angular2-notifications, ngx-toastr, and sweetalert2 are all popular npm packages used to display user feedback in web applications, but they serve different interaction patterns and design goals. angular2-notifications provides a flexible system for managing toast-style notifications with built-in positioning and stacking. ngx-toastr is an Angular wrapper around the lightweight toastr library, offering simple, non-blocking toast messages with minimal configuration. sweetalert2 delivers rich, modal-style alerts that pause user interaction until dismissed, supporting complex content like inputs, images, and dynamic updates. All three integrate well with Angular but differ significantly in UX philosophy, API structure, and use cases.
When building Angular applications, choosing the right user feedback mechanism depends on whether you need non-blocking toasts or blocking modals. Let’s compare how these three libraries handle real-world scenarios.
angular2-notifications and ngx-toastr both implement toast notifications — small, transient messages that appear briefly without stopping user interaction. They auto-dismiss and stack in corners of the screen.
sweetalert2, by contrast, shows modal dialogs that overlay the entire UI and require user action (like clicking “OK” or “Cancel”) before continuing. This is critical for confirmations or data entry prompts.
// angular2-notifications: non-blocking toast
this.notificationsService.success('Title', 'Message');
// ngx-toastr: non-blocking toast
this.toastr.success('Message', 'Title');
// sweetalert2: blocking modal
await Swal.fire('Title', 'Message', 'success'); // pauses execution until closed
All three require Angular module registration, but their initialization differs.
angular2-notifications uses a dedicated <simple-notifications> component in your app root:
<!-- app.component.html -->
<simple-notifications [options]="notificationOptions"></simple-notifications>
// app.module.ts
import { SimpleNotificationsModule } from 'angular2-notifications';
@NgModule({
imports: [SimpleNotificationsModule.forRoot()]
})
ngx-toastr injects styles globally and doesn’t require a template element:
// app.module.ts
import { ToastrModule } from 'ngx-toastr';
@NgModule({
imports: [
ToastrModule.forRoot({
timeOut: 3000,
positionClass: 'toast-top-right'
})
]
})
sweetalert2 needs no Angular module setup but requires importing CSS:
// In your component
import Swal from 'sweetalert2';
💡 Note:
sweetalert2is framework-agnostic, so it works in any JS environment, not just Angular.
angular2-notifications supports custom templates via @Input() bindings and allows per-notification overrides:
this.notificationsService.html(
'<b>Custom HTML</b>',
{ type: 'success', timeOut: 5000 }
);
ngx-toastr offers limited HTML support and relies on predefined types (success, error, etc.). Custom components require extending base classes.
// Basic usage only
this.toastr.info('Plain text or <em>minimal HTML</em>', 'Title');
sweetalert2 excels at rich content — you can embed inputs, images, and even update content dynamically after opening:
const { value: email } = await Swal.fire({
title: 'Enter your email',
input: 'email',
inputPlaceholder: 'example@domain.com'
});
// Later, update an open alert
Swal.update({
title: 'Processing...',
allowEscapeKey: false,
showConfirmButton: false
});
angular2-notifications returns a unique ID for each notification, allowing manual removal:
const id = this.notificationsService.success('Title', 'Message');
// Later
this.notificationsService.remove(id);
ngx-toastr returns a Toast instance with methods like close():
const toast = this.toastr.warning('Will auto-close');
toast.onHidden.subscribe(() => console.log('Gone'));
sweetalert2 provides full promise-based control and exposes methods like close(), disableButtons(), and reactive updates:
Swal.fire({
title: 'Loading...',
didOpen: () => {
Swal.showLoading();
fetchData().then(result => {
Swal.update({
title: 'Done!',
text: result,
icon: 'success'
});
});
}
});
angular2-notifications: Requires mocking the NotificationsService in unit tests. The DOM-based component can complicate shallow rendering.ngx-toastr: Easier to test since toasts are appended to the body; you can spy on ToastrService methods.sweetalert2: Use Swal.mixin({ ... }) for consistent defaults, and leverage Swal.isVisible() in E2E tests to wait for modals.As of 2024, angular2-notifications shows signs of reduced maintenance. Its last major update was years ago, and it hasn’t fully embraced modern Angular features like standalone components. While not officially deprecated, it’s risky for new greenfield projects.
ngx-toastr and sweetalert2 are both actively maintained, with regular releases and strong community support.
| Use Case | Best Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-dismissing status messages | ngx-toastr | Lightweight, simple, zero-template setup |
| Custom-styled toasts with dynamic content | angular2-notifications | Flexible templating and positioning (but verify maintenance status) |
| User confirmations, input prompts | sweetalert2 | Modal behavior, rich interactivity, active development |
| Critical alerts requiring acknowledgment | sweetalert2 | Blocks UI until resolved |
| High-volume notification systems | ngx-toastr | Efficient DOM handling and stacking |
ngx-toastr — it’s reliable, minimal, and integrates cleanly.sweetalert2 is the clear winner and works great alongside Angular.angular2-notifications in new projects unless you have legacy compatibility needs or can commit to maintaining a fork. Its architecture feels dated compared to modern alternatives.Remember: toasts should inform; modals should demand action. Choose the tool that matches your user experience intent.
