Angular is a robust and feature-rich JavaScript framework that is widely used to develop modern web applications. In case you have never dealt with it before, it would be at least informative to read our Angular Introduction blogpost to get acquainted with the framework and understand its benefits.
As any constantly expanding technology, Angular runs more effectively with the latest updates and changes which are regularly released to ensure that your applications remain secure, performant, optimised and future proofed. The latest Angular 21 version released in Nov 2025 brings a lot of value to the web development community, as it promises to push the boundaries of what's possible in modern web applications.
In this blog post we'll explore some strategies for keeping up with Angular updates. Using this information you may balance proper application performance and dev team workload planning.
Why should you upgrade?
Before we get into how to upgrade to the latest version of Angular let's quickly recap on all the why’s.
- Increased Productivity of your team: The latest Angular version offers several tools and features that can help improve productivity, including improved code reusability and easier debugging. This can help your development team work more efficiently, which can save time and reduce costs.
- Competitive Advantage: Upgrading to the latest Angular version can give your business a competitive advantage by enabling you to offer new features and functionality that your competitors may not have. This can help you differentiate your business and attract new customers.
- Upgraded Security: Upgrading to the latest Angular version can improve the security of your application, which is important for protecting your business and your customers' data. This can help build trust with your customers and improve your brand reputation.
From Angular version 21 and beyond
The latest versions of Angular starting from version 14 trend towards being less opinionated and more lightweight. For example, since version 14, a Standalone API has been introduced in preview mode, which makes it possible to avoid ngModules or make them totally optional. This has led to significant simplification of Angular applications.
Angular v15 introduced a stable Standalone API and additional features that enabled building applications in a new fashion. Along with this release, several developer ergonomic features were introduced, such as improved debugging capabilities and performance enhancements that save application build time.
The release of Angular 16 revolutionised web application development, offering new possibilities for innovation and pushing the boundaries of modern software design. It introduced a more modular and efficient approach to building applications, enabling better user experiences through simplified lazy loading and innovations like Signals.
Subsequent releases, Angular v17 and v18, took these advancements even further. One of the most notable enhancements was the introduction of a new declarative control flow syntax, providing a more intuitive and ergonomic way to handle complex conditional rendering in templates. Additionally, server-side rendering (SSR) saw significant improvements, including the introduction of hydration and other performance optimisations.
Angular v19 solidified many of these innovations, particularly around incremental hydration, event replay, and deeper integration of Signals into the core framework. It also enhanced developer tooling, with more robust debugging capabilities and improved performance tracking.
With the release of Angular v20, the framework continues to prioritise developer velocity, performance, and simplicity. This version refines features introduced in earlier releases, further strengthens the Signals-based reactive system, and improves support for hybrid rendering strategies, including static site generation (SSG), SSR, and client-side rendering (CSR). Additional improvements to the CLI, stronger type checking, and expanded support for modern web APIs round out a release that reflects Angular’s steady evolution toward a more intuitive and composable development model.
Angular v21 marks a significant step forward in the framework’s evolution, with a strong focus on performance, reactivity, and developer experience. One of the most impactful changes is the move toward zoneless change detection, reducing reliance on zone.js and enabling more predictable, fine-grained updates driven by Signals. The introduction of experimental Signal Forms reimagines how forms are built, offering a more composable, type-safe, and reactive approach. Additionally, Angular v21 embraces AI-assisted development through new tooling such as the Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, alongside improvements in accessibility with Angular Aria and a modernised testing experience powered by Vitest. These updates reflect Angular’s continued shift toward a Signals-first, streamlined, and future-ready architecture Angular blog.
By leveraging the advanced capabilities of Angular, clients can achieve superior application performance and enhanced user experiences, resulting in increased engagement and improved business outcomes.
Now once we discover all the why’s lets move to the how’s.
How to upgrade Angular versions
Understanding the Angular Release Cycle is essential for staying up to date with the latest changes and features. New major versions are consistently released every six months. As many other software teams around, Angular team follows a semantic versioning system, which means that each major release comes with significant changes that may require some modification in your codebase. By understanding the release cycle, you can prepare for upcoming updates and ensure that your codebase is optimised to take advantage of new features.
