Answer
After launch, several types of cost can arise: store fees, hosting and data storage, monitoring, backups, third-party services, operating system and library updates, bug fixing, support and functional further development. Not every app needs all of these services. A purely local app has different follow-up costs from a platform with user accounts, push notifications and company interfaces.
Maintenance should not appear as a surprise only after acceptance. The offer must make clear what falls under the warranty, what response readiness has been agreed, how technical updates are handled and which work represents new requirements. Without an ongoing contract an app does not disappear automatically, but external changes can impair it over time. An honest operating model can therefore consist of a fixed basic scope, usage-based infrastructure costs and separately commissioned further development. What matters is that the customer knows this structure before investing.
As of 3 September 2026
Further reading
Related topic: App development