comes out on top in each category.
Warm up, place your bets, and LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE!
Angular
Angular is an HTML and TypeScript-based platform for building the front end of web applications. Angular was originally known as AngularJS when it launched in 2010. Created by Google, the purpose of Angular was to make web application development easier by implementing a few small changes.
Advantages:
- All facets of software development are covered by Angular. Although the majority of users will only need to use the Angular framework, it has all the functionalities of a full-featured web-building tool.
- Angular utilizes TypesScript, which is a souped-up version of JavaScript. It has in-real-time error detection and templates. The good news is it compiles into JavaScript, so you get the added bonuses without extra hassle.
- Do you have your library card? Angular has a bunch of built-in libraries, meaning you won’t have to use as many 3rd party ones.
- Directive: make development easier. Angular Directives allow developers to manipulate and expand HTML component functionality.
Vue
Vue, aka Vue.JS, is a JavaScript framework that provides tools for front-end web development. Vue was actually spun out from AngularJS; a former Google employee who worked for Google released Vue in 2014.
Advantages:
- Vue is easier to learn than most other frameworks. Vue uses pure JavaScript, which means you don’t have to learn other programming languages to build in it.
- On top of that, HTML is the language used to write Vue templates. So again, no need to know other languages to understand what’s going on.
- You’ll need to get that library card out again. Vuex is a state management library that establishes a one-way link between your components. This allows you to test and maintain within the Vue framework itself.
- When your storage is full, use Vue. Vue’s size is smaller thanks to its use of 3rd party applications.
Ready? Fight!
Now that we have some background on each framework, let’s put ‘em to the test! Put on your boxing gloves; there are eight rounds of fierce competition ahead.
Size
We mentioned it above, but Vue uses third-party elements for quite a bit of its functionality. This may be a downfall later (because that means you’ll have to add third-party libraries and tools), but it’s at least a point on Vue’s side.
And here comes Angular: thanks to its large amount of built-in features, it’s a gargantuan framework that’s going to take up a lot of space on your computer. And while more is sometimes better, some functionality within Angular may never see the light of day (for you at least). That extra bloat means unnecessary complexity.
Round one goes to Vue.
Cost
The good news is that both of these frameworks are free and open source. They both utilize the MIT license as their license agreement, which is absolutely free.
So when it comes to cost, there isn’t a major difference (if any) here.
Round two is a draw!
Rendering time
DOM, or the Document Object Model, is one way to tell a framework’s performance based on rendering. Angular has real DOM, meaning that even if the only changes are in a single component, the entire page will render.
Vue utilizes virtual DOM. This means that the only thing being rendered at a time is the component that changes.
It’s 2-0, for Vue.
Support
Google created, supports, and operates Angular. As you can expect, that means Angular has a lot of manpower on its side. This doesn’t include the large community-following Angular has (that’s for another round, of course).
Vue, on the other hand, is only backed by an open-source community. While this gives power back to developers, it does mean that Vue has fewer collaborators on its side than Angular.
Angular takes their first point.
Popularity
In the same vein of support, you want a framework to be popular. More people means more jobs, more experience, and more community. And Angular has that in spades: they average 500,000 downloads a week! Angular also has a large job market, with 26% of professional developers working with Angular in some capacity.
Vue in comparison is a community that’s in its growing stages. It’s (of course) popular, but when compared to Angular (and React for that matter), it’s just a smaller following.
Angular ties it up at 2-2.
Flexibility
Due to Vue’s less-strict structure and high level of customizability, developers have a lot of flexibility. You have the freedom to build your app however you like thanks to Vue’s support for a wide variety of build systems. You also get flexibility with app structure; your templates can utilize HTML or JavaScript.
Vue takes the lead back!
Structure
But maybe you don’t want wide-open freedom. Do you want something a bit more structured? Because Angular offers a more clear-cut app architecture. This usually works better when you’re building extra complex or extra large apps since all developers can use the same standard architecture.
We’re all tied up going into the FINAL ROUND
Security
Vue and Angular both come with protections against weaknesses and malicious attacks. Vue uses attribute bindings and HTML content escaping.
On the other hand, Angular utilizes sanitization, which is when an untrusted value is transformed into one that’s safe to insert into the DOM. Angular also guards against cross-site scripting, cross-site request forgery (XSRF), and cross-site script inclusion (XSSI).
While in the end security comes down to the developer, Angular offers more tools and resources to better protect your app.
Angular squeaks past with the victory!
Post-Match Interview
While it sounds cheesy, deciding which framework to go with comes down to who you are: what’s most important to you and your team? If you need structure with extra security, go with Angular. If you need flexibility with a fast and lean framework, use Vue.
And just because Angular won our fight today doesn’t mean they’ll hold the championship belt forever. This match kept all factors on an even playing field; as we said above, it’s up to you to figure out what’s most important to you.
So who’s the next challenger? For now, ice your bumps and tend to your bruises; there’s development to be done. ??
