The most frequent question we get from business owners and some app entrepreneurs is “How much does it cost to create a mobile app”. Our simple answer to that kind of question is “it depends”.
Why?
Everything, as you can see, has a price. But this isn’t necessarily true for mobile app development. When it comes to creating a fully functional mobile app, there is no set cost. If you would hire a mobile app development agency, you can clarify this. And also it is a good strategy for saving your time and money.
Consider any recent purchase you’ve made of a good or service. There are a number of factors that determine an item’s final price, whether it be a smart TV, a cell phone, or a car. For mobile apps, the same remains true.
How much it cost to create a mobile app is dependent on a wide range of variables. However, the general rule is, you get what you pay for.
You can’t expect to create a great software for only a few dollars (even a few hundred dollars). However, investing thousands of dollars in app development does not guarantee success in the end.
So how do you calculate the Cost to Create a Mobile App, especially if it’s your first time? We’ll be talking about the various things you should think about when estimating the price of developing a mobile app in this article.
Before the beginning, let’s look at some important numbers that indicate the US average cost of developing a mobile app.
How Much Does it Cost to Build an App: The Estimations
Numerous studies have found that the typical Cost to Create a Mobile App is between $100,000 and $500,000, perhaps even more. A completely customized, feature-rich mobile app can cost over $500,000 to produce.
- The median cost of developing an app was assessed at $171,450 in a Clutch study of app development companies.
- According to a VDC survey of enterprise app developers, the average cost of developing a mobile app is $140,000.
- According to a Kinvey poll of CIOs, the average cost is $270,000.
These were some of the fundamental app development cost estimates derived from the surveys. However, depending on your aims, the real development cost may change.
Let’s look at the variables that affect the real mobile app development cost.
Factors that Determine the Mobile App Development Cost
The following are some of the key factors that affect how much a custom mobile app costs:
- Partner in application development (freelancer or development company)
- Location of the development partner
- Features and complexity
- Platform (Android or iOS)
- Complexity of design
Let’s go into more detail about each of these aspects.
1. Development Partner: Freelancer vs. App Development Company
It’s important to choose the correct type of development partner. To build your app, you can work with independent app developers or an app development company.
Actually, neither of the above-mentioned choices is a bad one. However, there are several benefits of hiring a reputable app development company rather than a freelancer.
The biggest advantage of using independent developers is cost. Yes, you can find independent contractors willing to work for as little as $20 per hour to develop your app. You may find independent app developers on websites like Freelancer.com and Upwork.com.
But using freelancers has several significant disadvantages.
Why? Because writing a few hundred lines of code is only one part of creating an app. Numerous factors, including design, UI, and UX, need to taken into consideration.
1. Development Partner: Freelancer vs. App Development Company
You’ll need to find freelancers for each of your project’s specific parts if you choose independent contractors. It’s possible that you’ll have to lead the group by yourself. You can definitely save some money by using freelancers, but you won’t get high-quality work or on-time delivery.
A local partner for app development, however, might offer you a variety of advantages. Working with a mobile app development company has the following primary benefits:
- Quality assurance
- Efficient project management
- All-inclusive services
- Schedule and discipline
- Deep involvement
- Easy to communicate
- Accountability
Freelancers typically charge less but take longer. But local development company may charge more but offer better results more quickly.
According to the complexity of mobile apps; simple, moderate, mid-level, and fully customized, the cost of app development is approximately:
| Complexity | What You’ll Get | Estimated Time | Freelance Cost | Local US company Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple (Basic MVP, 1 Platform) | Standard UI elements, and simple backend | 3 to 4 Months | $15,000 – 25,000 | $40,000 – 60,000 |
| Moderate (Medium Size, 1-2 Platforms) | API integration, custom UI features, simple design | 4 to 5 Months | $30,000 – 40,000 | $70,000 – 100,000 |
| Mid-Level (Large size, 2 Platforms) | Professional design, pro features, high-quality animation | 6 to 7 Months | $50,000 – $70,000 | $110,000 – $200,000 |
| Full Custom (Enterprise, Very Large, 2 Platforms, Fully Custom Native) | Custom and professional front-end design, robust back-end features, and integrations | 8+ Months | $80,000+ | $200,000+ |
2. Location of the App Development Partner
The ultimate development cost of an app is significantly influenced by the location of the app development company. The United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, South America, India, Ukraine, and Indonesia are a few of the top countries for mobile app development.
At these places, the costs associated with developing mobile applications vary greatly. What is the price of developing an app in these places? The typical rates are as follows:
| Region | iOS ($/hour) | Android ($/hour) |
|---|---|---|
| North America | 150 | 168 |
| Australia | 110 | 110 |
| UK | 70 | 70 |
| South America | 43 | 34 |
| Eastern Europe | 35 | 35 |
| India | 30 | 26 |
| Indonesia | 11 | 12 |
The hourly pricing for app development in Asian countries like India, Pakistan, and Indonesia ranges from $25 to $35. In contrast, countries like Australia, UK, or South America, it is like $40 to $110 for the same thing.
