Q8: What are the differences between Component and Directive? - Angular & Signals (283 Qs)

In a short note, A component(@component) is a directive-with-a-template.

Some of the major differences are mentioned in a tabular form

Component	Directive
To register a component we use @Component meta-data annotation	To register a directive we use @Directive meta-data annotation
Components are typically used to create UI widgets	Directives are used to add behavior to an existing DOM element
Component is used to break down the application into smaller components	Directive is used to design re-usable components
Only one component can be present per DOM element	Many directives can be used per DOM element
@View decorator or templateurl/template are mandatory	Directive doesn't use View

Practical Code Example

typescript

// Component: Directive WITH a view template
@Component({
  selector: 'app-card',
  standalone: true,
  template: `<div class="card"><ng-content></ng-content></div>`
})
export class CardComponent {}

// Directive: Attaches custom behavior to an existing DOM element WITHOUT its own template
@Directive({
  selector: '[appHighlight]',
  standalone: true
})
export class HighlightDirective {
  constructor(el: ElementRef) {
    el.nativeElement.style.backgroundColor = 'yellow';
  }
}