Hey folks!
We all know that upgrading a Rails app isn’t just about running bundle update and calling it a day. Some upgrades are straightforward, while others turn into unexpected adventures.
One of the biggest challenges we’ve seen? Estimating how long an upgrade will actually take. There are so many factors that can affect timelines:
Gem compatibility – Are your gems ready for the latest Rails version? Or will you need workarounds?
Code complexity – A simple app might upgrade in hours, while a legacy monolith could take weeks (or months).
Breaking changes & deprecations - Some upgrades introduce subtle changes that require deep diving into documentation.
At RailsFactory, we built a Rails compatibility checker tool to help with this. RailsUp, an upgrade estimator that scans your app’s dependencies and gives a rough complexity score. It also helps answer the big question: How much effort and time will this upgrade take?
If you haven’t tried RailsUp yet, we’d love to hear what you think!
It’s designed to save you time by identifying gem compatibility issues early so you can focus on the other parts of upgrading.