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Convert React to Angular: ROI, Process, and Pitfalls

Convert React to Angular: ROI, Process, and Pitfalls

Angular

July 21, 20259 min read

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Author: Alex Vasylenko | Founder of The Frontend Company

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Moving from React to Angular may seem crazy at first, considering React's worldwide popularity and large talent pool. But Angular has its own unique advantages and benefits that surpass React in some use cases.

In the article Angular to React: 5 Reasons to Migrate, I explored why React might be the right fit for some businesses and project types.

And today, I want to show the reverse scenario. Let's start with five reasons to switch from React to Angular, and why it might be the perfect fit for your needs.

Migrate from React to Angular: 5 Main Reasons

Here are the main reasons why companies convert React to Angular:

Angular is For Large and Structured Projects

Convert React to Angular is ideal for businesses with large-scale applications that require a complex structure and consistency. With Angular, developers can handle multiple pages, data-heavy tables, and dashboards that are common in industries like finance, healthcare, and enterprise software.

React has more flexibility, which is great for mid-sized projects, but Angular's structure shines when the application needs to be robust and highly organized.

Angular Minimize Errors

The creative freedom of React is a big plus, but it often leads to more human errors. Without a structure, React projects can suffer from bugs and miscommunication among developers, especially as teams grow or projects scale. Over time, these issues can make the codebase harder to maintain, increase technical debt, and extend the time required to add new features or updates.

On the other hand, Angular's strict architecture ensures that every team member follows the same rules, reducing confusion and promoting a single way of development. In general, Angular is an environment where mistakes are minimal.

Angular Has a Stronger Technical Community

Mastering Angular requires an understanding of complex concepts, such as TypeScript and RxJS, as well as strict architectural patterns. While this makes it harder for beginners to get started, it also means that developers who master Angular have high-level technical skills.

React is simpler, flexible, and accessible to a broader audience, but that accessibility doesn't always mean deep technical expertise. So, the average Angular developer is more experienced in managing enterprise-level projects, where a solid understanding of architecture, scalability, and long-term maintainability is key.

Google Improves Angular Every Day

Angular has come a long way since its early days as AngularJS, launched in 2010 and served developers for almost 6 years before Angular (often called "Angular 2+") was introduced in 2016. Over the years, Google has fixed many issues and requests from the community and has made Angular a much more powerful and efficient tool.

It guarantees that the framework remains relevant and evolves, making it a safe choice for businesses that value stability and continuous improvement in their tech stack.

Angular Has Out-of-the-Box Solutions

Unlike React, which requires a mix of third-party libraries for routing, state management, and form handling, Angular provides everything developers need right out of the box.

For example, teams might use React Router for navigation, Redux or Zustand for state management, and Formik for form handling — all great tools, but each has its own setup and update requirements.

Angular is entirely different and takes an all-in-one approach. Within this framework, developers have access to a set of built-in features, including routing, HTTP services, dependency injection, and form handling.

When Is React to Angular Migration the Right Choice?

Before embarking on a migration, let's examine when switching aligns with your business and technical context. Here are scenarios and criteria to help decide when migrating from React to Angular makes sense:

1. When your React app becomes too complex to manage.

If adding features feels like diffusing a bomb due to a tangled state and inconsistent structure, it's time. Angular enforces modularity and clear architecture, which is a game-changer for apps with lots of forms, dashboards, and dependencies.

Example: One of our clients with a SaaS analytics platform migrated to Angular after React's flexibility led to conflicting code patterns across teams. Thanks to migration, their developer onboarding time dropped by 40%.

2. When you need to standardize across products or teams

If you have multiple frontend apps and want them under one unified framework, Angular simplifies cross-project collaboration and reduces training overhead.

Example: A company with two products — one on Angular, one on React — migrated the React app to Angular to reuse internal libraries and simplify hiring/training.

3. When React libraries block your updates

If a critical plugin no longer supports the latest React version or you've patched libraries just to stay afloat, Angular's all-in-one ecosystem is a safer bet.

Example: We had a case where a fintech company, stuck on an old React version, switched to Angular to escape a cascade of unsupported third-party libraries.

4. When you're planning a major product redesign

If you're redesigning the UI, preparing for a v2.0, or scaling to new markets, a framework switch can be bundled into that scope.

Example: A European e-learning startup planned a UX revamp and used the opportunity to migrate to Angular for improved long-term maintainability.

5. When your current architecture is holding you back

If bugs are rising, delivery is slowing, and dev frustration is scaling, sticking with React might be more expensive than migrating.

Example: A logistics platform's development team reported an increase in time-to-deliver. After migrating to Angular, velocity stabilized, and bug reports dropped by 30%.

In summary, the best time to migrate is when your application's scale or issues have reached a tipping point where continuing with the status quo is more costly in bugs, delays, or workarounds than a complete rebuild.

How to Prepare for React to Angular Migration: In-house vs Outsource

So, you can make a React to Angular migration in two ways: in-house or by partnering with an external agency. If you choose the second option, preparation for the collaboration is crucial. The smoother your internal setup, the faster your React to Angular migration agency can deliver results without delays, miscommunication, or rework.

