How Much Does it Cost to Maintain an App?

The cost of app maintenance can vary depending on several factors, including application complexity, hosting fees, and even the types of app maintenance used. In general, trusted development companies estimate the maintenance expenses when calculating the cost of developing an app in the UK.

The GSMA State of Mobile Internet Connectivity Report reveals that 57% of people worldwide own a smartphone. The not-so-shocking and same statistics show that app users are abundant, but they also reveal that an app owner must stay competitive to stand out among the billions of apps.

App development with a leading UK custom mobile app development services company includes maintenance services, cost transparency, and well-defined project scopes to help an app owner remain competitive. Let’s begin by helping you estimate how much it will cost to maintain an app.

What Is Mobile App Maintenance?

Mobile maintenance services provide ongoing support, optimisation, and preventive maintenance to ensure an application runs smoothly, can compete in a highly-competitive market, and will never disappoint app users with outdated technology. App maintenance includes the following basic tasks:

• Ongoing bug-fixing and issue resolution
• Regular updates to enhance security and features
• Performance optimisation and monitoring
• The integration of new features based on user preferences
• Responding to user feedback to address concerns
• Providing timeous customer support with troubleshooting

Application maintenance extends beyond these tasks, which depend on client needs. However, a rough estimate for maintenance prices would be 10-20% of the total development costs annually. Let’s cover the benefits, types, and cost factors that influence app maintenance for a better breakdown.

How Much Does it Cost to Maintain a Mobile App: Quick Overview

Here’s a quick summary of the monthly cost for a single cross-platform app to ensure the app’s success:

The Benefits of Mobile Application Maintenance Services

Maintain Daily Active Users

How many users do you wish to gain and retain? Mobile app development with ongoing maintenance can help app owners retain monthly active users and even increase the number of users thanks to seamless experiences. Retain existing users by targeting the users’ preferences, and gain more users.

Create a Seamless User Experience

The cost of app maintenance won’t matter much when you create a seamless experience focused on user behaviour. An exceptional app experience follows user feedback, which maintenance and support provide. Leverage a better user experience by keeping user interface features aligned with feedback.

Increase ROI in the Long Run

Application maintenance can provide critical insights to make informed decisions for the current and desired user base. Maintenance services can improve ratings and reviews, attract new users, and increase the returns on investments in the long run. More users and positive reviews equal higher ROIs.

Improve User Engagement and Conversion Rates

Another way application maintenance serves application owners is by improving engagement through a better customer experience and by collecting user feedback to understand what converts app users. Optimisation services can target user preferences to engage them for higher conversions and sales.

Improve Performance

There’s no need to pay a thousand dollars or pounds to eliminate performance issues, implement corrective maintenance, and enhance mobile app performance. Our mobile app maintenance services use adaptive maintenance to ensure features, functional services, and technology perform at their best.

Curb Downtime and Revenue Losses

Mobile app maintenance costs are worth it when you consider how you could reduce downtime and prevent revenue losses during an hour-long technology failure. Maintain your app with leading app development companies to stay online and keep users engaged with trusted uptime.

Address Security Concerns

Many security features are implemented during the app development process. However, the app maintenance cost can also ensure security updates during the maintenance stage to keep your mobile application responsive and highly secure, protecting your company and user data.

Prevent App Uninstalls

The total cost of maintaining an app is worth every penny when you consider how multiple factors could convince users to uninstall applications. Reliable server resources and the commitment to constantly maintain an app could save money, reduce the initial cost, and help you achieve projected growth.

Higher Ranking in App Stores

App stores are finicky, always ranking apps using the latest development trends. An ongoing cost factor to consider is whether you want your app to trend in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Consistent ranking requires more than a quick fix; it requires ongoing optimisation.

Keep Your App Up to Date

Reduce costs for overall app maintenance with the right development team with access to substantial data to prevent poor reviews and keep an app up to date with the latest technology and features. Tech updates are among several factors influencing the cost, but trending functionality makes it worthwhile.

Compete in the App Market

Compete among the giants in the mobile apps market by taking existing ones and enhancing every aspect. Code optimisation based on trending usage habits could lead to more app installations, whether you have single cross-platform application or multiple mobile apps.

Different Types of App Maintenance

App maintenance services have five main types that influence different factors related to the actual cost of maintaining mobile apps. Discover the different mobile app maintenance cost elements based on service type, which will depend on your requirements.

Adaptive Maintenance Services

An adaptive maintenance service aims to keep your app aligned with evolving technology trends, changing tech environments, and compatibility with a new operating system. Adaptive maintenance is crucial to ensure the app’s performance in new environments or responsive hardware integrations.

Corrective Maintenance Services

Corrective maintenance is also essential to the app’s performance. A mobile app developer will address existing flaws, defects, security risks, and faulty functions to ensure app users remain content. Bug-fixing, code optimisation, and application logic improvements are necessary for corrective maintenance.

Emergency Maintenance Services

Emergency maintenance is what you’d expect. An app owner will utilise an urgent maintenance service for unforeseen issues that arise suddenly or unexpectedly. Unpredictable issues can arise after software development, and immediate bug fixes, and fault detection are needed.

