Why Standalone Components
See how standalone components simplify Angular.
Why Standalone Components is a free Angular Academy lesson on CoddyKit — lesson 1 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the Angular Academy learning path, one of 4 lessons in the course, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app.
Why Standalone Components?
Standalone components let you build Angular apps without NgModules. A component declares its own dependencies, making the building blocks self-contained and easier to understand.
The NgModule Era
Traditionally every component, directive, and pipe had to be declared inside an @NgModule. Modules grouped declarations and managed imports/exports.
This added boilerplate and an extra layer of indirection.
Problems NgModules Caused
NgModules introduced common friction: forgetting to declare a component, declaring it in two modules, confusing imports vs declarations, and large shared modules that pulled in too much.
The Standalone Idea
With standalone components, each component lists exactly what it needs via its own imports array. There is no central module that must know about it.
import { Component } from '@angular/core';
@Component({
selector: 'app-hello',
standalone: true,
template: '<p>Hello</p>'
})
export class HelloComponent {}Self-Contained Dependencies
Because a standalone component declares its own dependencies, you can read a single file and know everything it relies on. This improves clarity and tooling.
Less Boilerplate
No more matching declarations and exports across modules. You import a component directly where you use it, similar to how ES modules work.
Better Tree-Shaking
Standalone components make the dependency graph explicit, which helps bundlers remove unused code and can lead to smaller bundles.
Lazy Loading Made Simple
Routes can lazily load a standalone component directly with a dynamic import, without needing a feature module wrapper.
// route: loadComponent: () => import('./page.component').then(m => m.PageComponent)The New Default
In recent Angular versions, standalone is the default for newly generated components. NgModules still work, but standalone is the recommended path forward.
Interop with NgModules
Standalone and module-based code interoperate. A standalone component can be imported into an NgModule, and an NgModule-based component can use standalone imports, easing migration.
What You Still Configure
Application-wide setup (like the router or HTTP client) is provided through bootstrapApplication providers instead of a root module, which you will see later.
Quick Check: Why Standalone
What is the core benefit of standalone components?
Recap: Why Standalone
Standalone components eliminate the NgModule boilerplate by letting each component declare its own dependencies. This brings clearer code, easier lazy loading, and better tree-shaking. Standalone is now the default. Next: creating one.
Frequently asked questions
Is the “Why Standalone Components” lesson free?
Yes — the full text of “Why Standalone Components” is free to read here on the web, and the Angular Academy course includes 4 lessons in total. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the Angular Academy course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO.
What will I learn in “Why Standalone Components”?
See how standalone components simplify Angular. You practise Angular Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.
Do I need any experience to start Angular Academy?
No prior experience is required. Angular Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners; this is — lesson 1 of 4, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.
How long does the “Why Standalone Components” lesson take?
Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.
Can I write and run code in this Angular Academy lesson?
Yes. Every Angular Academy lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.
All lessons in this course
- Why Standalone Components
- Creating Standalone Components
- Importing Dependencies Directly
- Bootstrapping a Standalone App