Migrate from AngularJS to Angular: Why Your Project Needs It

If you have an AngularJS project, you must have heard about its newer Angular counterpart and may have thought about migrating. It’s regularly updated and seems to be a perfect alternative, so we guess you may have even wanted to migrate from AngularJS to Angular.

Well, this may become a crucial step for project success. While the former has been a reliable framework, the latter can offer improved performance, scalability, and an extensive development ecosystem.

In this article, we’ll explore the key benefits of a decision to upgrade AngularJS to Angular. Join us as we guide businesses through the whys of embracing the newer framework, from technical to business benefits.

Here, we also introduce the largest ProCoders migration case, discussing the reasoning based on our own experience.

Business Benefits of Migration from AngularJS to Angular

The reasons given above are mainly technical – something a skilled development expert will tell you. However, we know you’re interested in the business angle to why migrate from AngularJS to Angular. What does your business stand to gain by moving AngularJS applications to the newer framework?

1: Future-proofing your business

AngularJS stopped receiving major updates and new features after the release of AngularJS 1.7 in June 2018. Since then, the AngularJS team has focused on providing long-term support (LTS) for the framework, addressing critical bug fixes and security issues. 

The focus has shifted to the development and advancement of our newer friend, the successor to AngularJS, which introduced significant changes and improvements to the framework.

2: Efficient development

In terms of architecture, structure, and features, Angular is more advanced than AngularJS:

• Its code is cleaner 
• Its architecture is more efficient
• The development process is more productive. 

Add this to the use of the more modern TypeScript over JavaScript, support for mobile devices and browsers, and an advanced data binding algorithm.

3: Mobile-oriented development

In the first quarter of 2023, 58.33% of the world’s website traffic was done from mobile devices, according to Statista. Over the years, mobile Internet browsing has grown by over 20%! 

No wonder businesses hire web developers with mobile programming proficiency, as almost any web app needs a lighter, smartphone-friendly counterpart. If anything, mobile compatibility should be a priority. 

Fortunately, Angular is compatible with the Ionic mobile framework, as well as with native libraries like React Native. 

4: Cost optimization

The ultimate reason why to convert AngularJS to Angular is to improve code efficiency so that the development process becomes more cost-efficient. 

Moreover, Angular’s official Command Line Interface liberates your developers from depending on many of the third-party tools that are required in AngularJS, which leads to speedier development and even lower costs.

AngularJS vs. Angular Framework Comparison: Technical Details

Despite similar names, AngularJS vs. Angular have pretty distinct differences. Let’s compare the two frameworks!

Factor	AngularJS (1.x)	Angular (2+)
Architecture	MVC (Model-View-Controller)	Component-Based Architecture
Language	JavaScript	TypeScript
Size	Large size due to features and backward compatibility	Smaller size due to improved architecture
Data Binding	Two-way data binding	Two-way data binding and One-way data binding
Change Detection	Digest cycle-based change detection	Zone-based change detection
Performance	Relatively slower due to digest cycle	Improved performance due to optimized rendering
Scalability	Limited scalability for large applications	Scalable and suitable for enterprise projects
Dependencies Injection	Manual configuration	Built-in dependency injection system
Mobile Development	Limited mobile development support	Better support for mobile development
Tooling	Limited tooling support	Extensive CLI (Command Line Interface) support
Development Community	Large and mature community	Rapidly growing community support

7 Reasons: Why Migrate from AngularJS to Angular

Before you find out how to migrate from AngularJS to Angular, it’s important to know the whys of the migration. It can be a complex process, so you need strong reasoning behind the change. 

So, why opt for an AngularJS update?

1: Architecture

In the old JS version, the architecture follows the MVC (Model-View-Controller) pattern. It separates the application into three distinct components: 

• The model — data and business logic
• The view — presentation and user interface
• The controller – the intermediary between the model and the view

The newer Angular, on the other hand, focuses on building applications using:

• Components – self-contained entities that encapsulate the HTML templates, CSS styles, and the associated business logic.
• Directives – the provider of additional functionality to HTML elements.

“Because components are independent, Angular architecture is preferred for building a very dynamic user interface.”

2: Structure

Angular’s component-based structure enforces a clear separation of concerns. Each component focuses on a specific task, making the entire code and separate pieces of code more readable and maintainable. 

By separating functionality into distinct components, it becomes easier to identify and isolate issues or make changes without impacting the entire Angular application.

3: Language

The new framework’s TypeScript, is considered better than the JavaScript used in the AngularJS framework for several reasons:

• Enhanced Reliability – TypeScript provides strong typing, which helps catch errors early during development. This means fewer bugs and more reliable code.
• Improved Tooling – TypeScript has excellent tooling and IDE support, making it easier to write, navigate, and maintain code. This enhances productivity and collaboration with developers.
• Modern JavaScript Features – TypeScript supports the latest JavaScript features, allowing you to use modern programming capabilities while benefiting from TypeScript’s clean, reusable code.

