Component is a special kind of directive that uses a simpler configuration which is suitable for a component-based application structure. A Component cannot do any DOM manipulation like directives (in the link and compile methods).
Component is an angularjs feature introduced in version 1.5.
From Understanding Components in the AngularJS documentation:
In Angular, a Component is a special kind of directive that uses a simpler configuration which is suitable for a component-based application structure.
This makes it easier to write an app in a way that's similar to using Web Components or using Angular 2's style of application architecture.
Advantages of Components:
- simpler configuration than plain directives
- promote sane defaults and best practices
- optimized for component-based architecture
- writing component directives will make it easier to upgrade to Angular 2
The applications built using the new angular framework are completely component-oriented. So using them in your angularjs application it's not only a good practice but will make your application closer to the new Angular style.