It is always crucial to have a budget plan for app maintenance costs before the development process begins. App development process and the launch are only the first steps for building a successful app. It is the frequent maintenance and updates that keep your app functional and user-friendly for users.
Keep your focus on app upgrades, changes, and mobile app maintenance expenses that may arise after development and launch.
You must also prepare a strategy and budget plan to maintain the app in the long run.
Look at some statistics below to understand the necessity of mobile app maintenance.
As per Statista, here are the number of apps available on leading app stores as of 2022:
| Google Play | Apple App Store | Amazon App Store |
| 3,298,329 | 2,110,063 | 475,904 |
And according to TechCrunch reports, 1 in 4 users abandons an app after first use.
Every type of app needs maintenance and upgrades to provide a great user experience to all users. App maintenance is also a must if you want significant ROI results on your app.
Contents Table
How Much Does App Maintenance Cost?
Consider factors like server costs for apps, push notifications, and payment gateways to determine app maintenance costs.
The app maintenance cost can be as high as 50% of the total development cost in the first year. It is because you have to add/remove features, deal with bugs/errors, and implement user feedback after the launch. The maintenance costs decrease by 15-20% each year after that.
The costs of maintaining an app will be reasonably high if it is a native Android or iOS app.
An app owner must secure $250 -$500 for the monthly maintenance to keep the app running perfectly.
You can expect to spend about $20,000 a year to manage your app if the cost to build an app is $100,000.
Determining the actual app maintenance costs involves several factors such as the mobile app hosting costs, technology implemented, location, server maintenance costs, features of the app, and mobile app development company.
App Maintenance Cost Breakdown per Month
Take a look at these recurring mobile application maintenance service expenses that may influence the cost.
| Expenses | Cost per month |
| Servers | $20 -60 |
| Push notification | $10 |
| Payment gateway | $149. It depends on % of each commission |
| Type of Maintenance | It depends on the emergency($50 upwards) |
| App store fee | $25-Google play, $99-Apple App |
The following are the costs of maintaining an app based on the location:
| Country | Rate per hour |
| US | $10-$150 |
| UK | $32-$160 |
| Ukraine | $20-$100 |
| India | $8-$80 |
App maintenance costs in India and Ukraine are the lowest compared to other countries.
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Factors That Determine App Maintenance Price
Updating the version of the OS
All OS systems release updates frequently. Developers also need to intervene to implement the changes when app platforms change the guidelines or compile standards.
Ignoring the requirements of the app platform can get the app flagged or labeled as obsolete in the store.
Testing your apps from time to time on updated OS versions can help in mitigating performance issues and any broken functionality.
Updating App technology
App improvements can please the end-user due to the increasing importance of user reviews and experience. Technology updates like upgrades can help improve performance.
Your app can outperform the competition when you integrate tools like Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) with it.
Integration with external tools/services
You would have chosen a licensed technology at a cost when developing your app. All third-party services charge a monthly cost. Even a version upgrade for a 3rd party tool can be an added cost. You need to consider this cost as part of app maintenance.
Advanced Push Notifications
A large chunk of conversion occurs through push notifications for most e-commerce apps. The push notifications notify the users about things like sales, cart abandonment, and new arrival.
Customized push notifications can simultaneously engage app users and promote your business. You may add advanced push notification features during maintenance/upgrades to make your app more interactive for users.
Publishing New Content
App data needs constant tweaks, replacements, and fixes for banners, images, content, and videos.
You must personalize all content according to user behavior.
The app admin panel can make simple changes. But technical/complex changes will need a mobile app maintenance team.
Fixing Bugs
Nothing drives the user away faster than constant errors and app crashes. Your app can fail or crash due to accumulated bugs over time. Leaving bugs unaddressed for a long time can lead to more expenses and long-delayed recovery.
Keep technical issues and bugs at bay by taking remedial measures as soon as they are spotted. And keep track of customer feedback and reviews as they help resolve the latest problems or complaints.
Data Backup
Having a regular backup for the mobile app is essential. Any hacker attack can lead to enormous losses and a bad reputation for the business.
An app backup can be a savior in such unexpected circumstances. App maintenance may involve regular backups manually or by schedule.
App Analytics Costs
A good analytics tool can help track the app performance and user engagement.
It helps gauge essential metrics such as engagement, conversion, retention, in-app per daily user, and % of daily users who purchased.
The mobile app development and maintenance team can develop a customized app analytics tool if the analytics tools in the app are not enough to track usage metrics.
You need to monitor the Daily Active Users(DAU) on the app once you publish it on the Google Play or Apple App store. It provides information on the number of app installations and users who engage with your app.
You can also look at the Monthly Active Users (MAU) reports with the same statistics but on a monthly level. Having a good DAU and MAU is suitable for your app’s success.
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Significance of Mobile App Maintenance
Improves User Experience
The secret to having a successful app is a good user experience. Coming up with new features and functionalities is a sure-shot way to keep the users hooked. Having good user experience results in:
- Loyal Customer Base
- Increased ROI
- Increased User Retention
- Better Feedback and Ratings
The cost to retain and acquire new customers can become less when your app provides a good user experience.
