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Angular.js vs Knockout.js: Which Framework to Choose for Your Project?

Alexander Prokopiev
Alexander Prokopiev CEO of ARTJOKER
5 min read

Currently, the number of high-end technologies for software development, websites and mobile applications is great indeed. Anyway, there is no one-fits-all solution. JavaScript and its frameworks rule the front-end development world. So, in this article, we will talk about the topic that many developers and business owners are interested in. Angular.js vs Knockout.js: which framework to choose to turn a brilliant idea into a popular product?

AngularJS VS Knockout.JS: The Introduction to the Battle

Before we start, first things first: you should clearly understand is that both of these tools have a common aim: to build a client side of your software solution. Both of them have enough capabilities to create a striking UI. There is no obvious difference between Knockout.js vs Angular.js.

Angular and Knockout are responsible for providing the seamless interaction between the user and the software app. In order to lead you to the best choice, we will describe the main features, as well as specifics and differences between AngularJS vs Knockout.js.

What is AngularJS?

To understand what is better Angular.js or Knockout.js, you should first familiarize yourself with these frameworks 😉. AngularJS is an open-source JavaScript framework that was meant to succeed. The reason is simple. This tool is supported by Google. The huge community of IT engineers makes a contribution to the development of a tool that is impeccable just the way it is.

AngularJS can be used for creating a cross-platform application. It provides convenient conditions for thorough testing. The framework supports both MVC and MVVM architectures. Such famous websites as WolframAlpha, Intel and thousands of others are built using AngularJS.

It supports the following browsers and their versions:

  • Safari,
  • Chrome,
  • Firefox,
  • Opera,
  • IE9 and above,
  • Mobile versions of the browsers.

Angular.js vs Knockout.js: Which Framework to Choose for Your Project?

What is Knockout.JS?

Before we compare Angular.js and Knockout.js, we first want to explain what is Knockout.js. Knockout is an open source, standalone JavaScript MVVM library that that uses dependency tracking and declarative binding to make it easier for developers to build rich, desktop-like user interfaces with JavaScript and HTML.

As well as AngularJS, Knockout.js is an open-source solution that has been widely used by the software development professionals. Nowadays, the situation is changing because it has too many rivals. AngularJS is one of its greatest competitors. Knockout was developed by a Microsoft specialist, Steve Sanderson, and supports the following browsers:

  • Firefox,
  • Chrome,
  • Internet Explorer,
  • Apple Safari for macOS and iOS,
  • Opera.

Angular.js vs Knockout.js: Which Framework to Choose for Your Project? - 1

Main Differences Between AngularJS and Knockout.js

By choosing either Knockout.js or AngularJS, you make a great decision that impacts the further development process 🙂. We considered key functionality of these two tools and prepared a comprehensive review to explain the difference between Angular.js and Knockout.js.

Angular.js vs Knockout.js: Which Framework to Choose for Your Project? - 2

Data Binding

In Knockout, this process occurs thanks to data-bind attribute and binding type. JSON data loading requires mapping. In general, the process is rather complicated.

The Angular development is easier. The syntax is compact and understandable. The fundamental difference is that Knockout provides binding to a special model. On the other hand, Angular fulfills this task with the help of $scope object, and Angular views may be reusable.

Templating

Both Angular and Knockout support templating. Templating enables the separation of data and help developers to break code into small, maintainable pieces. Angular is great because it allows developers to store templates in external HTML files and load them dynamically. As a result, developers can better organize and maintain template code.

Extensions

Another thing to keep in mind is that no matter what tool you choose, you have the opportunity to extend the built-in functionality. The built-in functionality is strong but basic. Angular gives you the opportunity to enhance the HTML part of your app. This leads to creating an extraordinary environment. At the same time, such a result can be reached by creating special custom bindings in Knockout.

Routing

This is another feature you will definitely need in your project. It allows tracking the state of the app and navigating through the browser history. Here, we cannot say it is one of the advantages of the Knockout.js, as it does not support routing.

AngularJS has its own AngularUI Router routing framework for this purpose. Angular 2 also has a routing feature. For this reason, within this feature, in the Angular 2 vs Knockout.js confrontation, Angular wins.

Extensibility

Both Angular and Knockout do not limit developers to built-in functionality. Angular provides software developers with the ability to extend the HTML vocabulary of their solutions, allowing for complex real-time event processing. Angular uses a concept of Directives, which allows developers to maneuver the DOM by adding new elements to it or removing them. Developers can implement similar capability in Knockout by writing custom bindings. Frameworks have a draw here.

Testing

Those who created AngularJS took care of testing. Although code written in Angular is exceptionally testable, it requires great effort to integrate the framework for testing. Protractor framework deals with testing AngularJS apps. It runs within a browser and acts like a real user. As for the pros and cons of Knockout.js, its code is not as testable as in the above-mentioned case. In terms of testing, the Knockout vs Angular.js battle is won by Angular.

Documentation

Knockout.js documentation that describes data binding deserves special attention. It is greatly extensive and informative.

AngularJS documentation is organized and understandable. It is significant, as some say that it is too difficult for junior developers and IT freshmen to start coding in Angular.

Popularity

There are many opinions and different views on the which framework is better topic. However, in our world, the popularity and applicability of a certain software product are measured with the number of GitHub stars and StackOverflow questions.

So, at the moment:

  • AngularJS has 59.4k stars and is discussed in 262,591 questions;
  • meanwhile, Knockout has 10.2k stars and is mentioned in 20,242 questions.

The difference in popularity of these tools is perfectly reflected by these numbers.

AngularJS and Knockout.js for the Projects

There is no one-fits-all solution for every software development company. When deciding which framework to start working with, you should not only consider its capabilities and GitHub stats, but also analyze the market, make a comparison of development costs, ask the most experienced developers you work with for advice and, finally, analyze carefully the specifics and requirements of your project.

  • Hold on to Angular if you are going to build a product from scratch, and you have enough opportunities to play with its architecture. Angular will help you to construct the powerful basis of the app.
  • Opt for Knockout if the software solution is not new. Besides, you can use it for the websites of low complexity.

Conclusions

Knockout is simpler to learn and harder to manage. Angular is strong but complicated. Both of them have their pros and cons, specifics and features. Both can help you develop a breathtaking interface. Let the professionals take care of how to build your app and what tools to use for this. Save your time and devote it to business development and improvement.

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