The Complete Guide to Finding App Development Cost in 2023

If you have an app idea and want to know the exact cost of app development, this guide is for you. But before that, you might love this data.

Did you know mobile apps are expected to generate around $613 Billion in revenue by 2025? Creating an app requires a lot of investment, but it also has the potential to give you a handsome return. To create a successful app, you first need to understand the cost of app development services and how much your project will cost.

So before you begin developing an app, it’s essential to understand the expenses involved and where you can cut back on costs.

This guide aims to help you with a detailed cost estimation for laying out a budget if you are planning to develop an app-based custom solution or launch an app for your business.

Creating an app is a long and complex process that requires time and money. However, with the right planning and preparation, it doesn’t have to be expensive or difficult. Read on to find out everything there is to know about application development cost.

Quick Answer to Mobile App Development Cost

The price varies depending upon your app requirements, complexity level, and timeline.

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Now you know about the cost of app development. Next, learn about the cost of the app development for native and custom apps.

How Much Does It Cost To Develop a Native and Custom Application?

The native and custom mobile app development costs between $10k to $100k or more. Here, we have divided the cost of native app development based on its categories.

The following image illustrates the benefits of native app development. Have a look.

Hybrid Apps: Meaning, Benefits, and Examples

The following table includes the meaning, benefits, examples, and cost of hybrid apps.

A hybrid app is a single application that can run on multiple operating systems including iOS, Android, and Windows. In this app type, some components of the apps are developed as native while some components are developed as a hybrid.

Many people think that hybrid apps are more affordable and convenient to create, but hybrid apps are not convenient when it comes to customization.

Apart from that, the availability of the latest features on hybrid or cross-platform is quite slower than on native platforms.

Use this simple formula to get the idea or to know how much it costs to develop an app.

How Much Does It Cost To Design An App?

Asking this question is essential to building engaging mobile apps. Additionally, the design of an app is again a crucial aspect influencing its cumulative cost of development, or we can say app development cost.

Many app development companies include hidden app development costs after the completion of the project. Therefore, make sure you discuss the requirement and cost clearly and include it in the document as well.

You can minimize the overall app design cost here by using ready-made design resources and templates. However, the more app functionality you need, the more it will cost.

Here is the list of app design tools used by mobile app designers.

It is worth noting that if you’re hiring an end-to-end mobile application development company – it will have an in-house app development team for everything. And this means you will be able to get it all done at an affordable price.

However, if you’re choosing an agency that only offers development services, you may need to find other partners for the rest of the services. Hence, the overall cost could be comparatively high – as different agencies will have their own rates.

The designer’s rate may vary if you are planning in-house hiring. The designer’s charge will vary from $40 per hour minimum and go up to $250 per hour if the designer is senior.

How Much Does It Cost To Make An Android App?

The Android app development cost depends upon the features and functionality of the app too. To help you understand the average cost to develop an app, we have created a table containing app development cost estimate based on the type of app, development timeframe, and cost.

Based on your requirements, the development phase includes implementing features, back-end infrastructure, and other UI/UX components. Apart from this, post-deployment services, including app promotion and maintenance costs should also be considered.

The following table contains the region-wise Android app development hourly rates.

Note: The above-mentioned hourly charge is approximate and may change depending upon the developer, design resources and the company.

As per the project’s intricacy, the team size and structure can also vary. While the number of Android developers and designers may vary per app project – a project manager is a prerequisite for every project.

When we start our cooperation, we make a rough estimate according to your requirements and the description of your idea. Then, we determine the approximate number of hours required to develop the application.

Having received your approval, we move on to detailed cost estimate, building app logic, and wireframes, and creating detailed project documentation.

How Much Does It Cost To Make An iPhone App?

Additionally, the size of a project is the deciding factor in iPhone app development price as long as the rate for programming services and the time are tied together in one bundle. By size, we mean the complexity of functionality and business logic. Development can also include

The following table contains size-wise iOS app development costs.

According to the average project cost estimate:

You have seen the size-wise iPhone app development cost. The following shows the region-wise iOS development cost.

