UI-Router vs ngRoute - Which one is better?

Routing is essential for creating Single Page Applications (SPA) in AngularJS. The two main routing libraries are:
✔ ngRoute – Built-in AngularJS router
✔ UI-Router – Third-party router with advanced features

But which one is better? Let’s compare! 🚀

2. Overview of ngRoute

ngRoute is the default routing module in AngularJS. It provides:
Basic URL-based navigation
Simple route configuration
Supports only single-level views (no nested views)

Example of ngRoute Configuration

var app = angular.module("myApp", ["ngRoute"]);

app.config(function ($routeProvider) {
    $routeProvider
        .when("/home", {
            templateUrl: "home.html",
            controller: "HomeController"
        })
        .when("/about", {
            templateUrl: "about.html",
            controller: "AboutController"
        })
        .otherwise({
            redirectTo: "/home"
        });
});

Pros of ngRoute

Easy to use for small applications
Built-in in AngularJS (no need for extra dependencies)

Cons of ngRoute

No nested views (limited flexibility)
No state-based routing (only URL-based navigation)
Less powerful compared to UI-Router

3. Overview of UI-Router

UI-Router is a third-party module that replaces ngRoute. It provides:
State-based routing (not just URL-based)
Supports nested views
Dynamic data loading

Example of UI-Router Configuration

var app = angular.module("myApp", ["ui.router"]);

app.config(function ($stateProvider, $urlRouterProvider) {
    $urlRouterProvider.otherwise("/home");

    $stateProvider
        .state("home", {
            url: "/home",
            templateUrl: "home.html",
            controller: "HomeController"
        })
        .state("home.dashboard", {
            url: "/dashboard",
            templateUrl: "dashboard.html"
        })
        .state("about", {
            url: "/about",
            templateUrl: "about.html",
            controller: "AboutController"
        });
});

Pros of UI-Router

✔ Supports nested views
✔ State-based routing (better control)
✔ More flexible and powerful

Cons of UI-Router

More complex setup
Not built-in (requires extra dependency)

4. UI-Router vs ngRoute – Feature Comparison

Feature	ngRoute	UI-Router
Navigation Type	URL-based	State-based
Nested Views	No	Yes
Multiple Views	No	Yes
Dynamic Data Loading	No	Yes
Ease of Use	Simple	More Complex

5. Which One Should You Choose?

✔ Use ngRoute if:
🔹 You need simple, page-based routing.
🔹 Your app does not require nested views.

✔ Use UI-Router if:
🔹 You need nested views & complex state management.
🔹 You are building a large-scale application.

Final Verdict: UI-Router is more powerful and flexible! 🚀

UI-Router vs ngRoute – Which one is better?