Angular vs React: Which is Faster

Angular and React are both high-performance JavaScript frameworks for building web applications. However, there are some key differences in their performance characteristics.

React

React is generally faster than Angular. This is because React is a more lightweight framework with a smaller bundle size. React also uses a virtual DOM, which is more efficient at updating the UI.

Angular

Angular is better suited for large and complex applications. This is because Angular provides a more comprehensive set of features and tools, such as routing, dependency injection, and two-way data binding. These features can help to make large and complex applications more maintainable and scalable.

Please keep in mind that several other factors may also impact the performance of the application, such as the following.

Quality of code: If the code is poor quality, no matter what language or framework it is, the performance is going to be bad.
Database performance:
Third-party libraries:
Data size:
Server and hardware performance:

Here is a more detailed comparison of the performance of Angular and React:

Bundle size

React has a smaller bundle size than Angular. This means that React apps load faster, especially on mobile devices.

Minified + gzip package size for React: 97.5K

Minified + gzip package size for Angular: 143K

Rendering speed

React is faster at rendering the UI than Angular. This is because React uses a virtual DOM, which is more efficient at updating the UI.

In a benchmark by the performance monitoring company BrowserStack, React outperformed Angular in terms of rendering speed. For a simple application, React rendered the first frame in 1.1 seconds, while Angular took 1.3 seconds. For a more complex application, React rendered the first frame in 2.3 seconds, while Angular took 2.8 seconds.

Another benchmark by the web development company Kinsta showed that React had a faster Speed Index than Angular. The Speed Index is a measure of how quickly the content of a web page becomes visible to the user. React had a Speed Index of 0.8 seconds, while Angular had a Speed Index of 1.2 seconds.

Startup performance

Startup performance is the amount of time it takes for a web application to load and become interactive. It is an important metric for user experience, as users expect web applications to load quickly.

In general, React is considered to have better startup performance than Angular. This is because React is a smaller and more lightweight framework. It also uses a virtual DOM, which allows it to efficiently update the UI without having to re-render the entire page.

Angular, on the other hand, is a more comprehensive framework with more features. It also uses a real DOM, which can be slower for large and complex applications.

Memory usage

React is generally considered to be more memory-efficient than Angular. This is because React uses a virtual DOM, which allows it to efficiently update the UI without having to re-render the entire page. Angular, on the other hand, uses a real DOM, which can be more memory-intensive for large and complex applications.

In a benchmark by the performance monitoring company BrowserStack, React outperformed Angular in terms of memory usage. For a simple application, React used 2.3MB of memory, while Angular used 2.8MB of memory. For a more complex application, React used 5.4MB of memory, while Angular used 6.2MB of memory.

Overall performance

In general, React is faster and has lower memory usage than Angular. However, Angular is better suited for large and complex applications.

Which framework is better for you depends on your specific needs. If you are building a small and simple app, React is a good choice. If you are building a large and complex app, Angular is a good choice.

Here are some additional factors that can affect the performance of your Angular or React app:

The code quality of your app
The third-party libraries that you are using
The hosting environment that you are using

How do you decide when to use React vs Angular?

React and Angular are both popular JavaScript frameworks for building web applications, but they have different strengths and weaknesses. Here are some factors to consider when deciding which one to use:

Project size and complexity

Angular is a good choice for large and complex applications, such as enterprise applications and single-page applications (SPAs). It provides a comprehensive set of features and tools that can help to make these applications more maintainable and scalable. React is a good choice for smaller and simpler applications, such as static websites and landing pages. It is also a good choice for building UI components that can be reused in different applications.

Team experience and expertise

If your team has experience with Angular, it is a good choice to use Angular for your next project. This is because Angular has a steeper learning curve than React. If your team has experience with React, it is a good choice to use React for your next project. This is because React is easier to learn than Angular.

Performance

React is generally faster than Angular, especially for small and simple applications. However, Angular can be faster for large and complex applications.

Ecosystem

Both React and Angular have large and active ecosystems. There are many third-party libraries and tools available for both frameworks. However, React has a larger ecosystem than Angular.

Personal preference

Ultimately, the best way to decide which framework to use is to try both of them and see which one you prefer.

Here are some specific examples of when to use React vs Angular:

Use React when

You are building a small and simple application, such as a static website or landing page.
You are building UI components that can be reused in different applications.
You need to build an application that is highly performant.
You are working on a team that has experience with React.

Use Angular when

You are building a large and complex application, such as an enterprise application or SPA.
You need to use a framework that provides a comprehensive set of features and tools.
You are working on a team that has experience with Angular.
You need to build an application that is highly scalable.

Conclusion

Both Angular and React are a perfect choice for your front-end development. One of the key factors of your choice depends on your needs and team. If your team has a good TypeScript and C# background, you probably want to choose Angular. But if your team is better at writing pure JavaScript and just looking for a lighter front-end library, React is a better choice.

Based on my personal experience, what I see is the combination of C# and React. Many large enterprises use C# as their backend language to write APIs and other backend libraries, while React is used to build the front-end application.