Angular and AngularJS Difference: Choose the Best for Your Needs

Angular vs AngularJS: what’s this about? These are two web application development frameworks for front end development, but one’s becoming a museum exhibit while the other is growing in popularity.

Here, ProCoders takes a closer look at both AngularJS and Angular to help you decide whether to migrate and why to choose one over the other. Despite their similar names and origins, the difference between them will raise some eyebrows.

So, shall we?

What Is Angular?

Angular is an open-source web application framework. It was developed by Google and initially released in 2016.

The full story of Angular makes it clear why people get confused with the two frameworks. Particularly, many don’t understand what the Angular 2 vs AngularJS difference actually is.

AngularJS is the original web framework released by Google in 2010 and known as Angular 1.x. It is based on JavaScript. For version 2 of AngularJS, the team at Google rewrote the entire code. This second version was based on TypeScript.

However, what created the AngularJS vs. Angular dichotomy is that the team decided to maintain both as separate frameworks. And so Angular 1.x became AngularJS, while Angular 2 and other versions afterward (current version is 17) are known simply as Angular.

The newer Angular has evolved into an intuitive framework, not just for building web applications but for cross-platform development as well (when used in combination with frameworks like Ionic to build web apps and native mobile applications). It has introduced modern features with innovative functionalities. Angular uses components, TypeScript, and advanced routing to provide a robust and scalable architecture. If you want to build a mobile app with this framework, ProCoders enables companies to staff their teams with skilled developers.

Main Features of Angular

• Two-Way Data Binding: Angular provides two-way data binding, which means that changes in the model are automatically reflected in the view and vice versa, without the need for explicit DOM manipulation.
• Angular Command Line Interface (CLI): It’s a tool that limits dependence on external resources. Using Angular CLI saves time in configuring dependencies and deploying your program.
• Dependency Injection: Angular has a built-in dependency injection feature that helps manage the dependencies of your components and services. This makes your code more modular and testable.
• Directives: These are markers on DOM elements that tell Angular to do something to the DOM. Angular comes with several built-in directives like ngIf, ngFor, and ngSwitch, but you can also create custom directives.
• Advanced Routing: Angular supports advanced routing, enabling hierarchical routing structures and sophisticated navigation. It also supports lazy loading, allowing modules to be loaded on demand to improve application performance and reduce initial load times.
• Templates: Angular offers faster code generation by transforming rich template syntax into optimized code. Basically, it ‘assists’ developers in writing code so that programming becomes less drudgery.
• Component-Based Architecture: Angular heavily relies on Angular components, which are the fundamental building blocks of Angular applications. Each component has its own HTML template that declares what renders on the page, a TypeScript class that defines behavior, and a CSS selector that defines how the component is used in a template.
• Server Side Rendering: Angular provides server-side rendering, which enables faster application load times and improved performance for modern web applications.

What Is AngularJS?

As we mentioned before, AngularJS is the legacy version of Angular. The AngularJS framework is a component-based JavaScript framework that enables the development of single-page web applications. It popularized the creation of dynamic single-page applications through features like two-way data binding, transforming static HTML into interactive and seamless user experiences. It was built on declarative programming and model-view-controller (MVC) architecture.

AngularJS’s long-term support (LTS) ended in January 2022. However, some developers still find the framework worth using because many apps are already made with the JS version, and not all businesses are choosing to migrate just yet. So, they still look for web developers skilled in this framework, which becomes harder and harder every year. (Sure, we at ProCoders have experts in the framework.)

Main Features of AngularJS

• MVC: The codebase is divided into three sections. The sections are model, view, and controller (MVC). This architectural structure provides intuitive code organization.
• POJO: Plain old JavaScript objects (POJO). This makes it easy to write, test, and deploy code, even across different browsers.
• Testability: AngularJS was built with testability in mind; it leverages dependency injection (declarative code description) and uses a unit-testing framework called Karma.
• Directives: The technology extends the functionality of HTML via ‘directives’ that specify the attributes of DOM elements. AngularJS uses HTML as its template language, extending its syntax for dynamic UI components. Controllers and directives interact with the document object model (DOM) to define application behavior, enabling the creation of dynamic and maintainable web applications. This allows for building more powerful applications.
• AngularJS Components: AngularJS components are custom features and widgets that enhance HTML, enabling the creation of tailored, reusable UI elements. These components improve the development process by making the UI more modular and maintainable.
• Routing AngularJS: Routing in AngularJS is configured using $routeprovider.when(), allowing developers to define application routes and navigation. This routing setup differs from Angular’s use of the @RouteConfig annotation, impacting how application structure and maintainability are managed.