Perfective Maintenance Services

Perfective maintenance in software development is used to transform and revolutionise mobile apps based on data analytics, user behaviour, user feedback, and user preferences. Mobile app development with ongoing perfective maintenance services will retain your app among the highest store rankings.

Preventive Maintenance Services

Preventive maintenance takes place during or after mobile app development. Mobile developers start the code restructuring process and create extensive update documentation to reduce future maintenance efforts. A trusted app development company must provide preventative maintenance.

Various Factors Affecting Mobile App Maintenance Costs

Now, let’s dive into the different factors that influence the app maintenance cost. The type you need is only just the beginning. However, application owners who maintain an app regularly could see the advantages. Nonetheless, discover the different factors influencing regular maintenance prices.

App Analytics

Analytics tools can be free or paid versions like Google Analytics. Still, extensive data analytics reports and essential metrics can increase the mobile app maintenance cost. Data analytics measure engagement, retention, and conversions in mobile applications to address issues immediately.

The data provides valuable feedback for application maintenance strategies for multi-platform or native apps. Maintaining an app without data-driven metrics to define the maintenance types and techniques would be fruitless. Data analytics with paid systems cost £50-£500 or $65-$649 monthly.

App Complexity

The complexity of the app will decrease or increase the app’s maintenance prices. For example, cross-platform apps using React Native are easier to maintain. However, an app developer platform for native apps may be harder to maintain. The tech stack within an app determines an accurate estimate.

Our in-house development team will define the project’s scope to let clients know what a specific technology stack costs based on developer skills. For example, an iOS specialist could cost £35-£65 or $45-$84 per hour while a React Native developer may cost £30-£50 or $39-$65 per hour.

Advanced Features Integration

Integrating advanced features like higher churn rates, the latest version control systems, regular backups, or new features that ensure compatibility will carry additional expenses. Often, a technical expert makes an app compatible with new devices and operating system updates.

Developers may integrate payment gateways, which cost £114+ or $149+ monthly plus a commission percentage for transactions. Yes, clients pay for payment gateways and push notifications. Application users want push notifications in this fast-moving world, which costs £8+ or $10+ per month.

App Store Fees

Your app maintenance price also depends on app store prices. For example, the Google Play Store charges £19 or $25 monthly, while the Apple App Store charges £76 or $99 monthly. Building a native iOS app costs more than a native Android app. Additionally, a cross-platform app will carry both charges.

App Technology Updates

Tech update costs rely on the programming languages, app codes, functional services, and whether you add complex features. Updating a functional aspect or any basic functionalities within the code depends on a developer’s skills and hourly rate. Here are 5 examples of tech skill costs per hour:

• Front-end developer – £25 – £60 or $32 – $78
• Back-end developer – £30 – £70 or $39 – $91
• Cross-platform developer – £30 – £60 or $39 – $78
• Data engineer – £40 – £70 or $52 – $91
• DevOps engineer – £50 – £80 or $65 – $104

Bug Fixing and Updates

Your mobile app maintenance cost also depends on bug fixing and updates to ensure your app stays up to date on the right app development platform. Technical consultants quickly fix bugs, improve sensitive data storage security, and integrate new technologies to reduce accumulated bugs and other glitches.

Corrective or emergency-focused maintenance to eliminate a major functional defect chasing app users away could take a few weeks to complete. However, one bug can make the app unusable for customers. It will cost £770-£1550 or $1,000-$2,000 to maintain your apps by fixing bugs.

Customer Support

Customer support services also influence your app maintenance cost. Mobile apps need maintenance, but users feel furious during downtime or when a feature doesn’t work. It’s another one of the different factors that influence maintenance prices for apps. Ongoing technical intervention is required.

You must maintain your app and deal with angry customers, albeit the aim is to prevent regular crashes. A highly-experienced team avoids crashes with licenced technology and provides support for customers at £50 – £125 or $64 – $162 per hour or £300 or $390 per month.

Hosting Costs

App hosting prices can range depending on server CPU, disk space, memory, and storage requirements. Hosting costs depend on the app hosting server, too. Hosting fees can range from £53 or $70 to £246 or $320 per month. Alternatively, server costs can include a basic shared hosting plan at £15-£46 or $20-$60 per month. However, cloud-based software development is integral to an app’s success.

OS Version Updates

OS version updates keep your app updated with the latest trends in multiple platforms and operating systems. However, operating system updates can include documentation updates. Updating operating systems also depends on an app’s complexity and version control to ensure the app meets the criteria.

A simple operating system update ultimately leads to more end users for apps. Simple app OS updates can cost £500-£2,000 or $650-$2,600. Major updates to any operating system with code restructures to avoid any technical issues could cost £5,000-£15,000 or $6400-$19,500.

Security Updates

Basic security updates to identify security vulnerabilities, manage some bug fixes, and secure app data costs £500-£1,500 or $650-$1,950 per year. Maintaining an app with security updates and reviews can reduce the likelihood of security threats in app-based functions and data.

However, more complex security maintenance services with regular security audits, fine-tuning security patches, and constant updates cost around £1,500-£15,000 or $6,400-$19,500 per year. Security audits and code reviews add a hefty annual fee to the cost of app maintenance.