In these cases, it's important to ensure that the version you're using is still receiving Long-Term Support (LTS).
| Risk | Features | Upgrade Path | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major | High | Significant | upgrade scripts / refactor code / modify tests |
| Minor | Medium | Small | upgrade scripts |
| Patch | Low | No | upgrade core packages |
LTS versions are provided with critical bug fixes, security updates, and patches for a longer period of time than non-LTS versions. By using an LTS version, you can ensure that your application remains secure and functional while you work on upgrading to a newer version.
When considering an LTS version, it's important to note that not all of them are created equal.
For example, AngularJS 1.x is no longer supported and is not receiving any updates, including security patches.
On the other hand, Angular 2+ LTS versions, such as Angular 19, and 20, are still receiving security updates and patches.
| Version | Status | Released | Active ends | LTS ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ^21.0.0 | Active | Nov 19, 2025 | May 19, 2025 | May 19, 2025 |
| ^20.0.0 | LTS | May 28, 2025 | Nov 21, 2025 | Nov 21, 2026 |
| ^19.0.0 | LTS | Nov 19, 2024 | May 19, 2025 | May 18, 2026 |
It's important to note that the risk of running outdated software versions applies not only to modern Angular (v19+) or old AngularJS (v1.x), but also to many other software programs and frameworks. Using outdated software always increases the chances of making your application vulnerable to security and user interaction issues. To ensure the safety and optimal performance of your application, it's crucial to check if your software that you rely on is supported, and keep your codebase up-to-date by making necessary updates regularly.
To prepare your Angular application for the Upgrade we recommend to follow this checklist:
- See Angular compatibility list
- Analyse 3d party dependencies
- Find out what’s affected
- Install desired versions
- Make code changes
- Modify tests accordingly
Angular runs on thousands of Apps within Google itself. To make developer’s jobs easier, the upgrade mechanism is provided as a part of Angular CLI.
The Angular Team's official recommendation is always to use the latest version of Angular, but this may be not possible or inconvenient for some companies due to dev team busyness, task complexity or company policy.
To help determine the most appropriate technical approach of Angular upgrade for your dev team, we are offering a range of upgrade strategies. While making a choice it is essential to understand the amount of technical debt that exists within the codebase:
- Incremental Upgrades: This strategy involves upgrading your application in small increments by moving from one version to another sequentially. If you've fallen a few versions behind—say you're still on Angular v17—you can upgrade step by step: first to v18, then v19, and finally to v21, the latest version. That said, the ideal upgrade path depends on your project’s setup and how far behind you are on Angular versions. This approach helps to minimise the amount of technical debt. Usually applies to the projects with no or very little technical debt.
- Hybrid Upgrade: This strategy involves upgrading your application to a hybrid state, allowing for a gradual migration to the latest version by converting it in small increments. This approach can help to mitigate the risks of downtime during the upgrade process. Usually applies to the projects with moderate amounts of technical debt.
- Full rewrite: This is a green field strategy involving creating a new application with the latest version of Angular and then migrating your codebase to the new application. This approach can be time-consuming and challenging, but it can also ensure a clean slate and a fresh start for your application. It's recommended if your application has significant technical debt or if you're planning significant architectural changes.
Remember, whichever strategy you choose, it's important to thoroughly test your application after the upgrade to ensure it's functioning optimally.
Angular Consulting considers application upgrade to be an essential service and offers versatile modifications for it.
We provide integrated Angular Upgrade service for those clients who want to delegate the whole task to professionals. As a result they get a ready-made solution with the latest features and improvements to move the business forward.
The other option is Upgrade Strategy which may be a part of our Strategy service. This approach provides a forward-thinking perspective, considering your company's direction, technical operations, goals, and outcomes. It also may include a Software Testing Strategy part to ensure the software works as expected before releasing it to the end users.
Another option is a Migration to Angular service which provides a migration of your application to the latest version of Angular from any other framework. Given the current state of your software and your vision, we can offer an upgrade option that best suits your needs.
We believe our advice on how to keep up with Angular upgrades were useful and comprehensive. We tried to provide you with the best possible options and share practical advice. So be contemporary, consistent and may your application comply with the best approach!
This is an evergreen article. The current version is 20 It will be updated with each new Angular major version release.