Mobile app maintenance
Mobile App Maintenance services in Sydney & Melbourne for React Native and Flutter apps
Rocket Lab's mobile app maintenance plans keep a published React Native, Expo or Flutter app building, passing App Store and Google Play review and running on new devices, for a fixed monthly fee per app. We take care of the small, regular updates so you never face the big, expensive one.
- From A$1,490 + GST a month
- Live within 4 weeks of access
- Cancel with 30 days' notice
- React Native, Expo, Flutter: iOS and Android
- Plans from A$1,490, a month + GST, per app
- Founded 2014, Sydney and Melbourne team
Keep your app current for a fixed monthly fee.
Apple and Google change the rules every year. React Native and Flutter ship new versions every quarter. An app nobody touches for 18 months stops passing review, then stops working.
What 18 months of drift looks like
A typical React Native app, 2024 to 2026.
| Item | Without maintenance | With Rocket Lab |
|---|---|---|
| iOS SDK | Rejected at review | Current |
| Android target API | Delisted from Play | Current |
| React Native | 6 versions behind | Within 1 minor |
| Dependencies | 40+ outdated, 3 unmaintained | Reviewed monthly |
| Push certificates | Expired, push silent | Renewed early |
| Cost to fix | A$25k to A$60k project | Included |
Illustrative figures based on catch-up projects we've quoted. The longer the gap, the more updates compound on each other.
Is maintenance the right first step?
Built your app with Lovable, Bolt or Cursor and it isn't finished yet?
You want the App Rescue Report first: a fixed-price audit and costed fix plan from A$2,950 + GST. Maintenance starts once it's live.
Have in-house developers shipping with AI tools?
You may want AI Code Review for teams instead: review of what Cursor, Claude Code and Copilot produce, as a one-off or a retainer.
The platform calendar doesn't care whether you're shipping features
Four independent clocks are running against every mobile app. Miss one and the app goes stale. Miss two and it goes dark.
Every April
Apple raises the SDK bar
New App Store submissions must be built with the latest Xcode and iOS SDK. Old builds get rejected, and the hotfix you urgently need can't ship until the toolchain is upgraded.
Every August
Google raises the target API
Play requires apps to target a recent Android API level. Fall behind and updates are blocked. Fall further behind and the app is hidden from new users on current devices.
Roughly quarterly
React Native and Flutter move on
Each release changes native build files, deprecates APIs and drops old libraries. Skipping one version is a morning's work. Skipping six is a migration project.
Continuously
Dependencies rot
Payment, maps, analytics, push and auth SDKs release breaking changes and security patches on their own schedules. Certificates and profiles expire every year.
Plain-English definition
What is mobile app maintenance?
Mobile app maintenance is the ongoing work that keeps a published iOS or Android app building, passing store review and running on current devices after launch. It covers framework and toolchain updates, each year's App Store and Google Play requirements, dependency and security patches, certificate renewals, crash monitoring and regular releases. Rocket Lab sells it as a fixed monthly plan per app, from A$1,490 + GST, for React Native, Expo and Flutter apps, delivered by senior engineers in Sydney and Melbourne.
What our app maintenance service includes
Everything below is included on every plan. The difference between plans is how often we release and how many hours of fixes come with it.
Framework and toolchain updates
React Native, Expo SDK or Flutter kept within one minor version of stable. Xcode, Gradle, Kotlin, CocoaPods and Swift Package updates handled with them.
OS and store compliance
New iOS and Android releases tested before they reach your users. App Store and Play policy changes (privacy manifests, data safety, permissions) actioned before deadlines.
Dependency and security patching
Third-party packages reviewed monthly, security advisories patched, abandoned libraries swapped for maintained ones before they block a build.
Certificates, keys and store accounts
Signing certificates, provisioning profiles, push credentials and API keys tracked and renewed before they expire. No more silent push outages.
Crash monitoring and small fixes
Crash and error reports reviewed every cycle. Regressions, layout breakages on new devices and minor bugs fixed within your plan's included hours.
Regular releases and a plain-English report
Each cycle ends with a tested build submitted to both stores and a short report: what changed, what's coming, and anything that needs a decision from you.
What it isn't
- New feature development. That's quoted separately, and plan hours can go towards it on Active and Partner.
- Backend or API hosting. We monitor and flag issues, and can add server maintenance if you need it.
- A rescue for an app that's years behind, or an AI-built app that has never been reviewed. Those start with a Catch-up or an App Rescue Report, then move onto a plan.
- A 24/7 pager. Response times are business-hours SLAs, which is what most apps actually need.
Built with any of these? We can maintain it.
