Top 5 Angular Libraries for Building High-Performance Web Applications

As the web development industry evolves, Angular has emerged as one of the most popular frameworks for building high-performance web applications. With its powerful features, intuitive syntax, and vast ecosystem of libraries and tools, Angular has become the go-to choice for many developers and companies looking to create cutting-edge web experiences.

One key factor that makes Angular such a robust framework is the wide variety of libraries and components available to developers. These libraries and components provide pre-built functionality and can help speed up the development process, allowing developers to focus on their projects’ unique aspects rather than building basic functionality from scratch.

In this blog post, we will take a look at some of the top Angular libraries that are currently available. We will explore their features and use cases, helping you to make an informed decision on which libraries to use for your next Angular project. Whether you’re a seasoned Angular developer or new to the framework, this post will provide valuable insights and information to help you build high-performance web applications with Angular.

What is a Component Library?

A component library is a set of pre-built, reusable UI elements designed to simplify the process of building web and mobile applications. These components are often made using popular front-end frameworks such as Angular, React, or Vue.js. They are designed to be easy to integrate and use while providing a consistent and professional look and feel.

Using a component library can help developers significantly reduce development time, improve the quality of the user interface, and make the application easier to maintain and update over time. 

Additionally, component libraries can also improve the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) of an application by providing a consistent structure and well-organised code, making it easier for search engines to crawl and index the site.

What are some of the Top Angular Libraries for Building High-Performance Web Applications?

Angular component libraries are a collection of pre-built UI components and tools that can be used to build high-performance web applications with Angular. They provide developers with a wide range of pre-built components, such as forms, buttons, and navigation elements that can be easily customised to suit the project’s needs.

Developers widely use angular component libraries due to their rich features, easy integration, and wide range of use cases. They help developers to save time and effort while building robust and reliable web applications.

Here are some of the top Angular libraries as follows:

Angular Material

Angular Material is a UI component library for Angular that provides a wide range of pre-built, reusable UI components. It is designed to be used with Angular and follows Material Design guidelines to create a consistent, visually appealing interface. 

It also offers tools and services that help developers quickly create high-quality, responsive, and accessible user interfaces.

Google developed Angular Material, which has a 23.3k star rating on GitHub.

Features:

• Angular Material has in-built CSS for UI components refers to the CSS styles that come with a UI framework such as Material UI. These styles control the appearance and layout of the UI components that come with the framework.
• It provides various components, such as form controls, navigation elements, and layout components, all designed to follow Material Design guidelines.
• The library also includes responsive design, dynamic forms, and accessibility support.

Use Cases:

• Angular Material implements Material Design principles in an Angular project. Material Design is a design language developed by Google that provides a consistent look across all platforms and devices. Using Angular Material, developers can easily add Material Design elements such as buttons, forms, and layouts to their Angular projects.
• Angular Material provides a robust theming system that allows developers to customise the appearance of their applications and custom components.
• It provides tools for validating form input and displaying error messages, making it easy for developers to create visually appealing and easy-to-use for users.

Onsen UI

Onsen UI is a popular open-source UI framework for developing mobile apps. It provides a set of ready-to-use UI components designed to be used with Angular, React, Vue.js and HTML5. The framework is built on top of Web Components and focuses on providing a consistent look and feel across different platforms. 

Onsen UI provides various resources and facilities that assist developers in constructing mobile applications that are efficient, adaptive, and compliant with accessibility standards. It also provides a flexible and customisable UI, which can be easily integrated into any project.

Monaca developed Onsen UI, which has an 8.7k star rating on GitHub.

Features:

• Onsen UI can be used with popular JavaScript frameworks such as Angular, React, and Vue.js, making it easy to integrate into existing projects.
• It automatically applies platform-specific styling to your app so it looks and feels like a native app on iOS and Android.
• Onsen UI provides both flat and material design, which can be used according to user preference and is based on JavaScript.

Use Cases:

• Onsen UI is well-suited for building mobile applications, as it provides a wide variety of pre-built UI elements optimised for small screens.
• It is also helpful for building web and HTML5 hybrid applications for iOS and Android both.
• Onsen UI also provides a variety of pre-built styles, which can help developers quickly create a polished and professional-looking application.

NG-Bootstrap

NG-Bootstrap is a collection of Angular components built on top of the Bootstrap framework. It provides a wide range of pre-built, reusable UI components such as forms, navigation, and modals and is more specifically designed to be used with Angular.

