Building an application is no longer something businesses do additionally; it has become a norm.
For some, their entire business revolves around the app, and for some, the app is the ultimate business.
Irrespective of whether you have already executed your idea or you plan to do so, app development is something that you will have to take up sooner or later.
When you do, the first thing you want to know is the cost of mobile app development.
For many businesses, mobile app development cost or the expenses that come along with launching an app are often a point of concern.
This is because businessmen from non-technical backgrounds are not completely aware of every aspect, which is why many of them often end up making the wrong decisions in choosing the right app development partner.
It usually happens when you try to make decisions without knowing the mechanics behind the cost.
If you are planning to build a mobile app for your business and want to understand how much the app development process will cost and what factors affect this cost, then this is the post for you!
In this one, we are going to explore everything about mobile app development costs. Without further ado, let’s start by understanding the current mobile app market trends.
Mobile App Development Cost Trends – Average Cost & More
On average, mobile app development ranges from $20,000 to $300,000, with an average cost of $100,000 for an optimized mobile app. Keep in mind that the average cost is a result of hundreds of thousands of applications.
This includes basic flashlight, calculator apps, to much more complex fintech and e-commerce applications. Sometimes, the cost can even go to $500,000 for advanced apps that use the latest tech and have added complexities.
The cost keeps changing with the latest technology and development trends. For instance, people today are leveraging Blockchain and AI app development strategies and automation to build an application from scratch.
5-Step Strategy to Identify Mobile App Development Cost Estimate
So you plan to build an app of your own, but do not know how much it is going to cost you?
Don’t worry, in this section, we are going to talk about a 5-step strategy that will help you find a rough estimate of how much your application is going to cost you.
Here are the steps you need to follow –
Step 1 – Research the Niche & Understand the Market
The first thing you need to do is research the niche in which you plan to build the application.
This step is to understand what exactly the market is favoring, what type of app you need, and how much the average cost of building an application is in the niche that you plan to enter.
Understanding the market puts you in the competition from the beginning and gives you the power of insights that further help you take the lead.
Step 2 – Decide on the Features You Want to Offer
Understanding the market gives you an idea of what the market responds to. Accordingly, you need to decide on the features of your application.
Knowing the functionality that your app will offer guides you in the right direction when you are looking for ways to build an application.
Features are a key factor that can help you define the cost of the application and what type of app complexity you are looking to build.
Step 3 – Plan the Timeline of the Development Process
Another crucial thing to identify the app development cost for your business is to plan the application timeline.
You need to know when you need the app, when you plan to launch it, when it should be developed, what the planning criteria are, and more.
This way, you get an idea of how much time it is going to take a developer to finish the process, which is a key insight if you want to identify the mobile app development cost estimate.
Step 4 – Use the Cost Estimate Formula for App Development
After identifying the time it is going to take you to get the app to the market, you need to find the development partner that you want to entrust with the job.
Finalize on how you want to get the app development resources, and you will have a per-hour cost associated with the development process.
Using the cost per hour and the number of hours it would take, you can build an estimate.
App development cost estimate = Number of hours needed X Cost per hour of development
Step 5 – Include Miscellaneous Before Reaching the Total
The estimated cost is already available to you through the previous step. However, that is not the exact cost as you need to add another variable factor to the formula, ie, miscellaneous costs.
These are costs associated with license fees, infrastructure costs, app store fees, server costs, and a buffer that keeps your development process afloat without worrying about the payment cost.
Keep in mind that the steps shared can help you get an idea of how much money you need to invest or have on hand to initiate the app development process for your idea.
However, this estimate may not be accurate as several factors affect the cost of app development.
What are these factors, you ask? Let’s find out in the next section!
Factors Affecting Mobile App Development Cost {With Estimate}
There are several things that need to be considered while defining the cost of your application.
Professional development companies, when they give you a quotation, have to consider multiple factors.
These factors depend on how you want your app to be developed, what features you want, how complex the application is, and what kind of maintenance package you opt for.
To give you a better perspective, here are all the factors that need to be considered while deciding on a budget to build an app –
1. Complexity
The complexity of an application refers to the layers of application functionalities that are being developed to complete the application.
There can be several different factors that contribute to the complexity of the app, such as the type of technologies used, layers in functionality, intricacy of code, operational challenges, and more.
