Angular State Management: Signals vs Simple Properties - Which Should I Use?

As I'm diving deeper into Angular for my Java full-stack journey (see my intro post), I've been exploring different state management approaches, and I keep hitting this question:

When should I use Signals vs traditional component properties?
The Classic Approach: Simple Properties

export class UserComponent {
  userName: string = 'Mohamed';
  userAge: number = 24;

  updateName(newName: string) {
    this.userName = newName; // Simple assignment
  }
}

✅ Pros: Straightforward, familiar, easy to understand
❌ Cons: Change detection can be inefficient with large component trees
The New Kid: Signals (Angular 16+)

import { signal } from '@angular/core';

export class UserComponent {
  userName = signal('Mohamed');
  userAge = signal(24);

  updateName(newName: string) {
    this.userName.set(newName); // Signal update
  }
}

✅ Pros: Fine-grained reactivity, better performance, cleaner derived state
❌ Cons: More verbose syntax, learning curve for existing codebases

My Confusion (and Questions for You!)
I'm currently building a Spring Boot + Angular social network app, and I'm torn on which approach to use for:

User authentication state (logged in user, token, permissions)

Real-time notifications (WebSocket updates)

Form state (post creation, validation)

My questions:

🤔 For experienced Angular devs:

Do you mix both approaches in the same project, or go all-in on Signals?

Are Signals worth adopting for new projects in 2026?

What's your rule of thumb for deciding which to use?

🤔 For those migrating from properties to Signals:

Did you see real performance improvements?

Was the migration painful?

I'd love to hear your real-world experiences and recommendations! Drop your thoughts in the comments 👇
#angular #webdev #javascript #typescript #frontend #discuss

Comments

[Salaheddine Kacmi]

As someone also working on a Spring Boot + Angular stack, I’ve found that Signals actually feel more "intentional" once you get used to them.

My rule of thumb: If it’s a static value that never changes after ngOnInit, a simple property is fine. But for Auth State (which needs to be accessed globally) and Form Validation, Signals are superior because of how they handle derived state with computed(). It makes the frontend feel as structured as a solid Java backend.

[ZED]

Love the 'intentional' vibe. Coming from a Java background, that structured approach with computed() really hits the spot—it definitely beats chasing reactive bugs. Signals just make the state feel predictable. Great rule of thumb! ☕🔥