4: Mobile support

AngularJS was primarily designed for building web applications, and while it can be used for mobile development to some extent, it lacks the dedicated mobile-specific features and optimizations that Angular projects offer:

• Responsive Design – built-in support for creating mobile-friendly user interfaces with responsive design.
• Mobile-specific Libraries – smooth integration with mobile frameworks like Ionic that offers mobile-centric UI components and native device features.
• Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) – extensive support for building PWAs, enabling features like offline functionality and push notifications.
• Native Mobile App Development – works well with frameworks like NativeScript and React Native, allowing developers to build native mobile apps using Angular.
• Performance Optimization – incorporates performance optimizations like AOT compilation and lazy loading.

5: Material design

AngularJS material brought to life Google’s famous Material Design Specification, which was supported from 2014 through to 2017. In 2016, Google made a significant update that ushered in a new TypeScript-based material design called Angular Material. Angular Material implements responsive design smoothly and it is more extensible than its predecessor.

6: Speed and performance

The newer framework is more modern than the JS one in every way, including speed. For one, the former’s support for component-based architecture instead of the traditional MVC makes the newer library programming run multiple times faster than AngularJS.

7. Security

The 2+ version is considered more secure than the 1.x one due to its improved architecture, enhanced security features, regular updates, and support for modern security standards.

Upgrade AngularJS to Angular: Why ProCoders Recommend It 

We highly recommend migrating, first of all, because of all of the technical and business benefits of the newer framework, including:

• Enhanced performance
• Improved scalability
• Better mobile support
• Robust ecosystem
• Long-term support and updates
• Improved developer productivity
• Compatibility with modern web standards

Moreover, we’ve had experience with AngularJS-Angular migration, and seeing the results the transition has brought to our partners is the most adamant proof that it’s worth the effort.

We actually have experts in our pool who are well-versed in AngularJS, (it’s not a common thing to find AngularJS developers nowadays). They know the inside of the technology and can simplify the migration to a snap.

ProCoders Experience in AngularJS-Angular Migration

We have many cases to present, including MultiQ (digital signage business) and Ushahidi (a social non-profit). Here, we want to tell you about the first one.

It’s our experienced team’s collaboration with MultiQ – the largest provider of Digital Signage and customized monitors in Northern Europe. They needed to upgrade their flagship CMS.

To provide you with the most fact-checked data, we got in touch with our Lead Developer Andrew. He gave me insight into the whole process, how it happened, and what exactly they did to help out. 

Q: Why did the client decide to migrate? They had their project up and working, making money already.

Andrew: Well, the final major release of AngularJS, version 1.7, was made in June 2018. Whereas Angular is being updated to this, there are newer, more advanced versions. So the reason is clear – even if a business is already making money, it must be updated regularly to continue doing so.

Q: How much time did it take?

Andrew: It took around a year to rewrite all the necessary components, while the project was live and the client was producing revenue. The migration process itself took a month or so, whereas, the original project was completed in 5 years! 

Q: Why Angular? There are so many other frontend frameworks.

Andrew: Even though the two libraries are completely different, the basics of how the code is written are the same. Since I was using the HybridHelper, I was able to write new Angular components while MultiQ was still making money using their CMS.

Choosing a different library would make us create the whole project from scratch, with no access to the client for a long period of time. 

Q: How many specialists were working on the project?

Andrew: Only two. Me and Miroslav (a Senior Angular developer at ProCoders) were on the team. Our team’s big advantage is having Senior experts who know the ins and outs of not just the modern frameworks but the outdated ones as well.

The two of us have done what a team of 5-6 less experienced developers would do in the same timeframe.

Q: What was one of the best results for the client?

Andrew: Aside from getting an updated, future-proof solution, our partners at MultiQ were in business the whole time as we didn’t need to close the old software. This approach has probably saved our partner hundreds of thousands of dollars!

We got deeper into the results of our work for the client and retrieved some numbers.

Cost Reduction	Revenue Increase	Productivity Increase	Order Rate
-57%	+40%	+28%	+33%

Following the launch of the Angular version of MultiQ’s CMS, their CTO wrote this about our collaboration:

“ProCoders is able to accomplish high-quality deliverables in a very timely manner. The team serves as a valuable extension of the company’s development team, and the internal stakeholders are particularly impressed with their detail-oriented approach, as well as their level of commitment.”

We’re very happy to say we’re still collaborating with MultiQ.

So, how to hire Angular developers who can migrate your software to the newer, multi-functional, mobile-friendly library?

Let’s schedule a call!

Conclusion

If anything, the consideration that AngularJS is coming to the end of its lifecycle is enough to inspire a decision to migrate to a more advanced, more refreshed Angular framework. The benefits are plenty, from lower development costs to the higher speed of your solution.

We at ProCoders shared our experience of how we migrate from AngularJS to Angular with the intent to ensure you make an informed decision and to soothe the bumps on the way to a successful migration. You can count on our assistance along the way. 

Our experts are ready to consult you on transitioning every section of the software or website without having to shut down the solution in the process, disappointing your customers. And who knows, maybe we’ll proceed to a partnership!