Lex Melnykow Head of Web

• Development Process

July 28, 2023 7 min read

Angular: Benefits, Challenges, Cost of Development Services

So, you’ve settled on Angular for your project, but you’re still wondering: will I find quality development services? Is it the right choice? If these questions resonate with you, you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, we will explain:

• When the framework is the ideal choice for your project, and when considering alternatives might be more beneficial.

• The benefits of the framework and how they can contribute to business success.

• A comparison of the cost of developing with Angular relative to other frameworks.
• The potential challenges you should be aware of when opting for the tool.

Angular: key things to know before opting for development services with this framework

Before you choose Angular development services, let’s cover the fundamentals. This is an open-source web development framework which was first launched in 2016 to replace its precursor — AngularJS. Its key attributes are reliability and stability, which make it a favorite among professional developers, particularly those working in the enterprise sector. 

Here are a few trivia titbits: 

• Being created and maintained by Google it enjoys a massive community of developers, top-notch documentation and receives consistent updates. All of it means that it is relatively easy to find experienced developers.

• The framework was used by 20% software developers worldwide in 2022. This makes it the fifth most popular web framework. 
• Angular has consistently been at the forefront of innovation. Back in 2010, the framework — then known as AngularJS — pioneered declarative components, a concept later “borrowed” by both React and Vue — the latter essentially originated as a lightweight version of Angular. Also, when released in 2016, it became the first TypeScript-based framework.

Examples of projects built with Angular

The framework is widely adopted in the enterprise sector. It is part of the MEAN software stack, which also encompasses MongoDB, Express, and Node.js — all the technologies you need to build a complex project in a single language, full stack environment with a high level of interoperability. 

(Note: while Angular is a component of the MEAN stack, it can effectively interact with other backend tools as well.)

Now, let’s explore a few examples of popular projects built using the framework.

1. Gmail
Gmail is a popular site that serves over 2 billion users and is actually built with Angular that pst its initial load that might take a second, helps it achieve instantaneous content delivery at a massive scale.

2. PayPal
Boasting over 400 million active users, PayPal is one of the largest fintech platforms globally. The company requires a high-performance platform. On their website, the framework powers seamless user authorization and a web component that enables PayPal clients to conduct a checkout process without leaving their site.

3. Upwork
UpWork is the biggest platform that links freelancers and employers from across the globe. As of 2023, upwork is used by over 17 million freelancers and clients. In this product, Angular helps to keep page load times quick, delivering a smooth, native app-like experience to users.

Choice of enterprises: the pros of this framework

From SaaS to Fintech, major players often pick Angular over its competitors. But what’s the reason for this choice, exactly?

For one, it has the power and brand-name of Google behind it. 

First of all, Google itself is a large-scale user of the framework, which means that it is continuously tested and improved in real-world, high-traffic environments. This ensures its ability to handle performance-critical applications.

Also, Google has the resources to maintain a dedicated team of developers for the framework, which means that:

• Bugs are addressed promptly
• New features are added regularly
• The framework always stays up-to-date with the latest standards.

All of the above not only makes the framework a dependable choice but also provides great developer experience.

Angular developer experience: why it’s great and why it matters

The term Developer Experience (DX) covers the overall quality of a framework. It includes everything from the initial setup and learning curve to performing daily tasks like coding and testing.

A good developer experience is beneficial not just for developers, but also for the business. For developers, a good DX can lead to:

• Increased productivity
• Fewer mistakes
• Higher job satisfaction

For the business, these benefits translate into

• faster time-to-market
• Lower costs
• Better quality software
• Easier recruitment and retention of top talent

Let’s delve into the main concepts and tools that contribute to the framework’s excellent development experience:

Component-based architecture promotes reusability, modularity, and separation of concerns, which makes it easier to create and manage complex applications.

Two-way data binding automatically keeps the model and the view in sync. Essentially this means that when a component changes in the interface, the data in the background (model) updates automatically and vice versa. This is similar to how State works in React, but is more implicit and works out-of-the-box. A higher abstraction level simplifies the development process and reduces the chance of errors.

Dependency injection built-in in Angular  streamlines resource management in an application. Instead of components and services having to manually fetch the resources they depend on, it provides them automatically. This results in cleaner, more modular code that’s easier to test. For businesses, this means faster development times, fewer errors, and easier application maintenance, leading to cost savings and improved product quality.

TypeScript is used in the framework to check variable types before the application runs. This early error detection reduces the risk of bugs, and the explicit typing makes the code easier to understand and maintain. The outcome for businesses is a more robust application with fewer runtime errors, enhancing user experience and reducing maintenance costs.

Deciding when Angular is the right choice for your project

The tool shines when it comes to enterprise-level applications, large-scale projects, or projects anticipated to scale or manage complex business logic. For instance:

• Online marketplaces
• Social networks 
• Enterprise software
• Streaming platforms

Its stringent structure and coding standards can prove beneficial in maintaining code quality and consistency across a large team.

However, due to its steeper learning curve, it might not be the ideal choice for smaller teams or projects under tight deadlines.If your business’s priority favors staying extremely lean, prototyping rapidly, and achieving a fast time-to-market, you might want to consider frameworks with an easier learning curve and less rigid structure, such as Vue or Svelte.

Angular: potential challenges

While the framework offers numerous benefits, like any technology, it also presents certain challenges that developers may encounter.

• Inflexible structure. Its strict and comprehensive structure, while beneficial for large-scale applications, might be overly rigid for smaller projects or prototypes. This could slow down development for simple applications or limit the ability to iterate rapidly.

• Performance considerations. Angular apps have the potential to be blazingly fast at scale, but only when optimized correctly. To dodge performance hiccups, developers need to employ strategies such as breaking the application into lazy-loaded modules or utilizing app shells. So, choosing a competent development partner is crucial to ensure your app can efficiently manage the load.
• Verbose syntax and inherent complexity. It is more comprehensive than some other frameworks, solving certain issues directly that would require additional libraries in other frameworks. However, it’s more challenging to learn and involves more boilerplate. This underscores the importance of partnering with experienced developers, like the team at Surf. 

Cost of development

Despite the steeper learning curve, it’s worth noting that among the “big three” frameworks — React, Vue, and Angular — the latter is the most cost-effective option, according to talent.com. Here’s how they compare:

Full-Time Annual Developer Salary in the USA:

• Angular: $117,627
• Vue: $120,000
• React: $121,315

And let’s see how they compare in hourly rates for freelance, as per Upwork:

• Angular: $20 – $78
• Vue: $19 – $35
• React: $20 – $38

Angular development: key takeaways

Let’s summarize what we’ve discussed:

• It is a frontend framework backed by Google. It’s an integral part of the MEAN stack — a suite of tools that creates a seamless, single-language, full-stack development environment.
• It is ideally positioned for enterprises and projects that expect to scale. Its strict structure simplifies collaboration within large teams, and Google’s backing ensures its longevity.
• Angular development cost per hour is on the low side. Talent is often more affordable than React and Vue, and a large community of developers makes hiring easier.