The complexity of the application can be categorized into 3 levels:
- Simple
- Intermediate
- High Complexity.
Refer to the table below to learn more about the cost of these complex applications and what they offer.
| App Complexity | Cost Range | Estimated Timeline | Features & Considerations |
| Simple | $20,000 – $60,000 | 1 – 3 months |
1. Basic UI components 2. Limited custom coding 3. Simple features like email subscriptions and social media feeds 4. Pre-made templates and frameworks |
| Intermediate | $60,000 – $120,000 | 3 – 6 months |
1. Custom UI/UX design 2. More complex features like payment integration and API integration 3. Moderate level of custom coding 4. Basic data encryption |
| High Complexity | $120,000 – $300,000 | 6 – 12 months |
1. Highly customized UI/UX 2. Advanced functionalities like real-time features, complex back-end 3. High level of security 4. Integration with third-party services |
Knowing the complexity of your app can help you decide the mobile app development cost and also give you better insights into why the app is costing you a certain amount.
2. App Features
Another crucial factor that plays a role in defining the cost of app development is the type of features that you choose.
There are dedicated features that you can add to your application to ensure a better experience.
Some features are basic and must-haves for any application, and then there are dedicated advanced features that you need to pay attention to. Each of them has a cost associated with it.
Check out the table below for a better understanding of the application features and the estimate.
| Basic Features | Cost Estimate |
| User Login | $2,000 – $5,000 |
| Simple Navigation | $1,000 – $3,000 |
| Profile Creation | $3,000 – $7,000 |
| Email Subscription | $1,000 – $2,500 |
| Social Media Feeds | $2,000 – $5,000 |
| Basic Analytics | $3,000 – $6,000 |
| Push Notifications | $3,000 – $8,000 |
Now, let’s move to advanced features and the cost associated with them in the table below.
| Advanced Features | Additional Cost Estimate |
| Custom UI/UX Design | $5,000 – $20,000 |
| Payment Integration | $10,000 – $25,000 |
| Real-Time Features | $10,000 – $35,000 |
| Complex API Integration | $10,000 – $30,000 |
| Advanced Security | $10,000 – $25,000 |
| Augmented Reality (AR) | $15,000 – $50,000 |
| Machine Learning | $20,000 – $60,000 |
3. App Type
With mobile applications making their way into different fields, there are different types of applications that are being developed.
The application development process, approach, and features chosen are different. Understandably, the pricing for developing the application also varies according to the requirements.
The development cost of a mobile application depends on the type of application you choose and the niche you plan to cater to.
Here are some of the common app types and the estimated cost of development.
| App Type | Cost Range | Estimated Development Time |
| On-Demand App | $100,000 – $200,000 | 4 – 6 months |
| eWallet App | $50,000 – $200,000 | 5 – 8 months |
| Insurance App | $60,000 – $100,000 | 6 – 9 months |
| Fitness App | $20,000 – $50,000 | 3 – 6 months |
| Dating App | $30,000 – $80,000 | 4 – 8 months |
| Social Media App | $50,000 – $300,000 | 6 – 12 months |
| Music Streaming App | $30,000 – $70,000 | 4 – 8 months |
| Video Streaming App | $50,000 – $250,000 | 6 – 12 months |
| Magazine & Newspaper App | $20,000 – $60,000 | 3 – 6 months |
| Fantasy App | $30,000 – $90,000 | 4 – 8 months |
| Political App | $20,000 – $50,000 | 3 – 6 months |
| Laundry App | $30,000 – $70,000 | 4 – 7 months |
| Taxi Booking App | $40,000 – $100,000 | 4 – 8 months |
| Beauty Salon App | $20,000 – $50,000 | 3 – 6 months |
| Fuel Delivery App | $40,000 – $90,000 | 4 – 8 months |
| Job Portal App | $30,000 – $70,000 | 4 – 7 months |
| Car Wash App | $20,000 – $50,000 | 3 – 6 months |
| Pet Grooming App | $20,000 – $50,000 | 3 – 6 months |
| Online Marketplace App | $40,000 – $200,000 | 4 – 8 months |
| E-Scooter App | $30,000 – $180,000 | 4 – 8 months |
| Food Delivery App | $40,000 – $100,000 | 4 – 8 months |
| House Cleaning App | $20,000 – $50,000 | 3 – 6 months |
Understanding the type of applications that you can build and the differences between the cost of them all along with how much time it takes.