Now you know that how much does it cost to make an iOS app In the next section, we are going to answer how much it costs to hire an app developer.

How Much Does It Cost To Hire An App Developer?

Two of the most important factors determining the cost of hiring dedicated developers are location and experience. For example, developers from countries like India can cost you significantly less than the ones from Australia or the US. But that’s not all. Many more factors can influence the entire cost of hiring an app developer.

Let’s check all the factors that influence app developer charges.

Mobile App Development Platform: Native, Hybrid, or Cross-Platform

The costs of hiring a developer can vary based on the different mobile app development platforms. For instance, if you are seeking to create a native app for iOS or Android, the costs of hiring an iOS developer and an Android developer would be more than compared to a hybrid or a cross-platform app.

App Development Complexity

This one’s quite simple. The more complex features your app will have, the more the app development cost will be – irrespective of the iOS and Android developer you choose.

Having said that, the development time of any mobile app development project can range from one week to 6 months and sometimes even more.

And thus, understanding your mobile app requirements will enable you to understand all the development phases, and methodologies, and determine the ideal time frame for your project.

Explaining the simple, clear, and basic version needs the developer that will take a lower rate and shorter time to build your app. In the USA, the average cost of hiring a mobile app developer will be $138,539.

Here is a graph that tells how much developers charge from the different regions of the world.

How Much Does It Cost To Make An App For Your Business?

A popular survey by Clutch revealed that the entire cost to build an app that’s functionally rich and complex could be $171,450.

According to that survey, cost of creating an app ranges from $10k to $700k. Of course, most of that cost depends on your overall requirements.

Check this image to learn how to reduce overall app development costs.

A few components that influence the app development cost breakdown include:

4 Factors That Impact Cost of App Development

When evaluating the cost of an app, there are certain cost factors that play an important role in app development cost estimates. Let’s discuss them one by one.

1. Size & Type of App

   The app size and its intricacy are certainly two of the most important factors influencing the total cost of an app.

   Primarily, you can bifurcate these costs into three categories: small, medium, and large. Here is a quick answer to the cost of making an app.

   App Type	Development Cost	Development Hours	App Examples
   Simple Mobile App	$10,000 – $40,000	1200 Hours	Text Scanner
   Mid-level App	$50,000 – $75,000	1200 Hours	Spotify
   Complex & Enterprise App	$80,000 – $1,00,000	1800 Hours	Zoom
   Hybrid App	$40,000 to $2,00,000	1200 Hours	Twitter
   iPhone App	$50,000 to $2,00,000	1200 Hours	Glovo
   Android App	$20,000 to $2,00,000	1200 Hours	Lacy
   Web App	$30,000 to $2,50,000	1000 hours	Starbucks
   Taxi Booking App	$30,000 to $2,00,000	800 hours	Venuxx
   Retail App	$50,000 to $2,00,000	1500 hours	The Square Retail App
   Video Streaming App	$40,000 to $2,00,000	1600 hours	YouTube
   Healthcare App	$40,000 to $2,00,000	1500 hours	WebMD
   Restaurant App	$40,000 to $2,00,000	1000 hours	Pizza Hut
   Social Media App	$40,000 to $2,00,000	1500 hours	Instagram
   Learning App	$40,000 to $2,00,000	1200 hours	Duolingo
   Community App	$40,000 to $2,00,000	1400 hours	Reddit
   Food Delivery App	$20,000 to $1,50,000	1000 hours	Uber Eats
   Marijuana App	$15,000 to $2,00,000	1300 hours	Leafly
   Dating App	$15,000 to $1,00,000	800 hours	Tinder

   Note: The mentioned cost and timeline are approximate. Consult our app development consultant to know the exact cost and timeline according to your project.

   The following table explains different app types.