Prevents Glitches and Flickering Issues
Every app has its flaws that lead to functionality errors from time to time. Tech giants like Google and Facebook have also seen data leaks, imperfections, and bugs.
Technical issues such as producing wrong search results, non-functioning buttons, and crashing after clicking the app can happen for several reasons. Such errors can appear even after you launch your app and hamper the user experience. They can prompt users to close and uninstall the app.
Continuous maintenance and testing are essential for any app to function well. Test your app’s compatibility frequently across mobile devices to avoid losing customers.
Keeps UI/UX Up to Date
It is critical to understand customer needs and customize the app accordingly. It can include factors like new features, split-screen, animation, and transition.
Having a side menu was a trend a few years back. But keeping essential features at the bottom is the best practice today.
Such design elements may become popular after a brand uses them and users love them. That is how it can be beneficial to update your app with relevant trends and implement user feedback.
Minimizes App Uninstallations
Users pay attention to detail and may delete the application if it does not meet their expectations. The app stores have alternatives for almost every app you can build and provide.
You must update your application regularly with new features by mapping user behavior and data. It is necessary to keep the customers engaged and minimize app uninstallations.
Prevents Frequent Downtimes
App downtime can be a nightmare for any business if it happens frequently and lasts long. You can take measures to avoid possible downlines with regular updates, server backup tests, compatibility tests with the latest technology, and protection against hacking.
Downtime can cause app uninstallation and revenue losses. You must prepare your app maintenance cost budget for precautionary measures required to prevent frequent app downtimes.
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Types of Mobile App Maintenance
Emergency maintenance
This type of maintenance is essential when abrupt, sudden, or unplanned situations may arise due to unexpected downtimes caused by bugs and crashes. You will need to get back the application on track by addressing the problems immediately. Quick fixes/solutions to enhance the app’s functionalities further are the best ways to deal with it.
Adaptive maintenance
This type of maintenance is required to meet all the changing hardware/software needs, track all app changes, and make improvements.
It may include making adjustments to the OS, hardware, and software. And it will help you improve your application performance and keep it up to date.
Perfective maintenance
User feedback and trending mobile features lead to perfective maintenance.
Your approach is to meet the ever-changing needs of the users through maintenance and functional modifications in the source code.
Creating and improving a great UI/UX for users is at the heart of perfective maintenance.
Preventive maintenance
Preventive maintenance helps identify and prevent bugs/errors that cause crashes and long downtimes.
Preventive maintenance includes app optimization and frequent app performance/compatibility tests. It helps prevent many crashes and unexpected downtimes.
Corrective maintenance
The goal here is to deal with bugs, defects, and repairs in your app. You focus on resolving coding and design in this type of maintenance.
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Tips to Reduce Mobile Application Maintenance Costs
Selection of the Right App Development Platform
Apps are of two types: Native and Web Apps. And you need to figure out your business needs to choose the right one.
Native apps are faster and lighter as they have the best resources and features. But you may have to maintain two apps: one for Android and one for iOS.
It may expand your maintenance budget and increase the cost of app maintenance.
Maintain just one app that runs on most devices with a web app. Research the pros and cons of the types like hybrid and native before choosing one.
Implement user feedback
It is always a good idea to build a simple app initially without having to stretch your app budget. And then implement user feedback to make improvements and add features that make your app user-centric and lower overall app maintenance costs.
Hiring an experienced app maintenance team
Stick to the same team that built your app for maintenance. Hiring another team may waste your time, resources, and money figuring out the issues. And especially if you go for cheaper app maintenance services.
Using the same team will ensure reliable maintenance for your app.
Ensuring app scalability
Plan for the long term by making it scalable when you create an app. Your app must have great scalability to meet the requirements of increasing users. Cutting on scalability can hurt your app and maintenance budget in the long run.
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Summing Up
App maintenance is always a necessity and not a choice.
Keep up with the latest technology trends and consider adding any feature, updates, or trends in your app to extend its lifespan.
Consider all the app maintenance factors mentioned throughout this article to approach the maintenance process correctly.
Ailoitte can also provide app maintenance services that can increase your user base and lead to business growth.
We offer a plethora of services at affordable prices that include mobile app support maintenance, app monitoring, scalability, optimization, version upgrades, and security.
Get a quote on app maintenance costs today and a rough estimate of the total cost.
FAQs
App maintenance is the reevaluation and modification of your existing app to keep it up to date and improve its overall functionality.
Every app requires ongoing maintenance and constant updates to keep users engaged and keep the app running smoothly.
Mobile application maintenance and support includes bug fixing, enhancing functionality, adding security, improving the design, and monitoring app performance.
The hosting app server costs for apps can range from $70 to $320 per month.
The app maintenance cost is roughly 15-20% of the development budget.
Apple App Store charges an annual developer fee of $99 to publish your app. And you are charged a one-time developer fee of $25 on the Google Play Store.
1/5th of your development costs can go for app maintenance. For example, You can expect to spend around $20,000 on maintenance annually if your app costs $100,000 to develop.
300$ to 500$ are needed monthly on average to keep the app functioning in optimal condition.
App maintenance costs depend on the complexity of an app. The maintenance cost is higher for native apps compared to hybrid apps.
It is because each platform requires an individual app developer.
