The essentials
Mobile app maintenance typically costs 15 to 20% of the initial development cost per year, i.e. between €2,000 and €30,000/year depending on project size. On top of that comes infrastructure (€200 to €2,000/month) and store publishing fees ($99/year Apple, $25 one-time Google Play). Maintenance isn’t optional: without it, an app degrades within months as OS updates roll out.
Why maintenance is never optional
Building a mobile app is only the start of the real budget. Once in production, an app keeps evolving: operating systems change (iOS and Android ship major updates every year), third-party dependencies get updated, users report bugs, and business needs shift.
An unmaintained app degrades quickly: incompatibilities with new OS versions, unpatched security flaws, outdated dependencies that block feature updates. In some cases, Apple or Google can pull an app from their stores if it no longer meets minimum technical requirements (an outdated target SDK, for example).
The three types of maintenance
| Type | What it covers | Typical annual budget |
|---|---|---|
| Corrective maintenance | Bug fixes, compatibility with new OS versions, security patches | 15-20% of the initial development budget |
| Evolutive maintenance | New features, UX improvements, adjustments based on user feedback | Variable, budgeted case by case |
| Infrastructure | Servers, database, CDN, monitoring | €200 - €2,000/month depending on load |
For an app built for €30,000, that typically means €4,500 to €6,000/year in corrective maintenance, before adding infrastructure and feature evolutions.
The hidden costs, in detail
Store publishing and presence
- App Store (Apple): $99/year, mandatory to publish and maintain an app on iOS
- Google Play: $25 one-time fee, but policy revisions can require regular technical updates
Backend infrastructure
An app with a simple backend (REST API, standard database) stays at the low end of the range (€200 - €500/month). An app with real-time features, heavy load or international scalability can exceed €2,000/month.
OS updates
Every major iOS or Android release can introduce API, permission or behavior changes that require adaptation. Ignoring these updates over several cycles increases the risk of malfunctions and complicates future maintenance (accumulated technical debt).
Monitoring and support
Production monitoring (crash reporting, performance alerts, logs) lets you catch problems before users report them en masse. It’s an often under-budgeted line item that nonetheless avoids far costlier emergency fixes.
How to budget maintenance correctly from the start
Best practice is to factor maintenance cost into the ROI calculation from the scoping phase, not as a surprise after launch. A maintenance contract formalizes this budget: it covers fixes, security updates, monitoring and minor feature evolutions, with a single point of contact over time.
FAQ
What budget should I plan for mobile app maintenance after launch?
Plan for 15 to 20% of the initial development budget per year for corrective maintenance, plus infrastructure (€200 to €2,000/month) and store fees ($99/year Apple, $25 one-time Google Play). For a €30,000 app, that’s roughly €4,500 to €6,000/year excluding infrastructure.
What happens if I don’t maintain my app?
It degrades progressively: unfixed bugs, incompatibilities with new iOS and Android versions, exposed security flaws, and in extreme cases, removal from the stores if minimum technical requirements are no longer met.
Is maintenance included in the initial development?
No, generally not beyond a short warranty period (often 1 to 3 months). Ongoing maintenance is covered by a separate contract, with a dedicated budget to plan from the project scoping stage.
Neodigit: maintenance as a long-term commitment
At Neodigit, we remain your single point of contact over time after initial delivery, through a maintenance contract covering fixes, security updates, monitoring and feature evolutions. No new discovery phase re-billed at every evolution: knowledge of your app stays with the same team.
Have an existing app that needs to come back under proper oversight, or a new project to budget for the long run? Let’s talk.