How Much Does it Cost to Develop a Hybrid App?

Today, when we talk about developing an app, one has to understand what type of application they plan to build, i.e., iOS or Android.

Identifying the right approach based on what type of service your application offers and the user base you want to target is crucial, as mobile app stats and targeted users can help you identify the market opportunities.

However, developing the same app for different platforms also makes the entire process time-consuming and money-intensive. And choosing any one platform is certainly not the right approach if you want to reach the masses.

So what should you do?

Choosing hybrid app development is certainly a cost-effective way to develop an application that can be made available on both Android & iOS.

But how cost-effective is it? Let’s find out. In this post, we plan to dig deep and create a comprehensive hybrid app development cost guide for you.

Without further ado, let’s begin!

What is Hybrid App Development?

Hybrid app development is a process of mixing the elements of native & web development. They are built using web programming languages such as HTML, CSS & JavaScript.

These apps can be easily downloaded & used on any device.

To develop a mobile application, you need to identify the platform you want to target. Two platforms are popular, Android & iOS. Now, when you specifically write code for an Android app or an iOS app, it is said to be a native app for that particular platform.

Building a native application is definitely costly as it requires two different teams, experts, and code bases to develop the application.

However, Hybrid apps are different. They use a single code and can function on both operating systems, saving you a lot of time and money. You can even compare Native vs Hybrid Apps.

In addition, it eliminates the need to write a codebase for separate applications, ultimately reducing time, effort, and cost. No wonder businesses are looking forward to hybrid app development.

How Much Does Hybrid App Development Cost?

Hybrid app development, as mentioned in the previous section, is highly cost-effective and can cost you anywhere from $20,000 to $300,000, depending on the configurations you go for and several other factors.

One of the key ways to differentiate the cost of hybrid app development is to understand the complexity of the application. In case you are not familiar with the application complexity, it is the combination of features and functionalities that require extra effort.

For instance, an application that only performs a single action, for instance, a calculator app, is a low complexity application, whereas a fintech solution that needs multiple app integrations and is used for different functionalities.

Now that you are familiar with the concept of complexity, here’s a quick cost analysis that you will have to pay for the hybrid app of app –

However, the complexity of the application is just one of the many factors that affect the cost of hybrid app development. What are the other factors you ask? Well, check out the next section!

Factors Influencing the Cost of Hybrid App Development

The range of minimum and maximum cost of hybrid app development is certainly a wide one, which gives you a clear idea that different factors play a crucial role in the same.

We discussed the app complexity in the previous section; however, that is not the only thing that makes the difference.When deciding the app development cost, there are several other factors that you need to consider.

Let’s look at some of them in detail:

1. API Integrations

With several third-party services making things more accessible, an app can’t exist without APIs. These are integrated in mobile apps to enhance the user experience, which is the right approach, but it increases the cost to develop hybrid apps.

Here are some basic integrations that every hybrid app uses and how much they cost:

Some third parties often charge a fee to access their APIs, adding to the cost depending on your service. Also, there are some protocols in APIs that eat up a lot of developers’ time & require resources to ensure a seamless integration, which can be a costly affair.

2. Type of UI/UX Design

UI/UX Design is an important part that helps to attract new users & retain old ones.

If you are going for visually appealing yet complex designs, this will take more time, leading to increased hybrid app development cost.

Whereas, if you plan a user interface and experience that requires fewer iterations, maintenance & design expertise, it ultimately leads to reduced overall cost.

3. Location of the Developer

The cost of developing a hybrid app can vary depending on the development team’s location, such as if you hire mobile app developers in the USA, the prices may be higher compared to other countries.

To understand it better, let’s look at a breakdown of the different hourly rates of developers from different regions to get an overview of the above context. Shall we?

4. Types of the App

The type of app you want to develop is also a cost-affecting factor, requiring specialized tools & resources and increasing the cost of developing a hybrid mobile app.

Let’s understand this through the table below:

5. Testing & Maintenance

Mobile app testing & maintenance are two pillars of the app’s success. This helps to keep the app up to market standards and technically issue-free.

Moreover, continuous updating of the app helps to avoid unnecessary crashes, unexpected behavior, and negative user experiences.

Generally, mobile app maintenance services take up to 15% to 20% of your development cost annually. If you utilize this, it will assist you in reducing overall costs.

Hybrid App Development Pricing Model: Which Way to Go?

While the factors above are the key components that form the final development cost, there’s another interesting decision that can save you a few bucks, i.e., choosing the right pricing model.

The pricing model is basically the arrangement you have with the hybrid app development company that you choose.

There are 4 types of models that you can figure out with the professionals –

• Fixed Price Model

This model is the most basic one. Both parties sit down and decide on a fixed hybrid app development cost that covers the entire project. If you are aware that the project is small to mid-size, deciding on a fixed price can prove to be beneficial for you.

