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Angular vs React

Side-by-side NPM package comparison

Quick Verdict

Smallest Bundle

React

2.8 KB gzipped

Most Popular

React

118.8M weekly downloads

Best Maintained

React

100/100 maintenance score

Highest Quality

Angular

50/100 quality score

Overall Pick

React

Best all-around based on popularity, size, maintenance & quality

angular icon

angular

Popular

Version 1.8.3

0
71
Good

HTML enhanced for web apps

Weekly Downloads
542.8K
21%
Bundle (gzip)
62.2 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
60
Popularity
90
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70
react icon

react

Extremely Popular

Version 19.2.4

0
85
Excellent

React is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces.

Weekly Downloads
118.8M
31%
Bundle (gzip)
2.8 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
100
Popularity
100
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70

Choosing between Angular and React? Here's a data-driven comparison based on real npm data — downloads, bundle size, health scores, and more — to help you decide which package fits your project best.

Downloads & Popularity

React leads with 118.8M weekly downloads — roughly 218.8x more. Angular has 542.8K weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.

Bundle Size

React has the smallest gzipped bundle at 2.8 KB. Angular comes in at 62.2 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.

Health Score Comparison

React has an overall health score of 85/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Angular has an overall health score of 71/100 (good), with strong security, popularity scores. Health scores are calculated from maintenance activity, code quality, security posture, popularity, and stability metrics.

When to Choose Each

Choose Angular if you value strong security track record. Choose React if you value massive community and ecosystem, minimal bundle footprint, actively maintained, strong security track record.

Our Verdict

Both Angular and React are solid choices for JavaScript development. React has the edge in overall health score (85/100), while each package brings unique strengths to the table. Evaluate them based on your project's priorities — whether that's community size, bundle efficiency, or maintenance activity — and choose the one that aligns best with your requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is angular better than react?
It depends on your needs. Angular has a health score of 71/100 while React scores 85/100. React has more weekly downloads (118.8M), suggesting broader adoption. Consider your specific requirements — bundle size, community support, and feature set — to decide which is the better fit.
Which has a smaller bundle size, angular or react?
React has the smaller gzipped bundle at 2.8 KB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
How many developers use angular vs react?
Based on npm download statistics, Angular has approximately 542.8K weekly downloads and React has approximately 118.8M weekly downloads. These numbers reflect package installations, not unique developers, but they indicate relative adoption levels.
Which is better maintained, angular or react?
React currently has the higher overall health score at 85/100. Angular has a maintenance score of 60/100 and React scores 100/100 on maintenance.

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