Most of the apps on our plans were built by another agency, a freelancer or an in-house team that has moved on. We take over, document and keep current.
| Built with | What we keep current | What usually breaks first |
|---|---|---|
| Expo (managed, EAS) | Expo SDK, EAS build profiles, config plugins, OTA updates | An SDK upgrade that drops a library, expired EAS credentials, OTA channel mismatches |
| React Native (bare) | React Native version, native modules, Xcode and Gradle projects, Hermes and the New Architecture | Native modules that don't compile after an RN bump, Xcode toolchain rejections at review |
| Flutter | Flutter and Dart SDK, pub packages, platform channels, iOS and Android embeddings | Discontinued packages, Gradle and Kotlin version drift, breaking Dart language changes |
| FlutterFlow, AI-assisted mobile | Exported Flutter code, Firebase rules, store listings and compliance | Store readiness, offline handling, generated code nobody has read (start with an App Rescue Report) |
| Ionic, Capacitor | Capacitor version, plugins, web bundle and WebView settings | Abandoned plugins, WebView behaviour changes on new OS versions |
| Native Swift, Kotlin | Quoted individually after the health check | Deprecated APIs, forced migrations (SwiftUI, Compose, Gradle) |
Mobile app maintenance plans and pricing
One fixed fee, no surprise rebuilds. Priced per app, iOS and Android together. All prices in AUD and exclude GST. Pay annually and get two months free.
Essential
For a stable app that just needs to keep passing review and working on new phones.
A$1,490a month + GST, or A$14,900 a year
- Quarterly update and release cycle (4 releases a year)
- Framework, toolchain and OS compatibility updates
- Store compliance and certificate renewals
- Dependency and security patching
- Crash monitoring
- Up to 4 senior hours of fixes a month
- Response within 3 business days
Active
For an app in daily use with real customers, where bugs need fixing and small changes come up.
A$2,990a month + GST, or A$29,900 a year
- Everything in Essential
- Monthly update and release cycle (12 releases a year)
- Third-party SDK upgrades (payments, maps, auth, analytics)
- Up to 10 senior hours of fixes and small changes a month
- Response within 2 business days, next business day for store rejections
- Monthly report and a quarterly review call
Partner
For a business whose app is core to revenue, with no in-house mobile engineers.
A$5,490a month + GST, or A$54,900 a year
- Everything in Active
- Fortnightly release cadence when needed (up to 24 releases a year)
- Up to 20 senior hours a month, usable for small features, rolling over one month
- Named lead engineer who knows your codebase
- Response within 1 business day, same day for outages
- Backend and infrastructure monitoring included
Behind by more than a year? Start with a Catch-up: a fixed-price project to bring the app back to current toolchains and store requirements, quoted after the free health check. Typically A$6,000 to A$30,000 + GST depending on how far behind it is. Then any plan above keeps it there. If the app was built with AI tools and has never been reviewed, the App Rescue Report is the right first step.
Prices are per app (one codebase, both stores). Multiple apps, white-label builds and native Swift or Kotlin apps are quoted individually.
What the price assumes
Everything you need to know before you sign, so there are no surprises later.
- Starting point. The app is live in both stores and on a framework version released within the last 12 months. We confirm this in the free health check; anything older starts with a Catch-up at a fixed quote.
- Hours. Included hours are senior engineer hours. They don't roll over on Essential and Active; Partner hours roll over one month.
- Extra work. Anything beyond included hours is A$210 + GST an hour, quoted and approved before we start. Larger features get a fixed quote.
- Term. Initial 3-month term, then cancel any time with 30 days' notice. Annual plans are paid up front and cover 12 months.
- Response times. Counted in business days, Sydney time, from your message. Store rejections and outages follow the faster targets shown on each plan.
- Access. You keep ownership of the store accounts, code and certificates; we work from accounts you control and remove our access if you leave.
Live within four weeks, usually sooner
The same process we use for every product we build, scaled down to the size of the job.
Free health check
Week 0: a 30-minute call plus store links or repo access
We check framework versions, store status, dependency age and certificate expiries, then tell you honestly whether you need a plan, a Catch-up, or nothing yet.
Onboarding
Weeks 1 to 2
We set up CI builds, crash reporting and a release checklist, document how the app is built and shipped, and get access to the store accounts with you.
Baseline release
Weeks 2 to 4
First maintenance release: everything brought to current, submitted to both stores, and a written baseline of exactly where the app stands.
Ongoing cycles
Then quarterly, monthly or fortnightly
Each cycle: update, test on real devices, release, report. You only hear from us when something needs a decision, or when it's done.
Why Rocket Lab
Senior engineers who ship mobile apps every week, not a ticket queue offshore
We build React Native and Flutter apps for a living, so the April Xcode deadline and the August target API change are part of our own release calendar, not a surprise. Trusted since 2014 by Webjet, James Hardie, Red Bull, NSW Police, Petbarn, CSIRO and Superloop.