What Is the Difference Between Angular and AngularJS

The primary difference between Angular and AngularJS lies in their underlying architecture, programming language, and overall performance. AngularJS is a JavaScript-based framework that follows the traditional Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture, making it suitable for building web applications with a clear separation of concerns. In contrast, Angular is a modern, TypeScript-based framework that utilizes a component-based architecture, allowing developers to create reusable components and build more scalable, maintainable applications.

One of the most significant advancements in Angular is its enhanced performance and support for mobile development. While AngularJS was designed primarily for desktop web applications, Angular offers built-in mobile support, making it a better choice for developing high-performance web applications that need to run smoothly on both desktop and mobile browsers. The component-based architecture in Angular also enables the creation of interconnected components, which can be easily reused and maintained across large-scale projects.

Additionally, Angular introduces advanced features such as a hierarchical dependency injection system, improved data binding, and a powerful command line interface (CLI) that streamlines the development process. These enhancements make Angular a comprehensive solution for building complex, modern web applications, while AngularJS remains a legacy JavaScript-based framework best suited for maintaining older projects. Understanding the key differences between Angular and AngularJS is essential for developers and businesses looking to choose the right framework for their needs, especially when considering factors like scalability, maintainability, and long-term support.

What Is the Difference Between Angular and Angular JS

First, let’s look at some numbers. According to the 2023 survey by Stack Overflow, 17.46% of almost 72,000 developers use Angular, whereas only 7.21% opt for AngularJS.

Angular has 367,623 live and historical sites, out of which:

• 1.77% are in Top 1M
• 4.15% are in Top 100K
• 4.97% are in Top 10K

AngularJS has 5,965,064 live and historical sites, out of which:

• 6.53% are in Top 1M
• 14.22% are in Top 100K
• 18.86% are in Top 10K

This data may be misleading because seeing so many more websites using AngularJS may create an impression of its superiority. However, the two frameworks are 6 years apart (AgularJS was released in 2010, and Angular saw the world in 2016). Plus, many website owners still hesitate to migrate.

Last but not least, the current popularity of the innovative Angular is visible clear as day if you check Google Trends:

Now, how about we review the actual differences between the two frameworks?

Architecture

Angular: Component Based Architecture

Angular’s architecture is called component-based architecture, called so due to the independence of components. Each one has a unique structure and can be reused separately (even though in the codebase, multiple components must interact). This makes a difference in Angular vs. AngularJS performance. 

AngularJS

AngularJS is built on MVC architecture, a very early standard for developing web applications. All three terms (model, view, and controller) are considered aspects of a code so that you can organize codebase sections into separate functions. While MVC splits the overall code into sections, Angular’s CBA defines each aspect by components so that each section of the code, technically, has its own ‘MVC’.

Language

Angular

Angular is based on TypeScript, an object-oriented programming language based on JavaScript. Being the more modern language, TS introduces strong typing, enhanced tooling, and better object-oriented programming features, which significantly improve the development process.

AngularJS

From its name, AngularJS, it is obvious that the framework is built on JavaScript. JS is a ubiquitous programming language; it works on any browser. Unlike TypeScript, JavaScript code has no need for compilation thus making it easier and faster to deploy apps.

Structure

Angular

Angular is popular for its adoption of two-way data binding. That is, users can automatically display the effects of their code on the application interface in real time. Unlike in AngularJS, there is no explicit implementation of two-way data binding. It simply happens with a combination of event binding and property binding.

