The $25K Cost of Re-Writing Legacy UI Code (ROI Analysis)

TL;DR: Rewriting legacy UI code can easily cost $25,000 or more in developer time, making video-to-code solutions like Replay a compelling ROI investment.

The pain of maintaining and updating legacy UI code is a well-known struggle for developers. It's often undocumented, fragile, and written with outdated technologies. The alternative? A complete rewrite. But that comes with a hefty price tag. Let's break down the real costs involved and explore how solutions like Replay can offer a significant return on investment.

The Hidden Costs of Legacy UI Rewrites#

Rewriting a UI isn't just about writing new code. It's a complex process with numerous hidden costs that quickly add up.

Developer Time: The Biggest Expense#

The most significant cost is undoubtedly developer time. Let's assume a team of two mid-level developers, each with an hourly rate of $60 (fully loaded, including benefits, taxes, and overhead). A modest UI rewrite, covering a few key screens and functionalities, can easily take 2-3 weeks.

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Weeks * Hours/Week * Developers * Hourly Rate = Total Cost
3 weeks * 40 hours/week * 2 developers * $60/hour = $14,400

But this is a best-case scenario. Complex UIs with intricate business logic can easily balloon this estimate.

Testing and QA: Ensuring Quality#

Rewriting code introduces the risk of new bugs and regressions. Thorough testing is crucial, which requires dedicated QA resources and time. Allocate at least 25% of the development time for testing.

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Testing Time = Development Time * 0.25
Testing Cost = Testing Time * Hourly Rate * Developers
Testing Cost = (3 weeks * 0.25) * 40 hours/week * 2 developers * $60/hour = $3,600

Design and UX: Modernizing the Experience#

While the core functionality might remain the same, a UI rewrite often includes design updates and UX improvements. This requires input from designers and UX specialists.

text
Design Cost = (1 week * 40 hours/week) * $80/hour = $3,200

This assumes a single designer working for one week. More extensive redesigns will significantly increase this cost.

Project Management and Coordination: Keeping Things on Track#

Managing a rewrite project requires careful planning, coordination, and communication. A dedicated project manager (or allocated time from a senior developer) is essential.

text
Project Management Cost = (1 week * 40 hours/week) * $70/hour = $2,800

Deployment and Monitoring: Ensuring a Smooth Transition#

Deploying the new UI and monitoring its performance is another often-overlooked cost. This includes server costs, deployment tools, and developer time for monitoring and troubleshooting.

text
Deployment & Monitoring Cost = $1,000 (estimated)

The Total Cost: Exceeding Expectations#

Adding up all these costs, we arrive at a significant figure:

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Development: $14,400
Testing: $3,600
Design: $3,200
Project Management: $2,800
Deployment & Monitoring: $1,000
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Total: $25,000

As you can see, even a seemingly simple UI rewrite can easily cost $25,000 or more. More complex projects can easily double or triple this figure.

⚠️ Warning: These are conservative estimates. Factors like unexpected bugs, scope creep, and communication breakdowns can significantly increase the actual cost.

Introducing Replay: A Cost-Effective Alternative#

Replay offers a revolutionary approach to UI development by leveraging video analysis and AI-powered code generation. Instead of manually rewriting code, Replay reconstructs working UI directly from screen recordings.

How Replay Works: Behavior-Driven Reconstruction#

Replay uses "Behavior-Driven Reconstruction" - treating video as the source of truth. It analyzes user behavior and intent within the video to generate functional UI code. This is a significant departure from screenshot-to-code tools that only capture visual elements. Replay understands what users are trying to do, not just what they see.

Key Features that Reduce Costs:#

• •Multi-page generation: Replay can generate code for entire product flows, not just single screens.
• •Supabase integration: Seamless integration with Supabase for backend functionality.
• •Style injection: Easily apply custom styles to the generated UI.
• •Product Flow maps: Visualize and understand user flows within the application.

Replay vs. Traditional Rewrite: A Cost Comparison#

Let's compare the costs of a traditional rewrite with using Replay. We'll use the same scenario as before: a modest UI rewrite taking 3 weeks of developer time.

📝 Note: The Replay cost assumes a single developer working for one week, with a reduced testing effort due to the AI-generated code. Design costs are significantly reduced by using style injection.

As the table shows, Replay can potentially reduce the cost of a UI rewrite by over 75%.

Code Example: Generating a Form with Replay#

Let's say you have a video recording of a user filling out a form. Replay can analyze this video and generate the corresponding React code:

typescript
// Generated by Replay
import React, { useState } from 'react';

const MyForm = () => {
  const [name, setName] = useState('');
  const [email, setEmail] = useState('');

  const handleSubmit = (event) => {
    event.preventDefault();
    console.log('Form submitted:', { name, email });
    // Add your submission logic here
  };

  return (
    <form onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
      <div>
        <label htmlFor="name">Name:</label>
        <input
          type="text"
          id="name"
          value={name}
          onChange={(e) => setName(e.target.value)}
        />
      </div>
      <div>
        <label htmlFor="email">Email:</label>
        <input
          type="email"
          id="email"
          value={email}
          onChange={(e) => setEmail(e.target.value)}
        />
      </div>
      <button type="submit">Submit</button>
    </form>
  );
};

export default MyForm;

This code provides a functional form with basic validation. You can then customize it further to meet your specific requirements.

Replay vs. Screenshot-to-Code: Understanding the Difference#

Screenshot-to-code tools are limited to visual representations. Replay, on the other hand, understands the behavior behind the UI, leading to more accurate and functional code generation.

💡 Pro Tip: Replay excels in complex UIs with intricate user interactions, where understanding behavior is crucial.

ROI Analysis: Quantifying the Benefits#

The ROI of using Replay is significant. By reducing development time, testing effort, and design costs, Replay offers a clear return on investment.

Let's calculate the ROI based on our previous cost comparison:

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Cost Savings = Traditional Rewrite Cost - Replay Cost
Cost Savings = $25,000 - $6,040 = $18,960

ROI = (Cost Savings / Replay Cost) * 100
ROI = ($18,960 / $6,040) * 100 = 313.9%

This means that for every dollar spent on Replay, you can expect a return of $3.14.

Frequently Asked Questions#

Is Replay free to use?#

Replay offers a free trial with limited features. Paid subscription plans are available for full access and increased usage.

How is Replay different from v0.dev?#

Replay analyzes video recordings of user interactions to generate code, focusing on behavior-driven reconstruction. v0.dev, on the other hand, uses text prompts to generate UI components, relying on a generative AI model. Replay excels at capturing existing UI behavior, while v0.dev is better for creating new UI from scratch.

What types of applications is Replay best suited for?#

Replay is ideal for:

• •Rewriting legacy UIs
• •Replicating existing UI functionality
• •Capturing complex user interactions
• •Generating code for interactive prototypes

What technologies does Replay support?#

Replay primarily generates React code, with support for Supabase integration. Future versions will support additional frameworks and backend technologies.

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Ready to try behavior-driven code generation? Get started with Replay - transform any video into working code in seconds.