Which is Better Angular UI Component Libraries?
@angular/cdk vs @angular/material vs primeng vs ngx-bootstrap
1 Year
@angular/cdk@angular/materialprimengngx-bootstrapSimilar Packages:
What's Angular UI Component Libraries?

These libraries provide a set of reusable UI components and tools designed to enhance the development of Angular applications. They focus on improving user experience through well-designed components, accessibility, and responsiveness. Each library has its unique features and design philosophies, catering to different needs in web application development. By leveraging these libraries, developers can accelerate their development process, maintain consistency in design, and ensure a high-quality user interface.

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@angular/cdk2,361,29624,3794.69 MB2,09021 hours agoMIT
@angular/material1,611,38124,3799.76 MB2,09021 hours agoMIT
primeng463,33410,57879.4 MB1,2877 days agoMIT
ngx-bootstrap302,1435,5256.32 MB57123 days agoMIT
Feature Comparison: @angular/cdk vs @angular/material vs primeng vs ngx-bootstrap

Component Variety

  • @angular/cdk: Angular CDK offers a set of foundational components that help in building complex UI components, such as drag-and-drop, accessibility features, and overlays. It does not provide UI components directly but allows developers to create their own with advanced functionalities.
  • @angular/material: Angular Material provides a comprehensive suite of UI components that follow Material Design principles, including buttons, cards, dialogs, and form controls. It ensures a consistent design across applications and is optimized for mobile and desktop environments.
  • primeng: PrimeNG features a vast array of components, including advanced data tables, charts, and form elements, along with a rich set of themes. It is designed for enterprise applications that require a wide variety of UI components and customization options.
  • ngx-bootstrap: ngx-bootstrap provides a selection of Bootstrap components like modals, tooltips, and dropdowns, allowing developers to use familiar Bootstrap styles and functionalities within Angular applications. It integrates well with existing Bootstrap projects.

Design Consistency

  • @angular/cdk: The CDK does not enforce a specific design language, allowing developers to create custom designs while ensuring accessibility and usability. It provides the tools to maintain consistency in behavior rather than appearance.
  • @angular/material: Angular Material enforces Material Design guidelines, ensuring that applications have a consistent look and feel. This design consistency enhances user experience and provides a familiar interface across different applications.
  • primeng: PrimeNG offers a variety of themes and customization options, allowing developers to maintain design consistency across their applications while providing a rich user interface.
  • ngx-bootstrap: ngx-bootstrap maintains Bootstrap's design principles, ensuring that applications using it have a consistent Bootstrap look and feel. This is beneficial for teams already accustomed to Bootstrap's styling.

Accessibility

  • @angular/cdk: The CDK prioritizes accessibility by providing tools and components that adhere to ARIA standards, enabling developers to create accessible applications without having to implement accessibility features from scratch.
  • @angular/material: Angular Material components are built with accessibility in mind, following best practices to ensure that all users, including those with disabilities, can interact with the application effectively.
  • primeng: PrimeNG components come with built-in accessibility features, but developers should verify that they are used correctly to ensure compliance with accessibility guidelines.
  • ngx-bootstrap: ngx-bootstrap components are designed to be accessible, but developers need to ensure they implement ARIA roles and attributes correctly to maintain accessibility standards in their applications.

Customization

  • @angular/cdk: The CDK allows for extensive customization of components, enabling developers to create tailored solutions that meet specific application requirements without being constrained by predefined styles or behaviors.
  • @angular/material: Angular Material provides theming capabilities, allowing developers to customize the appearance of components while maintaining adherence to Material Design principles, making it easier to align with brand guidelines.
  • primeng: PrimeNG offers a wide range of themes and customization options, allowing developers to easily change the look and feel of components to match their application's branding and design requirements.
  • ngx-bootstrap: ngx-bootstrap allows for customization of Bootstrap components, enabling developers to modify styles and behaviors to fit their application's needs while leveraging Bootstrap's responsive design.

Learning Curve

  • @angular/cdk: The learning curve for the CDK can be moderate, as it requires understanding how to build custom components and utilize the provided tools effectively, making it suitable for developers with some experience in Angular.
  • @angular/material: Angular Material has a relatively gentle learning curve, especially for developers familiar with Material Design. Its comprehensive documentation and pre-built components make it easy to get started quickly.
  • primeng: PrimeNG may have a steeper learning curve due to its extensive features and variety of components. However, its documentation and examples help ease the learning process for new users.
  • ngx-bootstrap: For developers familiar with Bootstrap, ngx-bootstrap has a low learning curve, as it allows them to use Bootstrap components within Angular without needing to learn new concepts.
How to Choose: @angular/cdk vs @angular/material vs primeng vs ngx-bootstrap
  • @angular/cdk: Choose Angular CDK if you need a foundational library that provides low-level building blocks for creating custom components with complex behaviors. It is ideal for developers who want to build their own UI components while ensuring accessibility and responsiveness.
  • @angular/material: Select Angular Material if you want a comprehensive set of pre-built, Material Design-compliant UI components. It is perfect for applications that require a consistent look and feel across various platforms and devices, leveraging Google's Material Design guidelines.
  • primeng: Choose PrimeNG if you are looking for a rich set of UI components with extensive features and customization options. It is ideal for applications that require advanced components like data tables, charts, and form elements, providing a wide range of themes and layouts.
  • ngx-bootstrap: Opt for ngx-bootstrap if you prefer Bootstrap components in Angular applications. It is suitable for projects that already use Bootstrap and want to maintain a familiar design language while integrating Angular features seamlessly.
README for @angular/cdk

Angular Material

The sources for this package are in the main Angular Material repo. Please file issues and pull requests against that repo.

License: MIT