Choose ngx-toastr if you want a lightweight, battle-tested toast notification solution that’s easy to set up and integrates seamlessly with Angular’s change detection. It’s perfect for standard use cases like showing brief success or error messages that auto-dismiss and don’t interrupt user flow. Its simplicity and minimal footprint make it a solid choice for teams prioritizing stability and low cognitive overhead.
Choose angular2-notifications if you need a highly customizable notification system with fine-grained control over positioning, animation, and lifecycle management within an Angular application. It’s ideal when you want to manage multiple notification types (success, error, info, warn) with custom templates or dynamic behavior without relying on global DOM manipulation. However, note that the package has not seen active maintenance in recent years, so evaluate its long-term viability for new projects.
Choose sweetalert2 when you need modal dialogs that require explicit user interaction—such as confirmations, form prompts, or critical alerts. It shines in scenarios where you must pause the application flow until the user responds, and it supports rich content including inputs, checkboxes, and dynamic updates. While not Angular-specific, it works well in Angular apps via service wrappers and is actively maintained with a robust feature set.
DEMO: https://ngx-toastr.vercel.app
ViewContainerRef@for. Fewer dirty checks and higher performance@angular/animationsLatest version available for each version of Angular
| ngx-toastr | Angular |
|---|---|
| 13.2.1 | 10.x 11.x |
| 14.3.0 | 12.x 13.x |
| 15.2.2 | 14.x. |
| 16.2.0 | 15.x |
| 17.0.2 | 16.x |
| 18.x 19x | >= 17.x < 23.x |
| current | >= 20.x |
npm install ngx-toastr --save
step 1: add css
// regular style toast
@import 'ngx-toastr/toastr';
// bootstrap style toast
// or import a bootstrap 4 alert styled design (SASS ONLY)
// should be after your bootstrap imports, it uses bs4 variables, mixins, functions
@import 'ngx-toastr/toastr-bs4-alert';
// if you'd like to use it without importing all of bootstrap it requires
@import 'bootstrap/scss/functions';
@import 'bootstrap/scss/variables';
@import 'bootstrap/scss/mixins';
// bootstrap 4
@import 'ngx-toastr/toastr-bs4-alert';
// boostrap 5
@import 'ngx-toastr/toastr-bs5-alert';
"styles": [
"styles.scss",
"node_modules/ngx-toastr/toastr.css" // try adding '../' if you're using angular cli before 6
]
step 2: add ToastrModule to app NgModule, or provideToastr to providers.
import { ToastrModule } from 'ngx-toastr';
@NgModule({
imports: [
ToastrModule.forRoot(), // ToastrModule added
],
bootstrap: [App],
declarations: [App],
})
class MainModule {}
import { AppComponent } from './src/app.component';
import { provideToastr } from 'ngx-toastr';
bootstrapApplication(AppComponent, {
providers: [
provideToastr(), // Toastr providers
]
});
import { ToastrService } from 'ngx-toastr';
import { inject } from '@angular/core';
@Component({...})
export class YourComponent {
toastr = inject(ToastrService);
showSuccess() {
this.toastr.success('Hello world!', 'Toastr fun!');
}
}
There are individual options and global options.
Passed to ToastrService.success/error/warning/info/show()
| Option | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| toastComponent | Component | Toast | Angular component that will be used |
| closeButton | boolean | false | Show close button |
| timeOut | number | 5000 | Time to live in milliseconds |
| extendedTimeOut | number | 1000 | Time to close after a user hovers over toast |
| disableTimeOut | boolean | 'timeOut' | 'extendedTimeOut' | false | Disable both timeOut and extendedTimeOut when set to true. Allows specifying which timeOut to disable, either: timeOut or extendedTimeOut |
| easing | string | 'ease-in' | Toast component easing |
| easeTime | string | number | 300 | Time spent easing |
| enableHtml | boolean | false | Allow html in message |
| newestOnTop | boolean | true | New toast placement |
| progressBar | boolean | false | Show progress bar |
| progressAnimation | 'decreasing' | 'increasing' | 'decreasing' | Changes the animation of the progress bar. |
| toastClass | string | 'ngx-toastr' | CSS class(es) for toast |
| positionClass | string | 'toast-top-right' | CSS class(es) for toast container |
| titleClass | string | 'toast-title' | CSS class(es) for inside toast on title |
| messageClass | string | 'toast-message' | CSS class(es) for inside toast on message |
| tapToDismiss | boolean | true | Close on click |
| onActivateTick | boolean | false | Fires changeDetectorRef.detectChanges() when activated. Helps show toast from asynchronous events outside of Angular's change detection |
success, error, info, warning take (message, title, ToastConfig) pass an
options object to replace any default option.
