Blazor vs Angular

The world of web development continues to evolve, with many new frameworks entering the scene every year. Before, developers primarily depended on the JavaScript language when building web applications.

But today, developers have more options and languages, such as C#, .NET, and TypeScript. And it’s all thanks to frameworks like Angular and Blazor.

Angular and Blazor are two of the most popular open-source web development frameworks. They both have made it easier for developers to build and easily create web apps. The tough question now is: which one is better?

What is Blazor?

Blazor is a relatively new and recent ASP.NET core web framework from Microsoft. It allows developers to create single-page applications on existing web technologies like CSS and HTML. The new feature is that developers can use C# and Razor syntax instead of JavaScript. Hence where Blazor gets its name – a combination of the words “browser” and “Razor.” In addition, developers can create interactive and reusable UI for client- and server-side applications. 

While fairly fresh on the scene, it has quickly become popular amongst developers because it uses new web technologies, such as WebAssembly, which doesn’t require them to download additional plug-ins or add-ons.

Features & Advantages

There are many neat features and advantages that have made Blazor quite popular in the developer world. Here are a few:

• Create web UI using C# instead of JavaScript or TypeScript
• C# components are reusable
• Build Progressive Web Apps (PWA)
• Server-side and client-side code are sharable
• Full debugging is enabled and supported on the server-side
• Includes server-side rendering, which allows for faster WebSocket connections
• Client-side WebAssembly doesn’t need internet access, can work offline
• Interoperability with JavaScript helps with handling DOM manipulations
• Can run on all modern browsers

Disadvantages

However, the Blazor framework does come with its setbacks, including the following:

• Latency – the constant need for internet connection may cause slow loading speeds and affect the application’s responsiveness
• Depends highly on the use of ASP.NET Core to run properly
• No offline support on the server-side apps, meaning they always require internet connection
• Limited debugging on the client-side 

What is Angular?

On the other hand, Angular is an open-source framework from Google that allows developers to create scalable web applications for mobile and desktop. 

In contrast to Blazor, Angular has been around for over a decade. In its early years, the framework was initially built using JavaScript under the name AngularJS. But in its latest iteration, it is based on TypeScript. One of the main reasons for its creation is to allow front-end and back-end developers to communicate with each other at the same time. 

Angular is great for building interactive user interfaces, single-page apps, and progressive web apps (PWA). Many organizations and companies use this framework because it is production-ready and fully supports MVC/MVVM applications.

Features & Advantages

There are many reasons why after all these years, Angular continues to be one of the most widely-used frameworks in web application development. Here are a few:

• Has a great community support system – Because Angular is well-established, it has built a large supportive community who are highly active in the development of the framework
• Uses Typescript – developers can achieve much more with this programming language as opposed to its predecessor, JavaScript
• Mature framework
• Fully supports the MVC/MVVM model
• Supports reusability, which helps developers save time and effort
• Allows scoped styles
• Improved testbed – allowing for quicker tests that are less memory-intensive and dependent

Disadvantages

Despite the established reputation Angular has built for itself, it’s still not without its downsides, including the following:

• It is an opinionated framework, meaning that it’s quite particular in the way it handles things, and developers have to follow it
• Can be difficult to learn – its rigid framework and comprehensive documentation can be extremely challenging to understand
• Not entirely SEO friendly – makes it hard for search engine crawlers to index it
• Complex setup and configuration
• Large volume or bundle sizes may slow app performance

Blazor vs Angular: Tale of the Tape

Now that you know more about Blazor and Angular, let’s compare the two frameworks fully.

Programming Language

Blazor is based on C# and HTML language. On the flip side, 

Angular is based on TypeScript (preceded by JavaScript).

Support

Blazor is developed by Microsoft. But due to its relative newness, it has a limited but growing community.

Angular is developed by Google. Because it’s a well-established framework, it has already amassed a large and active community.

Learning Curve

It depends on who you ask. If a developer is well-versed in C# and .NET, it’s easier for them to learn Blazor over Angular.

But generally speaking, Blazor is relatively easy to learn. It requires understanding basic web development concepts such as HTML and CSS. 

Angular is much more difficult to learn. You need to fully understand TypeScript and many of the services, components, and templates unique to Angular.

Production Ready

Blazor is still a new and developing framework with constant improvements being made. But it is suitable for production.

Angular has had more life, tests, and experience under its belt. So this framework is indeed production ready.

Progressive Web App (PWA) Support

Both Blazor and Angular frameworks support PWA. However, it’s important to note that Blazor’s is not all that robust and only supports WebAssembly-based apps.

SEO Compatibility

Blazor is SEO-friendly, while Angular is not as SEO-friendly.

Code Reusability

Both Blazor and Angular have high code reusability.

Data-Binding

Both Blazor and Angular are one-way and two-way data binding.

Data-Rendering

Lastly, both Blazor and Angular render data on both server-side and client-side.

Which One is Right for You?

Ultimately, it’s up to you and the kind of developer you are. If you’re a C# developer, then Blazor could be the better choice. If you’re knowledgeable in JavaScript, you may lean further towards Angular. Another thing you may decide is whether you’re comfortable using a framework that’s production-ready or one that’s still developing.

As you can see, there are no wrong answers. It all just depends on what you need at the current moment. For extra help, contact Confianz, to help you with your mobile app development / custom software development.

We offer a wide range of solutions spanning various domains, encompassing ERP systems (Odoo ERP as well as Acumatica Cloud ERP), customized web and mobile applications, and dedicated product development. Our team possesses a strong emphasis on Odoo ERP implementation, equipped with the necessary resources and expertise to optimize and tailor software solutions specifically for your business needs.