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AngularJS is the original Angular 1.x framework; Angular is the separately rewritten framework that began with Angular 2. They share a history and some terminology, but their APIs, architecture, templates, tooling and upgrade paths are different. AngularJS official support ended in January 2022, while Angular 22 is the actively supported major release as of August 16, 2026. A new Angular-based project should use modern Angular; an existing AngularJS application needs a deliberate maintenance, incremental-migration or replacement plan.
Angular vs AngularJS at a glance
| Area | AngularJS | Angular |
|---|---|---|
| Framework generation | Angular 1.x, released before the rewrite | Rewritten framework beginning with Angular 2 |
| Support | Official support ended in January 2022 | Angular 22 is active; Angular 20 and 21 are in LTS as of August 16, 2026 |
| Primary language | JavaScript; TypeScript can be added | TypeScript-first; JavaScript is also possible |
| Main abstraction | Controllers, scopes, directives and services | Components, directives, pipes and services |
| Binding and updates | Expressions, ng-model and a scope digest cycle |
Template bindings, component change detection and optional signal-based APIs |
| Modules | angular.module() registers application pieces |
NgModules in older code; standalone components and APIs in modern code |
| Tooling | Often project-specific scripts using Bower, npm, Grunt, Gulp or Webpack | Angular CLI, schematics and the ng command |
| Migration | Requires code and architecture changes | ng update handles supported Angular-to-Angular upgrades, not AngularJS conversion |
| Best fit today | Containing or migrating an existing legacy system | New development and actively maintained applications |
Angular defines AngularJS as all 1.x versions, while “Angular” normally means Angular 2 and later. See the official version policy at angular.dev/reference/releases.
What AngularJS is
AngularJS was designed for dynamic browser applications around HTML templates. A controller commonly exposes data and behavior through a scope; directives extend HTML; services hold reusable logic; and expressions connect templates to application state. Typical directives include ng-if, ng-repeat, ng-click and ng-model. The conceptual model is documented at docs.angularjs.org/guide/concepts.
AngularJS synchronizes changes through a digest cycle that evaluates watchers across scopes. This is not inherently unusable, but applications with many watchers, complex DOM trees or repeated digest work can become difficult to tune. Its routing, forms, test utilities and dependency-injection APIs are all specific to the 1.x framework.
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The framework and documentation remain available, but official maintenance ended in January 2022. “Still runs” therefore does not mean that the framework or its dependency chain receives official security and compatibility fixes. The archived status is described at docs.angularjs.org/misc/version-support-status.
What Angular is
Angular 2+ was built as a new application platform rather than a renamed AngularJS release. A component combines a class, template and metadata. Services remain important, while directives and pipes add behavior and presentation. Angular includes a first-party router, forms packages, dependency injection, a compiler and Angular CLI build pipeline.
Modern Angular supports standalone components and APIs, built-in control-flow syntax and signals, while many applications and libraries still use NgModules. Standalone components declare their dependencies directly instead of receiving them through an NgModule; the official migration guide is at angular.dev/reference/migrations/standalone.
The major technical differences
Architecture: scopes and controllers versus components
In AngularJS, a controller and its scope are the usual bridge between a template and the application. Directives can create or inherit scopes and can encapsulate substantial behavior. In Angular, the component is the primary unit: its class owns state and methods, its metadata identifies the template, and its dependencies are declared through imports or providers. This changes how features are composed, tested and organized.
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Language and type safety
AngularJS was designed for JavaScript, although a team can write AngularJS in TypeScript. Angular is TypeScript-first, bringing static types, editor assistance and compile-time diagnostics to application code and templates. File extensions alone do not identify the framework: inspect imports and APIs instead.
Templates and syntax
AngularJS templates use HTML plus directives and scope expressions. Angular templates use component bindings and a different compiler and expression model. Names that look similar do not imply interchangeable code.
Data binding and change detection
AngularJS commonly uses interpolation and two-way ng-model binding, with the digest cycle propagating watcher changes. Angular separates property binding, event binding and two-way binding: [value], (click) and [(...)]. Modern Angular also offers signals and signal-based inputs, outputs and queries, but older Angular applications may use earlier change-detection patterns. Migration material is collected at angular.dev/reference/migrations.
Dependency injection
Both frameworks provide dependency injection, but the containers and metadata are not compatible. AngularJS commonly registers a service with angular.module(...).service() and injects names such as $http or application services. Angular commonly uses @Injectable({providedIn: 'root'}), providers and the inject() API. Shared terminology does not make AngularJS services drop-in Angular providers.
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AngularJS modules register controllers, services, directives, filters and configuration:
angular.module('app', ['ngRoute']);Older Angular applications group declarations and imports in @NgModule classes. Modern Angular can instead bootstrap and compose standalone components. Standalone reduces the need for application NgModules; it does not mean that NgModules disappeared from the ecosystem.
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Tooling and builds
An AngularJS project may have a bespoke build assembled from Bower, npm, Grunt, Gulp, Webpack or scripts written for that application. Angular CLI standardizes commands such as ng new, ng serve, ng build, ng test and ng generate, and schematics can automate portions of supported migrations. Node.js, TypeScript and RxJS requirements are version-specific; check angular.dev/reference/versions for the exact Angular release.
Routing and forms
AngularJS applications may use ngRoute or third-party routers such as UI-Router. Forms commonly rely on ng-model, form controllers and validation directives. Angular Router provides route configuration, guards, resolvers and lazy loading. Angular forms are template-driven or reactive, with different controls, validators and testing APIs. These features must be adapted or rewritten during migration.