New Features and Third-Party Services

Adding new features like push notifications, in-app purchases, and API updates for improved app performance and perfection maintenance requires a custom app maintenance budget. You also don’t want technical debt by taking shortcuts in the source code. Instead, regular updates are the priority.

However, the cost of app maintenance with third-party integration, machine learning, artificial intelligence, generative AI, wearable integration, and updated OS versions isn’t easy to define. Any new feature can cost a different amount for different platforms.

Instead, use our app development cost calculator to better estimate app maintenance costs to perfect the experience for app users. Perfectionist maintenance expenses could include additional server costs, licencing for new technologies, and the onboarding of technical consultants with specific skills.

Technology Licencing

Technical intervention that remains compliant with the GDPR regulatory standards for IT services guides trusted software development companies to ensure all technology products are licenced. Licencing costs per year can range from £100-£1,000+ or $130-$1,300+ per year per product certificate.

Reduce App Maintenance Costs With a Trusted Partner

Lower app maintenance costs are possible with a trusted app and software development company that won’t surprise you with hidden costs or extend the app development time to charge more. Our teams use the latest software environment to develop multiple native apps and multi-platform apps.

Review our clients or see some customer feedback in our case studies. At Pulsion, transparancy is the key. We keep your app running smoothly as a leading service provider in the UK, regardless of the types of mobile app maintenance services you need. We follow industry best practices and provide support.

Our experts can maintain your app, regardless of the technologies because we’re frontiers of the latest tech trends. Use our custom software development company services, or allow us to maintain existing apps. Contact us today to discuss a long-term partnership with cost-effective solutions to suit your business needs.

How Much Does it Cost to Maintain an App Conclusion

How much does it cost to maintain an app in the UK? The answer depends on different factors, including complexity, maintenance type, third-party integrations, server costs, and more. App maintenance costs can fluctuate, especially if you work with a team that doesn’t value your budget.

Don’t allow maintenance costs to let your mobile apps stop engaging users. Instead, let them inform users, capture their attention with seamless user experiences, and make them want more. Contact us today to discuss how we can enhance your user experience, maintain security, and optimise the app.

How Much Does it Cost to Maintain an App FAQ Section

What are the initial app development costs?

The initial development cost depends on developer time, project complexity, and other factors. An ongoing process of maintenance also adds to the total development cost and typically accounts for 10-20% of the total expenses annually. Knowing an exact cost with project requirements is impossible.

An estimate is that the initial development and maintenance cost for a simple or minimum viable product (MVP) app development project would be around £8,000-£20,000 or $10,000-$26,000. a complex app with ML, AR/VR tech, or AI could cost £45,000 – £265,000+ or $110,000 – $344,000.

Instead, use our app development cost calculator to estimate the cost based on your preferred technology, basic functionality, and essential features. Alternatively, read more about how much it costs to develop an app in the UK.

Can I modify changes in multiple operating systems?

Yes, OS updates to enhance your mobile app with adequate or required features, improved app functionality, and expanding your user base with the right target audience are possible in a cross-platform app. Discuss your app maintenance services requirements with our technical consultants.

Our experienced team can add more features, repair broken functionality, and help you reduce the server cost to fit your app maintenance budget, regardless of the app’s environment, existing app OS systems, and technology stacks. Contact us to discuss your apps’ upgrades and support.

What is the average app developers’ hourly rate in the UK?

A good rule is to say that application maintenance costs rely on the development time and experience. Avoid missing the chance to make money and ensure the app continues to thrive. Here are some average UK app developer’s hourly rates:

• Front-end developer – £25 – £60 or $32 – $78
• Back-end developer – £30 £70 or $39 – $91
• Cross-platform developer – £30 – £60 or $39 – $78

Can Pulsion help me save costs to maintain an App?

Yes, Pulsion is an experienced technology partner that uses Agile development with short cycles to help reduce the actual costs of ongoing support after deployment. We also use multiple free tools to reduce the cost of applicatgion maintenance and any associated costs of support requests. Also, use our MVP development company services to avoid adding unnecessary features that increase maintenance costs.

What are the benefits of maintaining an app with our experienced developers?

How much does app maintenance cost shouldn’t be a question for app owners who wants the best services. Here are some advantages of using our long-term maintenance services to build a long-term relationship that will always follow the rough estimate for maintaining apps:

• Know what you can expect to spend per month, even using month-to-month servers.
• Partner with a company that respects how various factors impact maintenance expenses.
• Maintain your app with a team ready to help you stay relevant with the latest trends.
• Work with developers who value the success of your app and follow industry standards.
• Our development team will update your app to ensure you stay ahead following best practices.
• Our team will ultimately lead your victory in significant ways to ensure a competitive advantage.
• Our experts are proficient in every technology for a cross-platform, iOS, Android app, or other app.
• Monitoring app performance is what we do, and in such situations, we act to optimise the app.
• Our company focuses on how many factors affect functionality to enhance every aspect.
• Let our team protect your app from cyber-attacks and responsiveness issues using less documentation and the main categories of perfectionist maintenance.