AngularJS

AngularJS also uses two-way data binding, but its performance is not convincing because of the digest cycle concept. There is no ultimate authority on data binding between the DOM and the model (of the MVC structure). So, without an agreement between both, a loop is triggered, which somehow introduces an error code. This is called dirty checking.

While AngularJS had its perks, which we’ll discuss in a moment, it’s still a legacy framework coders use only to migrate or somehow attempt to maintain old apps built using the library.

Pros and Cons of AngularJS and Angular

AngularJS

Pros

• Smaller codebase.
• Built with unit testing in mind.
• JavaScript has a wider spread than TypeScript.

Cons

• AngularJS is a legacy framework that is no longer being updated.
• AngularJS was created for designers. So it is not as developer-friendly as Angular is. 
• Impossible to build SEO-optimised web applications without backend HTML rendering. 
• Application performance becomes less sustainable as the codebase increases and becomes more complex. 

Angular

Pros

• It’s being actively updated, with new versions coming out regularly.
• Cross-platform mobile application development potential with Ionic. The combo can be used to develop any type of app, even create a fitness platform, as we at ProCoders did. 
• A much better-performing data-binding algorithm.
• The components are independent and reusable.
• TypeScript’s static typing allows for writing cleaner code, which also improves performance
• It automatically converts HTML and TypeScript into JavaScript. This is called Ahead-of-Time (AOT) compilation, and it allows for faster browser rendering.

Cons

• TypeScript is less popular and more challenging to learn than the far more widely known JavaScript.
• Angular applications are sometimes unnecessarily complex. They may be an inefficient solution if building small, basic applications.

Data Binding and Expression Syntax in AngularJS vs. Angular

Data binding is a fundamental concept in both AngularJS and Angular, enabling seamless synchronization between the model and the view. However, the way data binding and expression syntax are implemented in each framework reflects their architectural differences and impacts the development process, performance, and scalability of web applications.

AngularJS and Angular both support two way data binding, but Angular introduces more flexibility by allowing developers to choose between two-way and unidirectional data flow. This flexibility, combined with Angular’s advanced features and improved performance, makes it a preferred choice for building dynamic web applications that require efficient data management and responsive user interfaces.

How Data Binding Works in AngularJS

In AngularJS, two way data binding is achieved through the use of directives like ng-model and ng-bind. These directives automatically synchronize data between the model and the view, so any change in the user interface is instantly reflected in the underlying data, and vice versa. This approach simplifies the development process by reducing the amount of boilerplate code developers need to write, making it easier to build complex applications quickly.

However, the two way data binding mechanism in AngularJS relies on a digest cycle, which continuously checks for changes in the model and updates the view accordingly. While this makes it easy to bind data, it can lead to performance bottlenecks as applications grow in complexity, especially when dealing with large data sets or numerous interconnected components.

How Data Binding Works in Angular

Angular takes data binding to the next level by offering multiple binding options, including two way data binding with the [( )] syntax, property binding with [ ], and event binding with ( ). This allows developers to choose the most efficient and appropriate binding method for each scenario, resulting in better application performance and maintainability.

Angular’s component based architecture, combined with its hierarchical dependency injection system, ensures that data flows efficiently between components and services. This not only improves the performance of Angular applications but also makes it easier to manage dependencies and scale the application as it grows. Features like ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation and tree-shaking further optimize the final build, removing unused code and enhancing load times for high performance web applications.

Expression Syntax Differences

The expression syntax in AngularJS and Angular also highlights their evolution. AngularJS uses the familiar {{ }} syntax for interpolation, allowing developers to display dynamic data within HTML templates. Angular retains this syntax but expands its capabilities with property binding ([ ]), event binding (( )), and the combined two way data binding syntax ([( )]). This richer expression syntax gives Angular developers more control and flexibility over how data and events are managed within their applications.

Moreover, Angular’s command line interface (CLI) streamlines the development process by providing built-in support for managing dependencies, generating boilerplate code, and deploying applications. This comprehensive toolset, combined with the advanced features of the Angular framework, makes it easier to build, test, and maintain modern web applications.