Testing
AngularJS tests typically target controllers, services, directives and filters, using AngularJS mocks and digest-aware setup. Angular tests are organized around components and services, often configured with TestBed and the project’s chosen test runner. Neither framework’s tests are source-compatible with the other, and no framework guarantees better coverage without a sound test strategy.
Performance and bundles
Angular’s compiler and CLI support optimization, lazy-loaded routes and code splitting; lazy loading can reduce the JavaScript needed for the initial view. AngularJS performance is shaped by watcher count, digest work, DOM complexity and application structure. Angular can also perform poorly with oversized bundles, inefficient rendering or unsuitable data flows, so framework labels are not benchmark results.
Equivalent feature examples
AngularJS example
<div ng-app="app" ng-controller="GreetingController">
<input ng-model="name">
<p>Hello, {{ name }}</p>
</div>angular.module('app', [])
.controller('GreetingController', function ($scope) {
$scope.name = 'World';
});This uses AngularJS application bootstrapping, a controller, a scope and ng-model, as described in the directive reference at docs.angularjs.org/api/ng/directive.
Angular example
import { Component } from '@angular/core';
import { FormsModule } from '@angular/forms';
@Component({
selector: 'app-greeting',
standalone: true,
imports: [FormsModule],
template: `
<input [(ngModel)]="name">
<p>Hello, {{ name }}</p>
`,
})
export class GreetingComponent {
name = 'World';
}The examples show the conceptual result, not a mechanical conversion. Angular applications can instead use reactive forms, NgModules or newer control-flow and signal APIs.
Can AngularJS be upgraded directly to Angular?
No. Replacing a package name or running ng update is not an AngularJS-to-Angular conversion. ng update is intended for supported upgrades between Angular releases, generally one major version at a time, as explained at angular.dev/reference/releases.
An AngularJS-to-Angular project commonly rewrites templates, controllers, directives, services, routing, forms, tests, build configuration and third-party integrations. Some large systems can migrate feature by feature with a temporary hybrid architecture; others are safer to replace as a focused rewrite.
Incremental migration is a fit when
- The application is large and business-critical.
- Functionality has clear boundaries that can be isolated.
- New work can be built in the target Angular architecture.
- Automated tests, monitoring and release controls are strong enough to manage a transition.
A rewrite is a fit when
- The application is small enough to replace safely.
- AngularJS code is highly coupled, poorly tested or difficult to build reproducibly.
- Requirements have changed enough that preserving old UI and infrastructure adds little value.
- Migration adapters would cost more than a clean implementation.
Angular’s standalone schematic can help an existing Angular project, starting with Angular 15.2.0, but it is not an AngularJS converter. The documented command is:
ng generate @angular/core:standaloneThe schematic proceeds through standalone conversion, NgModule cleanup and standalone bootstrapping, and may require manual fixes. See angular.dev/reference/migrations/standalone.
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Choose Angular for new Angular-based work
Modern Angular is the supported Angular generation, with current CLI tooling, release maintenance and compatibility guidance. Confirm the target major version’s Node.js, TypeScript, RxJS and browser requirements before creating the project; those ranges change by release.
Contain AngularJS temporarily only with an explicit exit plan
Keeping a stable AngularJS system can be rational when it is near retirement, isolated from sensitive systems, affordable to monitor and supported by a documented dependency and security plan. This is risk management, not a recommendation for new development.
Plan migration for long-lived or regulated systems
Prioritize migration or replacement when the application is business-critical, receives substantial new features, has compliance obligations, depends on obsolete libraries or cannot maintain a defensible browser and build environment. Evaluate the whole chain: framework, third-party packages, browser support, CI/CD, deployment and internal security ownership. Commercial extended-support providers exist, but their coverage and terms must be evaluated separately from official AngularJS support.
Consider another framework when appropriate
If the team has no Angular expertise, the product is mostly static, or another platform better matches rendering, mobile or backend requirements, selecting a currently supported alternative may be more economical than adopting Angular solely because the old application used AngularJS.
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TypeScript does not prove that a project uses Angular. Search the source, package manifest and build files for these indicators.
| Likely AngularJS | Likely Angular |
|---|---|
angular.module(...) |
@angular/core imports |
$scope, $http, $q |
@Component, @Injectable, @Directive, @Pipe |
ng-controller, ng-repeat, ng-model |
@NgModule or standalone components |
| Controllers, factories and filters registered on a module | bootstrapApplication, @angular/router, angular.json |
.config() and .run() |
Angular CLI commands such as ng serve and ng generate |
A repository can contain both generations during a transition, so inspect the actual bootstrap path and feature boundaries rather than relying on its project name.
Decision checklist for an existing AngularJS application
- How old, large and coupled is the application?
- What are its defect rates, test coverage and monitoring gaps?
- What security, privacy and compliance obligations apply?
- How long must the system remain in service?
- Does the team have Angular or migration expertise?
- Can new features be isolated from legacy areas?
- Can the current dependency and browser environment be reproduced and patched?
- What performance, accessibility, testing and bundle-size requirements must be met?
- Which third-party libraries have Angular-compatible replacements?
- What budget and delivery window exist for incremental migration or rewrite?
- What is the exit plan if AngularJS must remain temporarily?
Support status and release planning
AngularJS support officially ended in January 2022, according to the AngularJS documentation and its support-status page. As of August 16, 2026, Angular 22 is listed as active, while Angular 20 and 21 are in long-term support; Angular 2 through 19 are no longer supported. Angular’s general policy describes roughly annual major releases and about 24 months of support per major, divided between active support and LTS, but dates can change. Always verify the release and compatibility pages for the version you intend to deploy.
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