Plan for 10 to 20 percent of the build cost every year in upkeep, plus hosting. For a $12,000 mid-range app, that means roughly $1,800 a year in upkeep and $2,400 in hosting, so the first three years cost about $24,600 in total. The drivers are quarterly API versions, security patches, hosting and support. Most quotes skip them, which is why people get burned.
Ask any vendor for the retainer scope and price in writing before you sign. Our custom Shopify app development team can quote maintenance with the build.
A three-year total cost of ownership
Same assumptions as our build-or-buy math.
| Scenario | Build | Upkeep per year | Hosting per year | Run cost per year | Three-year total |
| Lean app | $7,000 | $700 | $600 | $1,300 | $10,900 |
| Mid-range app | $12,000 | $1,800 | $2,400 | $4,200 | $24,600 |
| Heavy app | $18,000 | $3,600 | $6,000 | $9,600 | $46,800 |
- Upkeep is 10, 15 and 20 percent of the build cost each year.
- Hosting is $50, $200 and $500 a month.
- Totals include the build once and three years of run cost.
- Ranges come from third-party 2026 estimates. Replace them with quotes.
What drives the cost
Four recurring drivers.
Why: Shopify releases a new API version every quarter and supports each for at least 12 months, so you must upgrade at least once a year.
Effort: small for tidy code, larger for apps with many calls.
Why: libraries, runtimes and certificates need regular patches.
Effort: steady, small and predictable.
Why: servers, databases, queues and alerts.
Range: commonly $50 to $500 or more a month.
Why: bugs, questions and small feature requests.
Effort: grows with users and integrations.
What breaks if you do not maintain it
Costs show up late and all at once.
- A retired API version starts returning errors.
- A dependency flaw goes unpatched.
- Webhook failures go unnoticed and data drifts.
- Platform changes, such as the script tag retirement on March 1, 2027, break features.
- A rushed fix then costs more than the yearly upkeep would have.
Managed or in-house
Both can work.
Rule of thumb: whichever you pick, put the scope, response times and price in writing.
Maintained in production
The case study reports no bundle or promo bugs in more than 18 months of production use. We do not publish a retainer price list, so ask for a quote against your scope.
Read more: our Rose Inc Shopify case study
Ask our custom Shopify app development team for a build quote that includes the maintenance scope and a three-year cost view.
Frequently Asked Questions
A common rule is 10 to 20 percent of the build cost each year for upkeep, plus hosting that often runs $50 to $500 or more a month. Heavy apps with integrations cost more.
Shopify releases a new API version every quarter and supports each for at least 12 months. Security patches, library updates, hosting changes and bug fixes continue after launch.
Calls to retired API versions fail, security holes stay open, integrations drift and merchants or staff hit errors. Fixes then cost more than steady upkeep would have.
In-house gives control but needs an engineer who knows the app and Shopify’s changes. A retainer gives coverage without hiring. Ask for the scope in writing.
For the three scenarios here, roughly $11,000 for a lean app, $24,600 for a mid-range app and $46,800 for a heavy app, including the build. Compare with the build-or-buy break-even.
