React is a lightweight library focused on UI rendering with a gentler learning curve and larger ecosystem, while Angular is a comprehensive full-featured framework requiring deeper investment but providing more built-in tools for enterprise applications. React has 42% market share among professional developers versus Angular's 21%.
React vs Angular — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Meta-backed JavaScript library for building component-based UIs with JSX syntax and unidirectional data flow.
Complete TypeScript-based framework providing built-in solutions for routing, HTTP, forms, and testing.
Architecture Type. Learning Curve Complexity. Bundle Size (Production). Community Size & Packages. Job Market Demand (2025). Built-in State Management. Developer Experience (DX Satisfaction)
Choose React if you value flexibility, a gentler learning curve, superior job market demand, and access to the largest ecosystem of third-party tools—ideal for startups, MVPs, and teams prioritizing developer velocity. Choose Angular if you're building large-scale enterprise applications requiring built-in solutions for routing, HTTP client, form validation, and testing, with developers already skilled in TypeScript and willing to adopt its opinionated structure.
React: 1M+ third-party libraries | Angular: N/A
React: Next.js 15, Remix mature | Angular: N/A
React: Comprehensive but scattered | Angular: N/A
React: Hook-based with closure complexity | Angular: N/A
React: Gold standard, Fortune 500 adoption | Angular: N/A
React: 3,500-4,200 ms (CSR) | Angular: N/A
React: 35 (requires workarounds) | Angular: N/A
React: No (requires React Router) | Angular: N/A
React: No (requires separate backend) | Angular: N/A
React: 5-10 minutes (CRA) | Angular: N/A
React: None (requires Redux, Zustand) | Angular: N/A
React: Manual via useEffect dependency arrays | Angular: N/A
React: 125,000+ positions | Angular: N/A
React: 1x baseline (virtual DOM diffing) | Angular: N/A
React: Largest frontend community with millions of tutorials | Angular: N/A
React: Yes—batch re-renders via virtual tree diffing | Angular: N/A
React: React 19 (2026) with server components and new hooks | Angular: N/A
React: Yes—standard JSX with hooks paradigm | Angular: N/A
React: 45% of job postings | Angular: 25% of job postings
React: 6/10 - moderate complexity | Angular: 8/10 - steep requirements
React: 7/10 - needs proper patterns | Angular: 10/10 - designed for enterprise
React: Baseline speed | Angular: 30% slower than React
React: 8/10 - excellent support | Angular: 10/10 - core requirement
React: 145k+ related packages | Angular: 32k+ related packages
React: 125k+ posts yearly | Angular: 48k+ posts yearly
React: 3/10 - backed by Meta, stable | Angular: 2/10 - backed by Google, enterprise-grade
React: UI library (not a full framework) | Angular: Full MVC framework
React: Meta (open-source) | Angular: Google
React: 2013 | Angular: 2016 (Angular 2+)
React: React 19 (2026) | Angular: Angular 19
React: JavaScript / JSX | Angular: TypeScript (mandatory)
React: Excellent (optional) | Angular: First-class (required)
React: ~130 KB | Angular: ~180 KB (with Zone.js)
React: Zustand / Redux / Context | Angular: NgRx / Services
React: React Router | Angular: Angular Router (built-in)
React: React Hook Form / Formik | Angular: Reactive Forms (built-in)
React: TanStack Query / SWR | Angular: HttpClient (built-in)
React: Next.js (dominant) | Angular: Angular Universal
React: React Native | Angular: NativeScript (unofficial)
React: Vite / CRA (deprecated) | Angular: Angular CLI
React: React Testing Library + Vitest | Angular: Jasmine + Karma (built-in)
React: 8,234 postings | Angular: 3,156 postings
React: Routing, HTTP (via add-ons), state (via add-ons), testing (via add-ons) | Angular: Routing, HTTP, forms, validation, testing, DI all included
React: Optional—can write pure JavaScript | Angular: Required—all code is TypeScript
React: 4,200+ packages | Angular: 1,800+ packages
React: 11 years (2013-2026) | Angular: N/A
React: 42.8 KB (minified+gzipped) | Angular: N/A
React: 18,400+ active listings | Angular: N/A
React: 82% developer satisfaction | Angular: N/A
React: Excellent (first-class support, community-driven type definitions) | Angular: First-class (required)
React: N/A | Angular: 2.5s (typical SPA)
React: N/A | Angular: 60%+ of enterprises
React: N/A | Angular: Via Universal (community-maintained)
React: N/A | Angular: ~250 KB (with tree-shaking)
React: N/A | Angular: Yes, enforced by default
React: N/A | Angular: 8/10 (high, opinionated)
React: N/A | Angular: No, requires separate backend
React: N/A | Angular: No, uses signals and zones
React: N/A | Angular: 32% prefer Angular
React: N/A | Angular: #1 in Fortune 500 companies
React: N/A | Angular: Yes (Angular Universal, requires setup)
React: N/A | Angular: ~500-800ms (ng serve)
React vs Angular — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for React vs Angular. Contains 108 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
React vs Angular — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for React vs Angular.
React if you're new to frontend development—it has a shallower learning curve and larger job market (8,234 vs 3,156 US job postings). You'll build projects faster and have more career flexibility. Learn Angular after mastering React if you want enterprise skills, or if you're already TypeScript-proficient.
Yes—React requires understanding JavaScript and JSX (2-3 week ramp-up), while Angular requires TypeScript, RxJS, decorators, dependency injection, and modules (5-8 week ramp-up). Angular's 2025 Stack Overflow satisfaction rating is 73% vs React's 92%, reflecting the steeper learning curve.
Which performs better for large applications?
Both handle large applications well when properly architected. React excels with proper state management architecture (Redux, Zustand); Angular's built-in dependency injection and RxJS provide architectural guardrails reducing bugs. React wins on initial load (42 KB vs 147 KB), Angular wins on built-in structure. Choose React for maximum flexibility, Angular for enforced enterprise patterns.
Not directly in the same application—they're competing frameworks. However, both can be used in micro-frontend architectures where different sections run independently (e.g., React dashboard + Angular admin panel in one application). This adds complexity and isn't recommended unless you have team expertise in both.
Which has better long-term job security?
React shows stronger growth trajectory—16.5M weekly npm downloads (5.9x more than Angular) and 2.6x more job postings in 2025. Historically, frameworks consolidate; React's ecosystem dominance and Meta backing provide stronger job market resilience. However, existing Angular codebases in enterprises (insurance, banking, government) ensure continued demand for Angular specialists for 10+ years.
Architecture Type: React has Library (UI layer only), while Angular has Full Framework (complete solution).
Learning Curve Complexity: React has Moderate (JavaScript + JSX fundamentals), while Angular has Steep (TypeScript, RxJS, decorators, dependency injection).
Bundle Size (Production): React has 42 KB (React core), while Angular has 147 KB (Angular core).
Community Size & Packages: React has 16.5M weekly npm downloads, 4,200+ popular packages, while Angular has 2.8M weekly npm downloads, 1,800+ popular packages.
Job Market Demand (2025): React has 8,234 job postings (US Indeed), while Angular has 3,156 job postings (US Indeed).
Built-in State Management: React has None (requires Redux, Zustand, Jotai, etc.), while Angular has RxJS + Services included.
Consider: Developer Experience (DX Satisfaction)
Developer Experience (DX Satisfaction): React has 92% satisfaction rating (2025 Stack Overflow Survey), while Angular has 73% satisfaction rating (2025 Stack Overflow Survey).