In summary, understanding the differences between Angular and AngularJS in terms of data binding and expression syntax is crucial for developers aiming to build dynamic web applications efficiently. Angular’s advanced features, improved data binding mechanisms, and robust CLI make it the preferred choice for most modern web development projects. However, AngularJS may still be suitable for maintaining legacy web applications or for smaller projects with simpler requirements. Ultimately, the choice between Angular and AngularJS should be guided by the specific needs of your project, the desired scalability, and the long-term goals of your development team.

So, Should You Use AngularJS?

AngularJS has come to the end of its life in 2022, while Angular end of life is nowhere to be seen. So no, ProCoders specialists encourage businesses to opt for another framework 

If Angular is too complicated for the project you have in mind, React and Vue are more efficient at building small apps. 

When Is Angular a Better Choice?

The simple answer is:

“Angular is the better choice, as long as the other option is AngularJS.”

Andrew Smetanin

Project Manager & Angular Expert at ProCoders

There are many more libraries you can use for smaller solutions. However, according to Andrew, “Most applications today are built to scale, so there’s a better long-term reward if you overlook the initial inefficiency of Angular in building small apps.“

Indeed, you could use the JS version and opt for a migration later on, but that’s counterproductive and will take a long time. So, it’s better to adopt a more modern solution from the get-go. Angular is more future-proof since its support continues, and it also continues to receive new features. More so, to build cross-platform mobile apps, you have no choice but to use Angular since AngularJS lacks mobile support.

By the way, popular apps such as Gmail, PayPal, and Upwork were built using Angular.

Overall, Angular ensures a more productive development process and that ultimately means that it is more cost-effective. Really, when you weigh the pros and cons of each, Angular comes out top in all the major factors. 

When Is AngularJS a Better Choice?

“AngularJS and Angular 2+ are entirely different technologies, but they can be mixed in a hybrid approach. This setup allows core AngularJS to recognize Angular 2+ components and vice versa. 

The AngularJS team had long promised an upgrade path to the newer versions of Angular, leading many large companies with stable and unique AngularJS projects to delay migrating. Ultimately, AngularJS was left behind and ceased development, becoming obsolete.

This may have been influenced by the emergence of Backbone.js and Vue.js, prompting a complete overhaul of the technology to remain competitive.”

Andrew Smetanin

Project Manager & Angular Expert at ProCoders

AngularJS used to be quite popular. So, nowadays, businesses that used to have software based on that technology are choosing to migrate to Angular to ensure smooth operation and regular updates.

This approach works like a charm, and we at ProCoders have cases to prove it!

MultiQ

MultiQ, a digital signage provider, had a mission to migrate their complex CMS software from AngularJS to Angular. With the help of our dedicated team consisting of two senior Angular developers working full-time, the project was completed within 18 months. 

The migration not only improved the front-end security for MultiQ’s customers but also eliminated AngularJS core in favor of Angular 5+. This modernization effort enhanced the company’s ability to deliver a secure and up-to-date CMS solution to its clients.

Ushahidi

Ushahidi, a platform for crowdsourced data collection, successfully migrated their web-based platform from AngularJS to Angular 14. The dedicated migration team assembled by ProCoders comprised a project manager, three senior Angular developers, and a QA engineer, who worked full-time on the project for 12 months. 

They collaborated closely with the in-house team to improve code quality and launched an updated app with modernized UI designs. This migration ensured that Ushahidi’s platform remained cutting-edge and enhanced the user experience for its global user base.

Conclusion

AngularJS and Angular are two Google web frameworks that offer different solutions to the same problem: building user interfaces. 

AngularJS enabled developers to build powerful and feature-rich websites with a few lines of code. Angular, on the other hand, is an efficient software development framework that works without additional dependencies. 

After reading this article, we hope you see that there is no real Angular vs. AngularJS debate; the latter is no longer updated, so it’s time to discover other options.

However, whether you are using AngularJS or Angular for your app or if you plan to migrate an existing app to a more suitable framework, contact ProCoders for excellent service. 

One of the ways to reduce costs on development is by outsourcing your projects to an offshore development team. At ProCoders, we handpick our developers based on their skills and experience, bringing them together to form high-powered teams that solve clients’ challenges.