# Ruby on Rails upgrade services and support > Rails upgrade services from a team that's worked with Rails since 2007. Ruby, Rails and gem upgrades a version at a time, with tests to make them safe. - URL: https://velocitylabs.io/ruby-on-rails/upgrades/ Ruby on Rails upgrades # Ruby on Rails upgrades, from a team that's worked with Rails since 2007. You keep your phone and laptop up to date, so why not the software your business runs on? We upgrade Ruby, Rails, and your gems a step at a time, with tests to prove nothing broke. ## Why upgrade Rails? - ### Security Old versions stop getting security fixes, while attackers keep looking for the known holes in them. - ### Performance Newer versions of Ruby and Rails are faster, and your app gets the improvements for free. - ### Falling further behind Each version you skip makes the next upgrade harder, and eventually a rewrite starts to look tempting. ## What a Rails upgrade covers - ### Your Ruby version Up to a supported release, so you keep getting security fixes. - ### Your Rails version One version at a time, from Rails 4 and 5 up to the latest. - ### Gems and JavaScript libraries The third-party code your app depends on, updated or replaced where it’s been abandoned. - ### Your server environment Hosting, databases, and build tools brought up to versions that are still supported. - ### Tests Tests around the parts that matter, so we can prove each step didn’t break anything. - ### The deploy Shipped in small steps your business keeps running through, not one risky big bang. > “The best development studio I have ever used, hands down. The code is clean, scales well, is delivered on time and with style.” > > Andrew Hyde ## How a Rails upgrade works 1. ### We look at your app Which versions you’re on, how much test coverage you have, and how many dependencies need to move. Then we tell you what the upgrade will take. 2. ### We upgrade a step at a time One version at a time, with tests, fixing what each step breaks before moving on. 3. ### We keep it current Deployed safely, and with a [maintenance plan](https://velocitylabs.io/maintenance/) you never end up years behind again. ## Case study: ten years of Rails, kept current We rebuilt this platform in Rails in 2015 and have upgraded it many times since, without ever starting over again. [![](https://velocitylabs.io/images/work/princess-dental-staffing-wide.webp) Princess Dental Staffing ### From one local market to over 200,000 temps placed nationwide We rebuilt this dental staffing platform in 2015 and have been its development team ever since, through subscriptions, AI integration and a mobile app launch, as it grew to more than 40 cities. Read the case study → ](https://velocitylabs.io/portfolio/princess-dental-staffing/) ## Rails apps we've upgraded ![The surveying firm's daily workflow screen, listing the day's work orders](https://velocitylabs.io/images/work/land-surveying-firm.webp) ### Land surveying firm We audited this firm's job and invoicing app, fixed the three urgent issues we found, rebuilt its invoice engine, upgraded Rails, and still look after it. - [Ruby on Rails](https://velocitylabs.io/portfolio/?tech=ruby-on-rails) - [PostgreSQL](https://velocitylabs.io/portfolio/?tech=postgresql) ![Princess Dental Staffing home page: Make your next hire with Princess](https://velocitylabs.io/images/work/princess-dental-staffing.webp) ### Princess Dental Staffing Dental practices use it to hire staff and book temps online. Along the way we built its Stripe subscriptions, the API behind its mobile app, and AI-based matching, as it grew from one local market to nationwide. - [Ruby on Rails](https://velocitylabs.io/portfolio/?tech=ruby-on-rails) - [PostgreSQL](https://velocitylabs.io/portfolio/?tech=postgresql) - [Stripe](https://velocitylabs.io/portfolio/?tech=stripe) - [AI Integration](https://velocitylabs.io/portfolio/?tech=ai-integration) - [API Integration](https://velocitylabs.io/portfolio/?tech=api-integration) - [AWS](https://velocitylabs.io/portfolio/?tech=aws) - [Heroku](https://velocitylabs.io/portfolio/?tech=heroku) [Read the case study →](https://velocitylabs.io/portfolio/princess-dental-staffing/) ![Goalistics home page: goal-based behavior change for depression and chronic pain](https://velocitylabs.io/images/work/goalistics.webp) ### Goalistics Online programs for chronic pain and depression, built for a team of psychologists. We've been their development team since 2014. - [Ruby on Rails](https://velocitylabs.io/portfolio/?tech=ruby-on-rails) - [PostgreSQL](https://velocitylabs.io/portfolio/?tech=postgresql) - [Heroku](https://velocitylabs.io/portfolio/?tech=heroku) [See more of our work](https://velocitylabs.io/portfolio/) ## Questions about Rails upgrades #Is Ruby on Rails dead? No. Rails is actively developed, with a new version every year or so, and it still runs large products like Shopify and GitHub. Fewer new apps start on it than ten years ago, but the apps already on it need upgrading and looking after, and that’s work we do. #How much does a Rails upgrade cost? It depends on how far behind the app is, how much test coverage it has, and how many dependencies it has, so we look at your code first. Most Rails apps can be upgraded within a full week of development work. #Should we rewrite our Rails app in something else? Usually not. A rewrite is expensive and risky, and Rails is still a strong choice for the apps built on it. A [code audit](https://velocitylabs.io/code-audit/) will tell you where your app stands. #Can you keep our Rails app up to date after the upgrade? Yes. The Standard and Priority [maintenance plans](https://velocitylabs.io/maintenance/) keep the framework and language current, so you don’t fall behind again.