The components are designed to be fully compatible with the Bootstrap CSS framework, providing a consistent look and feel and easy integration with other Bootstrap-based UI libraries.

Twitter developed NG-Bootstrap, which has an 8.1k star rating on GitHub.

Features:

• NG-bootstrap is an Angular library that provides a set of pre-built UI components such as forms, buttons, and navigation elements.
• It is built on top of Bootstrap, one of the most popular CSS frameworks, providing a wide variety of pre-built styles and components that can be easily customised.
• It depends on Bootstrap’s CSS being available. Still, it does not require Bootstrap JS or any additional JavaScript to function, allowing for flexibility in how the user implements Bootstrap within their Angular application while providing access to the framework’s styling capabilities.

Use Cases:

• NG-bootstrap provides a simple and consistent way to implement modal windows and dialogs in an Angular application.
• Its carousel component makes it easy to create responsive, mobile-friendly image sliders in Angular applications. The carousel can be easily configured to display images, text, or other content and easily integrated into the existing application’s layout.
• NG-bootstrap provides various user interface elements such as tooltips, popovers, and toasts. These elements are fully customisable and easily integrated into the existing application’s layout. 

NGX-Bootstrap

 NGX-Bootstrap provides a wide range of pre-built UI components, such as forms, buttons, and navigation elements, that are fully responsive and adaptable to different screen sizes. It also includes an extensive collection of built-in directives, which help developers quickly and easily implement standard functionality without writing additional code. 

The library is also compatible with various browsers and has extensive documentation that can assist developers in implementing and customising the components. Additionally, it offers a comprehensive set of styling options, making it easy to match the application’s look to the company’s brand.

Valor Software developed NGX-Bootstrap. It has a 5.4k star rating on GitHub.

Features:

• NGX-bootstrap’s form validation features provide real-time validation checks, improving user experience and data integrity.
• It provides an easy way for developers to create modal popups, which can be used for various purposes, such as displaying additional information, prompting user input, or showing notifications.
• It also provides advanced components like a date picker, modal, carousel, and others.

Use Cases:

• NGX-bootstrap’s documentation for the components is comprehensive, detailed, and easy to understand, which helps developers quickly and easily understand how to use the components and how to integrate them into their projects.
• Its grid system allows developers to create flexible, responsive layouts that adapt to different screen sizes, making it easy to build web pages that look great on desktop and mobile devices.
• NGX-bootstrap provides a wide range of pre-designed UI components, such as buttons, navigation bars, and cards, that can be easily integrated into Angular applications.

PrimeNG

PrimeNG is an Angular library that provides various UI components, such as forms, tables, and charts. It’s designed to enhance the user experience and help developers build high-performance web applications. 

PrimeNG’s community-driven approach ensures that the library is continuously updated and improved, providing a better user experience. It is also compatible with various browsers and has extensive documentation to assist developers in implementing and customising the components.

PrimeTek Informatics developed PrimeNG.  It has a 7.9k star rating on GitHub.

Features:

• PrimeNG offers an extensive collection of over 80 Angular components, providing a comprehensive solution for UI requirements.
• These components assist with various tasks, including data presentation, form inputs, menus, charts, overlays, and more. With such a vast array of options, PrimeNG is well-suited to meet the needs of any Angular project.
• PrimeNG values community collaboration and engagement, allowing open-source community members to connect, communicate and have a voice in the project roadmap. 

Features:

• PrimeNG offers a wide range of user interface components that can enhance the overall user experience of a web application. These components include dialog boxes, calendars, and charts designed to be functional and visually appealing.
• It is also helpful for building applications that require advanced UI elements such as data tables and charts.
• It provides a collection of ready-made UI components and themes that can be easily integrated into web-based projects. This allows for rapid prototyping and development of web applications, reducing the time and effort required to design and implement custom UI elements.

Conclusion

Angular is a powerful and versatile web development framework that developers worldwide widely use. Many Angular libraries are available, each with its unique features and capabilities. These libraries provide a wide variety of pre-built components that can help speed up the development process and improve the application’s overall performance and user experience.

However, it’s important to note that the library’s choice depends on the project’s specific needs and requirements. Evaluating each library’s features, use cases, pros, and cons is essential before deciding. With the proper Angular library and a solid development strategy, it’s possible to build high-performance web applications that are fast, reliable, and user-friendly.