• Time & Material Model

When using the Time & Material model, both parties decide on an hourly rate along with the cost of different integrations and components required. This model is generally chosen when the project scope is not defined and there are chances that project requirements will evolve with time.

• Dedicated Team Model

This is the model where you either ask for an outsourced team that works on your project and sits at your facility. Some businesses also hire hybrid app developers on their payroll to form an in-house team. If the entire business is based on this app, it is surely a good idea to have a team; however, it can prove to be costly for mid-sized projects.

• Milestone-Based Model

This is more of a payment model that allows a business to make payments based on the milestones that were decided when finalizing the project. This model is highly effective if you are looking for accountability.

Select the pricing model that best meets your requirements and effectively accomplishes your goals. If you are wondering which of these approaches can help you save on hybrid app development costs, it depends on your project timeline and complexity.

If you have a long-term goal, you can go for a dedicated team, while if you know the scope of your app is limited and can be done quickly, you should go for the time and material model.

Tips to Reduce Hybrid App Development Costs

Talking about reducing the cost of hybrid app development when planning your app, there are several things that you need to consider. Many businesses are still hesitant to enter the mobile app industry due to limited budgets.

Below are some techniques that can not only enter the mobile apps market but also bring the cost within your defined budget.

Get to know about some cost-cutting techniques.

1] Plan Ahead

To develop your mobile app within your defined budget, it is necessary to understand the app’s purpose, functionalities & target users.

Once you understand the basics, it will help you to identify unnecessary features, leading to a more focused & reduced hybrid app development cost.

2] Focus On Essential Features

Incorporating so many features is of no use.

The key here is to focus on important features that can help make the app less messy; offering too many features might make them abandon the app, which is a nightmare for business.

If you want to make a place in your users’ hearts and reduce your hybrid mobile app development cost, ensure to use features that are necessary for your app.

3] MVP Development

One of the best strategies to succeed in the market is to take the help of MVP development. Although this approach is an optional element, it is surely useful.

It aims to release a version of the app with the necessary features and get user feedback on that. And, using that feedback, you can make alterations and optimize your app’s resources & functionality to enhance the user experience.

This will also help you reduce hybrid mobile app development costs and improve the overall quality.

4] Focus on Simple UI/UX

Entrepreneurs often believe that to impress users, a complex UI/UX will be helpful. But that’s not the case. A beautiful, simple, and basic interface is more eye-catching for users. It is not only cheaper to build but also enhances the user experience.

More complex designs will need more iterations, resulting in increased development time and requiring extra efforts from developers, significantly expanding the overall app development process & cost.

So, prioritize an effective & engaging interface rather than adding unnecessary complexity to it.

5] Put Your Trust in Open-Source Tools & Frameworks

There are various open-source libraries and hybrid app development frameworks available in the market that offer pre-built components. This way, you can save yourself from licensing fees & increasing time.

This also helps to eliminate the need to start everything from scratch, ultimately reducing development time & cost to develop a hybrid app.

6] Outsource Your Work

In-house vs. outsourced development has always been a tough choice to make. Although they both have some advantages & disadvantages that we will not delve into right now. But, depending on your project’s complexity & budget, outsourcing can be a great idea to reduce your hybrid app development cost.

This way, you can take the help of experts & leverage their expertise to bring a market-leading app. However, make sure to communicate clearly for successful outsourcing.

How Does Nimble AppGenie Help You With Hybrid App Development?

Hybrid app development is certainly the way to go if you are looking to maximize your application’s reach within a budget. However, sometimes it can get difficult to find the right partner who doesn’t charge you for unnecessary fees.

This is why we highly suggest that you consider Nimble AppGenie, the best mobile app development company, which is here to help.

Our experts thoroughly go through your requirements, understand them, and then start the hybrid development to develop a market-leading app all under your defined budget.

If you have a mobile app idea, it’s the right time to connect and plan it with us.

Conclusion

The final hybrid app development cost depends on the decisions you make and the resources you choose. The idea is simple: the more intelligently you choose your development team, app features, and pricing models, the better deal you can crack!

There are different things you can do to ensure that the application you are building stays under the budget you have allocated or decided to spend on it.

Hope this blog post helps you understand the core requirements to decide the hybrid app development cost for your project. For further information, feel free to contact our experts.

That will be all for this post. Thanks for reading, good luck!

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Niketan Sharma

Niketan Sharma, CTO, Nimble AppGenie, is a tech enthusiast with more than a decade of experience in delivering high-value solutions that allow a brand to penetrate the market easily. With a strong hold on mobile app development, he is actively working to help businesses identify the potential of digital transformation by sharing insightful statistics, guides & blogs.