Here's how The Frontend Company recommends preparing for an efficient and successful collaboration.

1. Align on Goals and Migration Scope

Before the agency writes a single line of Angular code, you need to provide precise information about:

  1. Your goals: What's the business case for migration? Is it performance, maintainability, unifying tech stack, feature readiness, or all of the above?

  2. Main features or modules: Which parts of the app are mission-critical? What can be migrated later?

  3. Set success metrics: Performance improvements, reduced bug rate, faster release cycles — choose KPIs you can measure after the migration.

The clearer your goals, the easier it is for an agency to plan and prioritize its work.

2. Prepare a Knowledge Base

External partners don't have your app context — yet. Make it easy for them to get up to speed.

  1. Codebase access & documentation: Ensure your React app has up-to-date README files, architecture overviews, API documentation, and any other resources that help the agency understand how it works.

  2. UI/UX design system: Share your design system if possible, or explain how components are reused across the app.

  3. Backend/API documentation: Ensure API specifications are available and up to date, including Swagger, Postman collections, GraphQL schema, and other relevant resources.

  4. Known issues: Share a list of bugs, tech debt, or painful parts of the current system so they don't get mindlessly copied into Angular.

A 2-hour internal documentation sprint can save the agency weeks of guesswork.

3. Designate a Point of Contact (POC)

Even the best agency needs a responsive contact person inside your team.

  1. Pick someone technical: Ideally, a developer or tech lead who understands the React codebase and can answer architecture questions.

  2. Give decision-making power: Ensure your POC can approve designs, resolve issues, and escalate decisions quickly.

Lack of a clear contact slows everything down — don't be that client.

4. Decide on Collaboration Tools and Access

Agencies work fast when friction is low. Please don't make them wait for credentials or answers.

  1. Grant access: To your repo (GitHub/GitLab), CI/CD pipeline, staging environments, and design tools (Figma, Zeplin, etc.).

  2. Agree on tools: Decide whether you'll use your project management system (e.g., Jira) or theirs. Same for communication tools: Slack, Teams, or email? Set expectations.

  3. Set meeting cadence: Weekly check-ins? Biweekly demos? Daily standups? Pick a rhythm and stick to it.

The right tools, combined with clarity on how to use them, lead to smooth collaboration.

5. Clarify What Your In-House Team Will Do and Won't

Avoid double work or gaps in responsibility by clearly dividing the roles.

  1. Will your team handle the backend integrations, or will the agency handle them?

  2. Will you QA the Angular version, or should they set up testing pipelines?

  3. Is design locked, or are you expecting the agency to rethink UX as well?

Scope alignment upfront prevents surprises mid-project.

6. Plan for Internal Review and Deployment

Even with great code from the agency, launching the new Angular app is your call.

  1. Assign internal reviewers who can test the Angular build.

  2. Prepare for security and compliance reviews (if applicable).

  3. Decide who owns the deployment — your DevOps team, or the agency?

Launching the Angular app requires coordination, so don't leave it for the last week.

Migration Process: From React to Angular

After you have a list with all (or some) of the points I mentioned above and are ready for collaboration, the next step is to get in touch.

To make things easier, you can read the section below, where I'll show you how a specialized React to Angular migration agency like The Frontend Company handles this process.

Knowing these steps in advance will put us on the same wave from day one, making communication faster, work easier, and results more predictable.

Here's how we handle React to Angular migration:

1. Discovery Call: We Talk About Your Business

Once you reach out to us, you and I will have a discovery call.

We'll talk about who you are, what your product does, where the pain points lie, and what goals you're aiming to achieve with the migration.

I'll give you a clear and honest view on whether a move from React to Angular makes sense for your case.

If it's a good fit, great — we'll have everything we need to build a tailored plan. If not, you'll still walk away with clarity on what's best for your frontend at this time.

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2. We Provide a Clear Migration Plan with No Surprises

After the call, we'll prepare a detailed proposal tailored to your case. It includes:

  • A fixed-price quote

  • A realistic timeline

  • A clear scope breakdown of what will be migrated, and how

You'll know exactly what's being built, how long it'll take, and what it will cost.

3. We Start Migration

Once you approve everything, we handle the paperwork and lock in the migration team — typically within 2–4 weeks.

Once everything is ready, we begin the project with a clear plan, well-prepared developers, and zero wasted time.

If this style suits you, book a FREE consultation and let's make your migration fast and easy.

What's the ROI of React to Angular Migration?

React to Angular Migration, it's a calculated investment that starts paying off the moment you release the new version. Here's how that looks in practice:

Case Example: Mid-Sized SaaS Platform

A client came to us with a React-based SaaS product. Over time, the frontend became challenging to maintain. As is often the case, adding new features led to regressions, and onboarding new developers took weeks. The app had over 80 screens, multiple user roles, and lots of custom logic built with inconsistent patterns.

They decided to migrate to Angular.

