[mcv]

Comparing Backbone and Angular is like comparing apples and dinner.

Backbone is a library. You can use it or ignore it, combine it with other stuff, you call Backbone code and use its objects, and it does some limited but well-defined stuff. It's easy to combine with other libraries, and you don't have to use Backbone's feature everywhere if you don't want to.

Angular, on the other hand, is a framework. It shapes everything you do. It bootstraps your application for you, and calls your code when it needs your input. It imposes a totally different way of working and thinking on you. What it does for you is far bigger than what Backbone does for you. It doesn't play nice with libraries that haven't been written for use with Angular.

Really, the difference is like writing a basic Java program where you write the main() and you call some libraries; and using a webframework that handles tons of stuff for you and you just write the controllers, services and views.