Agencies in North America typically charge between $130 and $160 per hour to develop a mobile app because it is the most popular location for development.
3. The Size of Your Development Team to Build an App
The scope of your project will determine the size of your development team. While a dedicated team of developers MUST handle big applications, the team should also handle simple apps.
A typical development team consists of:
Programmer
Project Manager
QA Engineer
UI/UX Designer
While an extended team consists of:
Project Manager
Two to four App Developers
One Back-end Developer
One to Two UI/UX Designers
A QA Engineer
A System Administrator
So how many resources does it take a full-scale development team to create a high-quality app? The summary is as follows:
| Person | Roles & Responsibilities |
|---|---|
| UX/UI Designer | Design the app layout, look and feel of different screens, perform optimization tasks |
| Developer | Write the code to create app functionalities, perform data integration, fix bugs |
| Back-end Developer | Ensure smooth communication between the application, the server, and the database |
| QA Engineer or Tester | Check every functionality of the app, check the quality of code, design quality, and ensure the app fulfills the main purpose |
| Project Manager | Efficiently handle the project, ensure deadlines are followed by everyone, ensure there is discipline and proper communication within the team |
4. Cost to Build an App Based on the Key Features & Complexities
A mobile application takes more than 3 to 6 months to develop on average.
It could possibly take up to 8 to 12 months for more complicated applications to reach the market. So why does developing apps take so long?
It completely depends on the functionality you need for your mobile application.
| Simple (Basic MVP, 1 Platform) | Moderate (Medium Size, 1-2 Platforms) | Mid-Level (Large size, 2 Platforms) | Full Custom (Enterprise, 2 Platforms, Fully Custom Native) | |
| Time | ~2-3 months | ~4-5 months | ~6-7 months | ~8+ months |
Some typical features like user sign-in, push notifications, primary navigation, etc. won’t take much time. However, features like credit card payment, online streaming, offline mode, etc. may take more time.
Let’s look at each feature’s development costs in more detail:
- Registration and Login
Would you like users to log in and register to use your app? If so, your app has to have this feature. Popular alternatives for signing up include using social profiles, such as Facebook accounts, or Gmail.
Signing up via social login is a user-friendly option. So users just have to grant access to your app to access the necessary information from your social account.
- Navigation
The main focus of app navigation is improving the user’s experience through your app. It outlines how users navigate between screens, access different features, and return to the previous screen or exit the program.
Before any development work starts, a meaningful user flow should be sketched out. Mobile apps are built on UI architecture.
Cost to Build an App Based on the Key Features & Complexities Cont’d
- Push Notifications
Today’s mobile applications come with push alerts. It makes it easier for businesses to give their clients real-time updates. You have a variety of choices. Including simple text notifications and ones that include graphics and action buttons.
Push notification implementation must be done carefully if you’re creating a messaging program like WhatsApp. Because the right person needs to get the notifications.
- Media
An essential component of any mobile application is media content. To improve the overall user experience, your app should feature eye-catching graphics, videos, and sounds. You could also need to incorporate specific filters, effects, smileys, and so on depending on the scope of your app.
- Maps
One of the most important aspects for apps like Uber, Airbnb, or restaurant apps is geolocation. The maps feature can also be used by business apps to make it easier for customers to find the store.
To make this feature available, developers might need to incorporate services like Google Maps into the application.
- In-app Purchases
Do you wish to directly sell goods or services through your app? Payment gateways must be included if you want to collect payments for products, courses, premium features, or subscriptions.
Payment gateways are a fairly popular feature, and integrating them into your app won’t take much time.
Cost to Build an App Based on the Key Features & Complexities Cont’d
- Streaming
The media streaming function works with programs like Netflix, Hulu, HBO GO, Twitch, and others. The size of this feature determines how long and how much it will cost to develop.
Do you want the “record-and-send” option, where users must download a local file, or do you prefer the users to get the information quickly? You must also take the format of the video or audio files into account.
- Security and Data Encryption
Cybercriminals and hackers nowadays are using some advanced tactics to steal user data and vital business information. Mobile apps are becoming increasingly vulnerable to security problems as they increase in popularity.
The analysis claims that more than 80% of security problems of mobile apps are coming from malware.
Therefore, data encryption is important to prevent unauthorized access to the app’s data.
App Development Cost for Each Phase
Six essential phases make up an effective app development process. The stages are the same regardless of the size and scope of the mobile app project:
- Business Evaluation
- Designing UI/UX
- App development
- Project management
- App testing and deployment
- Ongoing support and maintenance
Knowing the costs at each stage would be useful for appreneurs because it will help you plan your budget.
Finally you have clealry understood the Cost to Create a Mobile App and the importance of hiring custom mobile app company to develop your app.