this.toastrService.error('everything is broken', 'Major Error', {
timeOut: 3000,
});
All individual options can be overridden in the global options to affect all toasts. In addition, global options include the following options:
| Option | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| maxOpened | number | 0 | Max toasts opened. Toasts will be queued. 0 is unlimited |
| autoDismiss | boolean | false | Dismiss current toast when max is reached |
| iconClasses | object | see below | Classes used on toastr service methods |
| preventDuplicates | boolean | false | Block duplicate messages |
| countDuplicates | boolean | false | Displays a duplicates counter (preventDuplicates must be true). Toast must have a title and duplicate message |
| resetTimeoutOnDuplicate | boolean | false | Reset toast timeout on duplicate (preventDuplicates must be true) |
| includeTitleDuplicates | boolean | false | Include the title of a toast when checking for duplicates (by default only message is compared) |
iconClasses = {
error: 'toast-error',
info: 'toast-info',
success: 'toast-success',
warning: 'toast-warning',
};
Pass values to ToastrModule.forRoot() or provideToastr() to set global options.
// root app NgModule
imports: [
ToastrModule.forRoot({
timeOut: 10000,
positionClass: 'toast-bottom-right',
preventDuplicates: true,
}),
],
import { AppComponent } from './src/app.component';
import { provideToastr } from 'ngx-toastr';
bootstrapApplication(AppComponent, {
providers: [
provideToastr({
timeOut: 10000,
positionClass: 'toast-bottom-right',
preventDuplicates: true,
}),
]
});
export interface ActiveToast {
/** Your Toast ID. Use this to close it individually */
toastId: number;
/** the title of your toast. Stored to prevent duplicates if includeTitleDuplicates set */
title: string;
/** the message of your toast. Stored to prevent duplicates */
message: string;
/** a reference to the component see portal.ts */
portal: ComponentRef<any>;
/** a reference to your toast */
toastRef: ToastRef<any>;
/** triggered when toast is active */
onShown: Observable<any>;
/** triggered when toast is destroyed */
onHidden: Observable<any>;
/** triggered on toast click */
onTap: Observable<any>;
/** available for your use in custom toast */
onAction: Observable<any>;
}
Put toasts in a specific div inside your application. This should probably be
somewhere that doesn't get deleted. Add ToastContainerDirective to the ngModule
where you need the directive available. Make sure that your container has
an aria-live="polite" attribute, so that any time a toast is injected into
the container it is announced by screen readers.
import { NgModule } from '@angular/core';
import { ToastrModule, ToastContainerDirective } from 'ngx-toastr';
import { AppComponent } from './app.component';
@NgModule({
declarations: [AppComponent],
imports: [
ToastrModule.forRoot({ positionClass: 'inline' }),
ToastContainerDirective,
],
providers: [],
bootstrap: [AppComponent],
})
export class AppModule {}
Add a div with toastContainer directive on it.
import { Component, OnInit, viewChild, inject } from '@angular/core';
import { ToastContainerDirective, ToastrService } from 'ngx-toastr';
@Component({
selector: 'app-root',
template: `
<h1><a (click)="onClick()">Click</a></h1>
<div aria-live="polite" toastContainer></div>
`,
})
export class AppComponent implements OnInit {
toastContainer = viewChild(ToastContainerDirective, { static: true });
toastrService = inject(ToastrService);
ngOnInit() {
this.toastrService.overlayContainer = this.toastContainer;
}
onClick() {
this.toastrService.success('in div');
}
}
Remove all or a single toast by optional id
toastrService.clear(toastId?: number);
Remove and destroy a single toast by id
toastrService.remove(toastId: number);
If you are using SystemJS, you should also adjust your configuration to point to the UMD bundle.
In your SystemJS config file, map needs to tell the System loader where to
look for ngx-toastr:
map: {
'ngx-toastr': 'node_modules/ngx-toastr/bundles/ngx-toastr.umd.min.js',
}
If you do not want animations you can override the default
toast component in the global config to use
ToastNoAnimation instead of the default one.
In your main module (ex: app.module.ts)
import { ToastrModule, ToastNoAnimation, ToastNoAnimationModule } from 'ngx-toastr';
@NgModule({
imports: [
// ...
ToastNoAnimationModule.forRoot(),
],
// ...
})
class AppModule {}
That's it! No animations.
Create your toast component extending Toast see the demo's pink toast for an example https://github.com/scttcper/ngx-toastr/blob/master/src/app/pink.toast.ts
import { ToastrModule } from 'ngx-toastr';
@NgModule({
imports: [
ToastrModule.forRoot({
toastComponent: YourToastComponent, // added custom toast!
}),
],
bootstrap: [App],
declarations: [App, YourToastComponent], // add!
})
class AppModule {}
ngOnInit() {
setTimeout(() => this.toastr.success('sup'))
}
showToaster() {
this.toastr.success('Hello world!', 'Toastr fun!')
.onTap
.pipe(take(1))
.subscribe(() => this.toasterClickedHandler());
}
toasterClickedHandler() {
console.log('Toastr clicked');
}
toastClass: 'yourclass ngx-toastr'
See: https://github.com/scttcper/ngx-toastr/issues/594.toastr original toastr
angular-toastr AngularJS toastr
notyf notyf (css)
MIT