The Downsides to Using Angular

Disadvantages of Angular

Angular is a regularly updated, state of the art technology platform. However, as with any technology, it does have it's drawbacks and it is not always the best framework to build your web and mobile applications. Here are some of the downsides to Angular - 

Complexity and Code

• Complexity - Angular is a powerful and comprehensive platform for application development. However, with this, comes complexity and so, it does require an investment of time and potentially to get up to speed, particularly if you've not worked with Angular before. This means that projects can also take some time to start moving.
• Coding requirements - In addition to the framework not being particularly straightforward, there is generally a requirement for significant or even excessive amounts of boilerplate code. This further lengthens the development phase and means Angular may be viewed as high effort when compared with other frameworks.

SEO & Accessibility challenges

• SEO - Generally, Angular single-page applications sit on the client's side. This means that it is extremely difficult for search engine web crawlers such as Google or Yahoo to determine the full formation of the web pages and thus, the website cannot be listed appropriately in the search engine results. There are ways to negate this issue, one of which is the Angular universal approach which essentially allows the Angular applications to be
• Accessibility - Ensuring accessibility in Angular applications requires additional effort and adherence to best practices, which can be overlooked if not prioritised. This can cause a whole host of problems including regulatory and can be a particular issue for the Public Sector.

Performance Issues 

• Heavy-weight Framework - Angular applications are sometimes subject to slow initial load times. This is predominantly due to the large size of the framework and the requirement to load many different dependencies at once.
• DOM Manipulation related issues - Whilst Angular does provide powerful tools for DOM manipulation, it does unfortunately sometimes lead to degraded performance, particularly in larger and more complex applications.

Migration and Upgrades 

• Version changes & Migration from JS - Significant changes between major versions can make upgrading or migrating an Angular application challenging and time intensive. This is particularly prevalent when undertaking migrations from AngularJS to Angular.
• Frequent Updates - Angular has a rapid release cycle and therefore, staying on top of the frequent updates and releases whilst imperative for security & compatibility reasons, can be labor intensive and time-consuming.

Final Thoughts

Whilst there is no question that Angular has become an integral part of the Software Development ecosystem, it is important that you ensure you are using a developer who has practical experience of the framework if you decide to use it to build your business application(s) due to it's complexities and nuances. Even with experienced developers, the development phase and rollout may be timely and you will need to ensure you have a plan in place that allows for regular updates and changes. That being said, it is a comprehensive and powerful tool for those who know how to use it.

Further Reading

What is Angular and why is it used?

What are the main benefits of Angular?

What are the differences between Angular & Angular JS?