We didn't need to build it
Most apps on our plans came from another agency or a developer who moved on. Onboarding is where we document it properly, often for the first time.
Local, senior, accountable
Engineers in Sydney and Melbourne, on your time zone, who you can call. No account manager between you and the person doing the work.
Fixed fee, no rush rates
The work happens on a calm schedule instead of the week a store rejection lands. Your finance team sees the same number every month.
Straight answers
If the app is fine and doesn't need a plan yet, we'll say so. If it needs a rebuild rather than maintenance, we'll say that too, with numbers.
App maintenance in Sydney and Melbourne
Local engineers, Australian business hours, and an office you can walk into for the handover.
App maintenance Sydney
Our Sydney team at 281 Clarence Street looks after React Native and Flutter apps for startups, scale-ups and enterprise clients across NSW. Onboarding, the baseline release and quarterly reviews can happen in person, and store rejections are handled by an engineer in your time zone.
App maintenance Melbourne
From Level 7, 180 Flinders Street, our Melbourne engineers provide the same fixed-fee mobile app maintenance plans to Victorian businesses. Whether your app was built by us, another agency or an in-house team that has moved on, we take it over, document it and keep it current.
Questions people ask before signing up
What is mobile app maintenance?
Mobile app maintenance is the ongoing work that keeps a published iOS or Android app building, passing store review and running on current devices. It includes framework and toolchain updates, App Store and Google Play compliance, dependency and security patching, certificate renewals, crash monitoring and regular releases. Rocket Lab provides it as a fixed monthly plan per app for React Native, Expo and Flutter apps.
How much does app maintenance cost in Australia?
A fixed-fee mobile app maintenance plan from an Australian agency costs about A$1,500 to A$5,500 a month, and Rocket Lab's plans are A$1,490, A$2,990 and A$5,490 + GST per app. The common industry benchmark is 15 to 20 percent of the original build cost per year. Ad hoc hourly maintenance from a Sydney or Melbourne agency typically costs A$150 to A$220 an hour, and a Catch-up project for an app left untouched for two years or more usually lands between A$6,000 and A$30,000.
Do you maintain apps built by another agency or a developer who has left?
Yes, and most of the apps we maintain were built by someone else. The free health check tells us what we're working with, and the two-week onboarding is where we document it. If the codebase is in genuinely poor shape we'll tell you before you commit to anything.
What happens when Apple or Google rejects an update?
We fix the cause and resubmit, and on Active and Partner plans a store rejection gets a response the next business day. Rejections are usually caused by an outdated SDK, a missing privacy manifest or data safety form, a permission Apple wants explained, or a policy change on Play, and all of those are covered by the plan.
Do you support Expo, bare React Native and Flutter equally?
Yes. Our team ships and maintains all three in production, including Expo managed and EAS workflows, bare React Native with native modules and the New Architecture, and Flutter with platform channels. Ionic and Capacitor apps are also covered; native Swift and Kotlin apps are quoted individually.
Our app was built with FlutterFlow or an AI coding tool. Can you maintain it?
Usually, after a health check. If the app is live and reasonably built, it goes straight onto a plan. If it has never had a proper review, or it isn't finished, start with the App Rescue Report (A$2,950 + GST) so the costed fix list comes before the monthly fee.
Why not just pay hourly when something breaks?
Because things break at the worst time: a store rejection when you need a hotfix out, or an SDK deadline the week your campaign launches. Hourly work then happens under pressure, on an old toolchain, at rush rates. A fixed fee moves that work to a calm schedule, and in quiet months the platform work still happens: framework bumps, dependency reviews, OS beta testing, certificate renewals.
Can we use the included hours for new features?
On Active and Partner, yes, within the monthly allowance. Larger features are scoped and quoted separately, and plan clients get priority scheduling for them. Essential hours are reserved for fixes and compatibility work.
What access do you need?
Write access to the repository, a role on App Store Connect and Google Play Console that can upload and submit builds, access to CI and crash reporting if you have them, and a test account. We sign an NDA first, the accounts stay in your name, and we remove our access if you leave.
What happens to access and IP if we cancel?
Everything stays yours: code, store accounts, certificates, CI configuration and the documentation we wrote. After the initial 3-month term you can cancel with 30 days' notice, and we hand over cleanly and walk your next team through it.
Related services
A fixed-price launch-readiness audit for apps built with AI tools, with a costed plan to launch.
Continuous improvements, performance tuning and upgrades to keep your product competitive and resilient.
New React Native apps, takeovers, upgrades and maintenance for iOS and Android.
Flutter app design, development, takeovers, upgrades and maintenance for iOS and Android.
Find out where your app stands before the next deadline does
Send us your store links, and repo access if you have it. You get a plain-English summary of what's current, what's at risk and which plan fits, or a note that you don't need one yet.