What We Did:

  • Migrated the product in phases over 6 months

  • Rebuilt the frontend architecture using Angular modules

  • Implemented Angular Universal for SSR and better SEO

  • Streamlined forms using Angular Reactive Forms

  • Integrated design system components across the app

What They Got (Post-Migration):

  • Bug reports dropped by 35% within the first quarter

  • Development speed increased by 22%

  • Time to onboard a new dev dropped from 4 weeks to 1.5 weeks

  • Page load time improved by 40%, boosting retention

  • Customer churn decreased by 10%, linked to better UX

So, What's the ROI?

Let's say your team of 4 developers spends 6 months on the migration:

  • Developer cost = $17,000/month × 4 devs × 6 months = $403,000

Now, let's look at measurable gains post-migration (based on a real SaaS client case):

Post-Migration Improvements:

  • Development speed increased by 22%

→ Your $80,000/month dev output becomes $97,600/month

→ That's $17,600/month in gained productivity

  • Bug-related support time dropped by 35%

→ You save ~80 support hours/month at $60/hour

→ That's $4,800/month saved

  • Onboarding time reduced by 60%

→ You save ~$6,000 per new hire (avg. onboarding cost/time)

  • User churn decreased by 10%

→ On a $150k MRR SaaS, that's $15,000/month retained revenue

Total Monthly Gains

  • Dev velocity gain: $17,600

  • Support cost drop: $4,800

  • Churn reduction: $15,000

  • = $37,400/month

ROI Payback Time:

  • Migration cost = $408,000

  • Monthly gain = $37,400

  • Payback period ≈ 11 months

Is it worth it for your case?

I can help you calculate the ROI for your product.

Book a free consultation

React to Angular Migration Challenges and Risks

1. Temporary Productivity Drop During the Migration

When your team moves from React to Angular, there's always a ramp-up period. Even senior developers need time to shift their mindset, understand new abstractions, and rebuild their mental model around Angular's architecture.

From a business standpoint, this means you should expect a short-term dip in delivery velocity. If you don't plan for it, deadlines slip and stakeholders get nervous.

Solution: Plan for 2–3 sprints where your team won't be as fast — that's normal when switching to a new framework. Adjust your roadmap to avoid major releases during this period.

Alternatively, use that time to bring in external experts who already know Angular well, so your internal team can shadow, learn, and take over with minimal lag. That keeps momentum and limits risk.

2. Stakeholder Friction: Why Are We Rebuilding Instead of Shipping?

One of the biggest pain points during migration is managing internal expectations. To non-technical stakeholders, a rewrite looks like standing still — money is spent, time is passing, and nothing hits production.

This creates pressure. Product teams may push for new features during migration, and leadership might question whether the investment was justified.

Solution: Make it clear upfront — a migration is not feature work, it's infrastructure work. Show them the numbers: better stability, fewer bugs, faster onboarding, and improved delivery post-migration. If needed, ship small UI or performance improvements during migration as visible wins, even if the core value is architectural.

3. Running Two Frontends in Parallel Increases Overhead

Many teams choose to migrate gradually to reduce risk, but running React and Angular side by side isn't easy. This requires more testing, additional QA work, and extra engineering time to ensure everything remains connected and functions smoothly.

Solution: If you go with a phased approach, make it tight. Define clear milestones, limit the amount of the app that runs in both frameworks, and aim to wrap up the dual-run phase as quickly as possible. Otherwise, you'll end up spending more time managing the migration than completing it.

4. Scope Creep and Budget Overruns

One of the most common pitfalls in migration is underestimating the actual workload. What looks like a simple "rewrite" often uncovers legacy tech debt, inefficient patterns, and pressure to improve things along the way. Every optimization or UI improvement adds time, and every overlooked dependency adds cost.

Solution: Define what won't be touched upfront. Resist the urge to modernize everything unless it's part of the agreed scope. If working with an agency, use fixed-price milestones and avoid open-ended billing. And always start with a proper technical audit, because vague assumptions are what break timelines and budgets.

Conclusion

Choosing between React and Angular is like choosing the right car for the trip. React is a sporty car – flexible, adaptable, and easy to customize, making it an excellent choice for smaller to mid-sized projects where flexibility is key.

Angular is an SUV designed for durability, structure, and performance off-road – perfect for large applications in industries that demand consistency and long-term stability, like finance or healthcare.

Table React vs Angular

Both frameworks have their strengths and weaknesses, but it’s not always easy to decide which one fits your business goals and technical requirements. That’s where we can help.

At The Frontend Company, we specialize in Angular to React or React to Angular migrations. Contact us for a free consultation, and we will help you build a scalable and reliable project that matches your vision.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alex Vasylenko

CEO at The Frontend Company, Founder of Digital Business Card

Alex Vasylenko is the founder of The Frontend Company, DBC and several other successful startups. A dynamic tech entrepreneur, he began his career as a frontend developer at Deloitte and Scandinavia's largest banking company. In 2023, Alex was honored as one of 'Top 10 Emerging Entrepreneurs' by USA Today.

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