AngularJS vs Backbone: Which JavaScript framework is better?
November 11, 2021•4 min read
You need to be agile not to run after a horse but to stay on a horse. What does that mean? In the tech world, to move your project and the industry as a whole, you need to keep on top of web technology trends. The Frontend Company team enjoys comparing front-end technologies and giving people the best choice of tools possible. Today we'll go head-to-head against AngularJS vs Backbone to pick a winner in the final.
We noticed that many of our blog readers like articles of the versus category. Previously we've written posts «Flutter vs React Native», «AngularJS vs Node.js» and «Angular alternative», which help you dive deeper into the exciting world of front-end development. Today we're going to talk to you about AngularJS vs Backbone, evaluate the pros and cons of each tool, and their chances of success in the current decade.
Why are these technologies often compared to each other?
Since JavaScript front-end tools share the same core and are built on the same programming language, they have a lot in common. Between entirely different solutions, it is easy to make a choice in favor of one instrument. In the case of JS-based frameworks, however, the situation is more challenging. If 2, 3, or more instruments have analogous features, the choice of technology becomes difficult.
So, you should always look at the big picture and focus on the needs of your project. In the context of AngularJS vs Backbone, comparing advantages and disadvantages, special functions, and built-in directives will help you find the framework or library relevant to your industry.
What is essential to pay attention to when choosing front-end technology?
- Data loading and processing.
- Size of the application or website bundle.
- An ability to create a user-friendly UI.
- A project performance.
- Built-in functions and a variety of add-ons.
- What type of products the tool is suitable for.
One last point to add to your AngularJS vs Backbone evaluation is to focus on your competitors and industry leaders. Check out what front-end solutions projects in your field are using and analyze their designs. Do you like the UI/UX of the web product? Is the competitor's site or web application user-friendly? The list can go on and on.
AngularJS: a top JS framework
Let's start our journey into the world of AngularJS vs Backbone with the basics, then move on. What is Angular.js? Google introduced AngularJS to the world over ten years ago. The philosophy behind this open-source JavaScript framework was that declarative programming was perfect for user interfaces.
The creators of this tool repeatedly highlighted that the goal of developing the tool was to extend the capabilities of HTML and dynamic display of content. Therefore, the main achievement of AngularJS was separating the client- and service-side of the project. Thanks to this, programmers could develop web products in parallel. In addition, Google specialists were able to separate the application logic from DOM manipulations. Such a step had a positive impact on the speed and ease of testing the source code.
AngularJS is often named Angular, which is wrong. These technologies are built in two programming languages, have different architecture, ways of data binding, and some other crucial differences. The tools work on fundamentally opposite principles, and you can't put an equal sign between them.
Since AngularJS has been among the popular front-end technologies for 10+ years, much has been said about it. Despite the release of Angular 2+, this open-source JavaScript framework is still on the list of popular JS-based techs. According to German business data platform Statista, AngularJS is even in the 2020s, one of the most used solutions. Now this framework is in the 11th position.
Advantages of AngularJS
- Architecture:
- Data binding:
- HTML modules and code:
- Wide use:
- DOM structure:
- Dependency injection:
- Cross-browser support:
- Reactive programming:
- Ready-made elements:
- Long-term Google support:in 2020
AngularJS vs Backbone: Companies that use Angular.js
Disadvantages of AngularJS
- Unresolved issues:
- Using other libraries is necessary:
- Search engine optimization (SEO) problems:
- There is Angular:
Backbone: a very promising JS library
At the beginning of this article, we categorized Backbone as a JavaScript framework. I did it solely for convenience. In reality, the technology is a JS library. In the context of Backbone js vs AngularJS, this is a crucial point of clarification. A library has no ready-made structures. In some cases, developers will have to program some code themselves.
Backbone is a JavaScript library and a representational state transfer (RESTful) JSON interface. As such, programmers can quickly get their data from the site and improve the web product.
For websites, the battle between AngularJS vs Backbone would likely be won by Google's technology. According to W3Techs, Backbone uses a relatively small number of websites. While AngularJS uses nearly 70,000 websites in the U.S. alone.
An interesting fact about Backbone is that it appeared almost at the same time as AngularJS. The author of the JavaScript library is Jeremy Ashkenas, who also had a hand in the CoffeeScript programming language.
Pros of JavaScript library Backbone
- Architecture:
- Suitable for web and mobile apps:
- Front-end and back-end frameworks synchronization:
- Imperative programming paradigm:
- Easy to learn:
- 100+ working custom extensions:
- High flexibility:
- Lightweight:
- Clear documentation:
AngularJS vs Backbone: Companies that use Backbone.js
Cons of JavaScript library Backbone
- No strict structure:
- Not suitable for building complex apps:
- No 2-way data binding:
- Not widespread:
- Lightweight:
In lieu of a conclusion
Since both front-end technologies are based on JS programming language, it was easier for us to determine the AngularJS vs Backbone battle winner. Based on pros, both tools scored a high number of points. However, by cons, Backbone is in the lead. It is not a good reason to be happy. The more disadvantages, the less appropriate the tool is for a business.
Note: If the disadvantages of Backbone are not critical for your web project, then this solution is OK for you. We should warn you that it is not very widespread, and it will not be easy to find a team of qualified employees. According to 2021 statistic, Backbone is not among the most used in the world.
We are happy that one of our preferred technologies won the AngularJS vs Backbone contest. However, you should know that Angular.js is still not the perfect solution for many products. After the release of Angular 2, the previous framework began to lose ground. Even Google themselves put it into support mode, not development one.
For this reason, it is even better to use Angular 2+. This technology is running quicker and has some advantages over AngularJS. Firstly, when comparing performance, the newer version of Angular on TypeScript is faster. Secondly, this CLI has many supported tools. So far, Google isn't saying Angular.js is dead rather than alive, but rumors have been floating around.
What should you do? If you've already created a project using an «old» JS-based framework, then it's worth thinking about migration. There are at least seven reasons for migrating AngularJS to Angular. If you haven't started working on the product yet, then it's worth thinking about building a new Angular-based product or hiring an Angular developer for your team. That way, you'll be on a horse and provide your customers with the most pleasing UI and UX possible.
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Alex Vasylenko is the founder of The Frontend Company, DBC and several other successful startups. A dynamic tech entrepreneur, he began his career as a frontend developer at Deloitte and Scandinavia's largest banking company. In 2023, Alex was honored as one of 'Top 10 Emerging Entrepreneurs' by USA Today.
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