Rails Upgrades
Your Rails app still works. The software under it may not be supported anymore.
We upgrade legacy Ruby on Rails apps in place, one step at a time, for a fixed price per step. It starts with a free assessment.
Built by operators from HubSpot, Dockwa, and EdX. Based in Maine and Massachusetts.
Where Rails support stands
As of November 2026, only Rails 8.1 and newer receive security fixes from the Rails core team.
Each Rails version gets security fixes for a set period, then stops. If your app runs on Rails 8.0 or earlier, newly found security issues are no longer patched for your version. The same applies to the Ruby language underneath: Ruby 3.2 and older are past end-of-life.
That doesn’t mean something is wrong today. It means the safety net is gone, and it’s worth planning a way back onto a supported version before an insurance form, an audit, or a hosting change forces the issue.
Source: Rails maintenance policy.
Who it’s for
- ✓ Your organization depends on a Rails app: a member portal, booking or registration system, donor or volunteer database, customer portal, or internal tool
- ✓ It was built years ago, often by an agency or a developer who has since moved on
- ✓ You have no developers on staff, or one who is stretched thin
- ✓ Small changes have become slow and risky, and nobody wants to touch it
- ✓ A security questionnaire, insurance renewal, audit, or hosting change is asking about supported software
Not the right fit if
- — Your app genuinely needs to be rebuilt. If so, the assessment will tell you plainly.
- — It runs on Rails 3 or earlier, unless the assessment finds a sensible path forward
- — You’re a large engineering organization with a big monolith and a dedicated platform team
Our approach
Upgrade, don’t rewrite.
Rewrites are expensive and risky. Your app holds years of business rules, edge cases, and data that a rebuild has to rediscover from scratch.
Most legacy Rails apps can be brought current in place. Think of it as a refit: keep the hull, modernize everything that keeps it running. We do it one version at a time, with a production release at every step.
How it works
Free assessment
We review your code, dependencies, tests, and hosting. Then we walk you through where things stand and give you a fixed quote for each upgrade step. All we need is read-only access to your code, a 30-minute call, and a few details about where the app is hosted.
Step-by-step upgrade
We move your app forward one Rails version at a time. Each step ships to production before the next one begins, and you can pause or stop after any step.
Stay current (optional)
A light monthly plan keeps you on supported versions from then on, so you never fall this far behind again.
Every step, the same way
- 01 We set the app up to run on both the old and new versions side by side, so nothing changes for you until it’s ready
- 02 We clear the warnings Rails gives about code that won’t work in the next version
- 03 We get the tests passing, adding a safety net around critical paths where tests are thin
- 04 You check the upgraded app on a staging copy
- 05 We release to production and watch it closely afterwards
What you can count on
- ✓ A fixed price per step, quoted after the free assessment
- ✓ Stop after any step. Each one is a finished, working release.
- ✓ A 30-day warranty. If the upgrade causes a problem, we fix it at no charge.
- ✓ No surprise bills. If we hit something outside the agreed assumptions, we stop, explain, and quote before going further.
New features, fixes for bugs that were already there, and larger migrations (such as moving file storage or changing hosts) are quoted separately. We’ll log any existing bugs we find so you have the list.
The free assessment
What you get
- ✓ Your current Ruby and Rails versions, and whether they still receive security fixes
- ✓ Known security vulnerabilities in the libraries your app depends on
- ✓ The blockers between you and a supported version
- ✓ A recommended target version and a fixed price for each step
- ✓ A short, plain-English summary and a call to walk through it
No obligation. If an upgrade isn’t the right call for your app, we’ll say so.
Why Noreaster Group
Senior judgment
About 20 years of Rails experience, including building and scaling the Dockwa marina platform. We’ve shipped software used by hundreds of thousands of people.
AI speed
Modern AI tooling handles the repetitive parts of an upgrade. Experienced engineers make every decision and review every change. That’s why the work is faster and costs less, without cutting corners.
Direct access
We’re a small team based in Maine and Massachusetts. You work directly with the partners, from the first call to the last release.
Curious how we build with Rails? Read how we built Kind Mind Education’s Rails platform.
Questions
It works fine. Why touch it?
It works until a security issue, a hosting change, or a broken library forces an emergency. A planned upgrade costs a fraction of an emergency one.
Should we rebuild it instead?
Sometimes, and the assessment will tell you honestly. Usually an upgrade keeps years of business logic intact for much less money.
How long does it take?
It depends on how far behind the app is and how it’s built. Your quote includes a timeline for each step, so you know what to expect before we start.
Will there be downtime?
Most steps go out like any normal release. If one needs a maintenance window, for example a database upgrade, we plan it with you ahead of time.
Our original developer is gone and there are no docs.
That’s normal. The assessment maps the app, and the summary doubles as a first piece of documentation.
We have few or no tests. Is that a problem?
No. Before changing anything, we add a targeted safety net around the parts of the app you rely on most.
How do you use AI?
For the mechanical parts: sweeping through warnings, researching library changes, and scaffolding tests. Experienced engineers decide the approach and review every change, and you see every change before it ships.
What about budget?
Fixed pricing per step lets you spread the work across budget cycles, and you can stop after any step.
Do you work with nonprofits?
Yes. We work with nonprofits and small organizations across New England and beyond.
What happens after the upgrade?
You’re on a supported version with a 30-day warranty. If you’d like, an optional monthly plan keeps you there with security updates and routine library upgrades.
Get your free Rails Upgrade Assessment
Pick a time for a short intro call. We’ll learn about your app, make sure it’s a fit, and explain what we need to get started.
Find out where your app stands.
It starts with a short conversation. No obligation, no sales pitch.
Want a broader look at your product? Try our free Technical Review →