4. Development Platform
Identifying the core platform for which you plan to build the application is another crucial step. That is because iOS apps and Android apps have different compositions and require different sets of expertise to be done.
While there is an option to build a cross-platform application, users generally go for native applications as they are more efficient and get things done, as they offer better performance.
Here are the types of apps you can build, along with their estimated cost –
| Platform Type | Cost Range | Estimated Development Time |
| PWA (Progressive Web App) Development Cost | $10,000 – $50,000 | 1 – 3 months |
| Web App Development Cost | $10,000 – $50,000 | 1 – 4 months |
| Android App Development Cost | $20,000 – $100,000 | 3 – 6 months |
| iOS App Development Cost | $20,000 – $100,000 | 3 – 6 months |
| Hybrid App Development Cost | $20,000 – $80,000 | 3 – 6 months |
| Cross-Platform App Development Cost | $20,000 – $100,000 | 3 – 6 months |
5. App’s Tech Stack
Another important factor that may increase or decrease your app development cost is the technology selected to build the app.
Numerous technologies can be utilized to develop your thoughts into functionalities, giving shape to your application.
The tech stack is the backbone of your application, as choosing the right technology is crucial to building a robust and future-proof app.
| Tech Stack Component | Options | Cost Implications |
| 1. Frontend (Mobile) | React Native, Flutter, Swift (iOS), Kotlin (Android) |
1- React Native/Flutter: Cost-effective due to reusable code across platforms. Development costs range from $20,000 to $100,000. 2- Swift/Kotlin: Higher costs due to platform-specific development, with costs for each platform ranging from $20,000 to $100,000. |
| 2. Backend | Node.js, Ruby on Rails, Python (Django/Flask) |
1- Node.js: Suitable for real-time applications, with development costs ranging from $25,000 to $80,000 2- Ruby on Rails/Python: Ideal for rapid development, with similar cost ranges to Node.js. Costs vary based on complexity and scalability requirements. |
| 3. Database | MongoDB, PostgreSQL, Firebase |
1- MongoDB/PostgreSQL: Costs can range from $10,000 to $50,000, depending on the complexity of the data and scalability. 2- Firebase: Offers a pay-as-you-go pricing model, which can be cost-effective for startups but may increase with scale. |
| 4. Cloud Services | AWS, Google Cloud, Azure | 1- AWS/Google Cloud/Azure: Initial costs can be low due to free tiers, but expenses grow with usage.
Expect to allocate $5,000 to $20,000 annually, depending on the app’s scale and services used. |
| 5. Development Tools | GitHub, Jira, Slack | 1- GitHub: Costs can vary from free for basic use to $4/user/month for team features 2- Jira: Plans start at $7/user/month 3- Slack: Free for basic, with paid plans starting at $6.67/user/month. Overall tool costs can range from minimal to several thousand dollars annually, depending on team size and tool selection. |
Now, while everyone wants the best technology to build their apps, some of the technologies are expensive in terms of execution (infrastructure cost, resource cost, complexity, etc.), which makes it a key factor affecting the mobile app development cost.
6. Additional Development Cost
When discussing mobile app development costs, several charges are not discussed outright, but you have to bear them. These charges are usually associated with maintenance and other aspects of the development process.
When you build an app, there are several licenses and associated costs that you have to pay for. Make sure you factor them all into your budget and then count the overall cost of mobile app development.
Check out the table below to get an idea of all the different costs that we are talking about –
| Additional Costs | Rough Estimate |
| Bug Fixes | 10-20% of the initial development cost/year |
| Hosting Fees | $10 – $10,000+/month |
| Licenses and Subscriptions | Variable |
| App Updates | 15-25% of initial development cost/year |
| Integrations & APIs | $2,000 – 20,000 |
| Security Updates | 10-15% of initial development cost/year |
| Support and Customer Service | Variable |
7. Types of Development Teams
Another crucial factor that may affect the cost of development is the type of team that you go for. You see, finding the right resources is as crucial as identifying the right idea to work on.
And if you are just getting started, you have multiple options to choose from.
You can easily go for an in-house team that you can onboard and pay a salary to get the job done. However, that costs a lot as you need proper resources to onboard and manage the team.
Another option is outsourcing the task to a mobile app development company or a team of app developers to get things done faster.
