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Comparison guide

Angular vs React

Side-by-side NPM package comparison

Hero image for Angular vs React

Quick Verdict

Smallest Bundle

React

3.0 KB gzipped

Most Popular

React

186.3M 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

  1. angular

    HTML enhanced for web apps

    535.2K weekly downloads · 62.2 KB gzip · Health 65/100

    0
  2. react

    React is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces.

    186.3M weekly downloads · 3.0 KB gzip · Health 85/100

    0

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 186.3M weekly downloads — roughly 348.1x more. Angular has 535.2K 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 3.0 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 65/100 (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 65/100 while React scores 85/100. React has more recorded weekly downloads (186.3M). 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 3.0 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?
React has more recorded weekly downloads (186.3M). Download counts reflect package installations, not unique developers.
Which is better maintained, angular or react?
React has a maintenance score of 100/100. Angular scores 40/100 and React scores 100/100 on maintenance.

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One PDF: the best package for every category (ORMs, bundlers, auth, testing, state management). Used by 500+ devs. Free, updated monthly.