So, you've decided to take the plunge. You aren't going to pay for extended support, and you aren't hiring an agency. You are going to migrate your legacy Vue 2 application to Vue 3 in-house.
Respect.
It is the right long-term decision for your codebase. However, we need to be honest about the scope. Moving from Vue 2 to Vue 3 isn't a simple version bump like updating a React component. It is a paradigm shift in how the framework handles reactivity, instantiation, and the DOM.
If you go in blind, you will break your app.
To help you survive the transition, we have curated the definitive resource list. These are the 7 essential guides and tools you need to bookmark before you change a single line of code.
Phase 1: The Core Strategy (Don't Skip This)
Before you touch package.json, you need to understand the "breaking changes." Vue 3 changes how apps are mounted, how v-model works, and removes the Event Bus entirely.
The "Bible": The Official Vue 3 Migration Guide
What it is: The source of truth maintained by the Vue core team.
Why you need it: It lists every single breaking change between v2 and v3. You should treat this as your primary checklist. If a feature isn't listed here, it's likely safe. If it is, you have work to do.
Link: v3-migration.vuejs.org
The Bridge: The Migration Build (@vue/compat)
What it is: A special build of Vue 3 that provides "Vue 2 compatible" behavior.
Why you need it: This is the secret to a successful DIY migration. It allows you to run Vue 2 and Vue 3 code side-by-side. It will run your app and log warnings in the console for everything you need to fix. Do not try to migrate without this.
The Strategy Class: Vue School Migration Course
What it is: A comprehensive video course dedicated solely to the migration process.
Why you need it: If you or your team are visual learners, reading the documentation might be too dry. This course walks through the @vue/compat strategy step-by-step. It's excellent for training your junior devs before they start breaking things.
Phase 2: Taming the Ecosystem
A Vue app is never just Vue. It's the router, the store, and the UI library. These are often the hardest parts of the upgrade because their APIs have changed too.
The Backbone: Vue Router 4 Migration
What it is: The guide for moving from Vue Router 3 to 4.
Why you need it: The way you create the router instance (createRouter) and how navigation guards (beforeEach) are handled has changed. If you use dynamic routing or authentication guards, your app will not load without this guide.
The State Manager: Migrating from Vuex to Pinia
What it is: The official cookbook for moving from Vuex to Pinia.
Why you need it: While Vuex 4 exists, it is now in maintenance mode. Pinia is the new standard. It removes "mutations," adds better TypeScript support, and is much lighter. If you are going through the pain of migration, do not stay on Vuex. Move to Pinia. For a detailed walkthrough, see our complete Vuex to Pinia migration guide.
The Boss Battle: Vuetify 2 to 3 Upgrade
What it is: The massive changelog and guide for Vuetify.
Why you need it: If your app uses Vuetify, this is where you will spend 60% of your time. The grid system changed, component props were renamed, and the styling engine was rewritten. This is widely considered the most difficult part of the migration ecosystem.
Phase 3: Modernizing the Build Tool
Finally, a Vue 3 migration is the perfect time to dump Webpack.
The Speed Boost: Migrating from Vue CLI to Vite
What it is: A community-endorsed guide on swapping the old Webpack-based CLI for Vite.
Why you need it: Webpack is slow. Vite is instant. Vue 3 is optimized for Vite. Making this switch will likely cut your dev server start time from 30 seconds down to 300 milliseconds. It is the single biggest "quality of life" upgrade you can give your team.
The Verdict: Can You Do It Yourself?
Absolutely. With these resources, a strong cup of coffee, and enough patience, your team can navigate the upgrade.
However, be prepared for the "hidden" costs:
Time: A full migration usually takes 2-3x longer than estimated due to obscure dependency errors.
Focus: While your team is migrating, they aren't shipping new features.
If you look at this roadmap and think, "We don't have the bandwidth for this," we can help.
We offer a fixed-price Migration Readiness Audit. We use these exact tools to scan your code, quantify the work, and give you a roadmap—or handle the entire migration for you.
Get Your Migration Roadmap
Don't go in blind. Get a comprehensive audit that identifies every breaking change, every dependency issue, and exactly how much work your migration will require. Then get a fixed-price quote to handle it for you.
✓ Fixed-price guarantee ✓ No commitment required ✓ Delivered in 7 business days
Conclusion
Migrating from Vue 2 to Vue 3 is a significant undertaking, but it's not impossible. With the right resources, the right strategy, and the right tools, you can navigate the upgrade successfully. The key is preparation: don't start coding until you've read the migration guide, set up @vue/compat, and understood how your ecosystem dependencies will change.
This roadmap gives you the essential resources you need. Bookmark them. Study them. Share them with your team. And if the scope feels overwhelming, remember: you don't have to do it alone. We've used these exact tools to migrate dozens of applications. We can help you too.