The majority of startups and companies choose this path as it not only saves you the hassle of building a team, but also allows you to pay a lesser amount of money for the same job.
Hiring a freelancer is another option. But that solely depends on what type of project you have and what the timeline is to finish it. If it is a complex project, hiring a company makes more sense as they have a better pool of resources to execute your idea faster.
People often compare in-house teams and outsourcing, so let’s see how they compare.
| Type of Team | Cost Range |
| In-House Team | $50,000 – $150,000+ per year per developer |
| Outsourcing | $20,000 – $100,000 per project |
| Freelancers | $30,000 – $120,000 per year per developer |
Other than these factors, the location of your development team, along with the choice of platform, are two factors that can also affect the cost.
Don’t forget, the cost of building the infrastructure that is required to build an app before you begin, and marketing the app after you have built it, is also something that needs money.
Hence, the cost of your overall project can be higher than you expect, as all of these charges are crucial and unavoidable.
All in all, it can be said that it is not that easy to plan a mobile app without considering these factors.
Best Practices to Minimize Mobile App Development Cost
To maximize your app’s reach and reduce development costs, consider using cross-platform development frameworks like React Native or Flutter.
These frameworks allow you to create a single codebase that can be deployed on both iOS and Android platforms, eliminating the need for separate development teams and reducing maintenance efforts.
This approach ensures a consistent user experience across platforms and speeds up your time to market.
1. Adopt Agile Development Methodologies
Implement agile development methodologies to break down the app development process into smaller, manageable sprints.
Each sprint should focus on delivering a specific set of features or improvements, allowing for continuous feedback, adjustments, and iterative enhancements.
Agile methodologies enable you to adapt to changing requirements, reduce risks, and ensure that the final product aligns closely with user expectations.
2. Seeking Cost-Effective Design Solutions
To manage your budget effectively, consider leveraging pre-designed templates or collaborating with freelance designers for your UI/UX development.
Pre-designed templates can provide a strong foundation for your app’s design, saving time and costs associated with creating custom designs from scratch.
Moreover, working with freelance designers allows you to access high-quality design talent on a flexible, project-by-project basis, ensuring that your app looks professional without exceeding your budget.
3. Utilize Prebuilt Components
Incorporate prebuilt components and modules into your app to accelerate development and reduce costs.
Many app functionalities, such as authentication, payment gateways, and social media integrations, have reliable prebuilt solutions that can be easily integrated into your app.
A good example of this is SDK.finance. It is a pre-built backend and frontend platform that can significantly reduce the cost and development time of building a mobile app.
By providing a ready-made solution with essential functionalities, they allow developers to focus on building unique features and user experiences, rather than starting from scratch.
Other than these, one of the best practices to reduce the cost of development is to find a mobile app developer or a company that gets the job done in less time without compromising on the quality of results.
If you are looking for recommendations, Nimble AppGenie is one of the hottest names you can find in the market for the best mobile app development services on a budget.
Nimble AppGenie: The Best Budget App Development Company!
The idea of building an application is certainly lucrative and allows you to earn more than what you do from your offline business.
However, the investment is certainly not a small amount, and thus, finding the right partner whom you can trust with your money should be your top priority.
At Nimble AppGenie, we take up any project as if it were one of our own, ensuring that money is spent wisely, helping you save a few bucks while ensuring that the development is done without compromises.
Not only that, our experts are highly skilled and experienced when it comes to mobile app development, which resolves your concerns related to finding the right professionals.
Connect with us today to build a mobile app without worrying about the cost of development!
Conclusion
On average, mobile app development costs range from $20,000 to $300,000 based on factors like complexity, app platform, type, maintenance, developer’s location, and so on.
All these factors contribute to the cost of your final application, which means every decision you make is crucial.
Sure, many factors can directly influence the application cost, but then there are different factors that can help you build the final application under your budget.
Hopefully, this post gives you all the information about estimating the app budget to finalise the cost.
If you have any other questions, feel free to connect with our developers, as they are market experts and can help you make the right decision.
Thanks for reading, good luck!
FAQ
Niketan Sharma is the CTO of Nimble AppGenie, a prominent website and mobile app development company in the USA that is delivering excellence with a commitment to boosting business growth & maximizing customer satisfaction. He is a highly motivated individual who helps SMEs and startups grow in this dynamic market with the latest technology and innovation.
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