   Small Apps	Built for a single platform, small apps have limited functions and a simple UI. Such apps generally don’t require any back-end system or API integration. A simple text scanner app is a good example of a small application.
   Medium Apps	Such apps may have considerably more features and functions than simple ones. It could be in the form of a payment gateway or custom UI elements. Medium apps are majorly built for a single platform. Examples of such applications are an expense tracking app and a music app.
   Enterprise Apps	Mobile apps having complex features, bespoke UI, and API integrations are considered enterprise apps. The cost of building this enterprise mobile application development can be significantly higher if compared to small or medium-sized apps. Examples of such apps are Zoom, Slack, and Asana.

   By following app architecture, our mobile app creators have built a complete mobile app solution, One8 for one of our clients. This app helps logistics companies to manage complete transportation. Check the portfolio of One8 to know more.

   

   One8

   We have developed One8, a cloud-based enterprise fleet management software, for one of our clients based in Ireland. It is a complete transportation management solution to make transport requests, find optimized routes, and track driver’s location.

2. Platforms and Devices

   The platforms you build the app for will also add to your total expenses. For instance, you can create native apps that work on a single platform, a web app, or a hybrid app that is a combination of native and web apps. Which one to choose really depends on where your audience is based and what device features you want to utilize. Here is the following image that shows how a native and a hybrid app development works.

   

3. Design of the Mobile App

   Your app’s user interface also influences its entire cost structure. For instance, it may cost you more to integrate complex and interactive UI elements as compared to a simple and minimal UI with fewer components.

   

4. Features and Functionalities

   The features you wish to integrate into your app are directly proportional to its cumulative cost.

   Features	Explanation
   Front-end Infrastructure	Everything that the user interacts with comes under front-end infrastructure.
   Back-end Infrastructure	The entire logical part such as components, versioning, bundling, and shared components come under back-end infrastructure.
   3rd Party Service Integration	When a business utilizes 3rd party API to power its business, it is known as 3rd party integration. For example, to use maps on your website, you can integrate Google Maps API.
   Push Notifications	It is an essential feature that will help to directly send the message to the user’s mobile device.
   Chatbot	By integrating a chatbot into a mobile app, you will get the below-mentioned benefits. Increase user engagement Immediate customer service Permit direct payment

   Thus, prior to evaluating the answer to how much does it cost to make an app, make sure you prioritize the features you need in it.

Now that we know what factors influence the costs of app development, let’s dive deeper to know more about how much it costs to build an app for the different app categories.

Which are the Different App Categories?

Moving ahead, let’s check out to know how much it costs to create an app based on different app categories. The cost also varies from category to category. Here are all the major categories:

When it comes to the game, the initial development cost is high – however, the return on investment is also significant. Angry Birds made $286.2 million euros in revenue in 2021. The rest is history.

Check this graph of Angry Birds’ revenue from 2010 to 2021.

Source: Statista

Now that we know about different types of applications, let’s quickly look over a few of the most common engagement models that various app development partners and service providers offer.

The following table includes information about the fixed price model and its benefits.

1. Fixed Price Model

   In a fixed price model where both the price range and the work remain fixed which is a good thing if you have an app budget almost no room for changes. Check the following benefits of fixed price model.

   • It works best for small projects to build apps with limited features.
   • If you’re seeking to build MVPs on budget and strict deadlines, this could be an ideal model for you.

   The following table includes information about the pros and cons of the fixed-price hiring model.

   Pros of Fixed Pricing Model	Cons of Fixed Pricing Model
   The price remains consistent throughout the project unless there are any changes to the requirements. You get a clear idea about all the expenses associated with the project — no hidden surprises. Minimum risks. Both parties know exactly the project parameters.	Defining the exact requirements can be a daunting job and may take 2 to 3 weeks – depending on the intricacy of the project. Less control over the project. Once the project has begun, adding anything to the requirements can increase the total project cost. Lack of ongoing feedback. Because the project parameters are pre-defined, there’s little to no scope for providing ongoing feedback.

2. Time & Material Model

   This model allows clients to regularly pay for the completed tasks. It requires consistent feedback from the client as the project moves on. Unlike the fixed-rate model, clients can add or remove any features at any given point in time.

   Pros of Time & Material Model	Cons of Time & Material Model
   The client has full control over the project, and they can make changes to their requirements – even in the middle of the project. The client is only required to pay for the services they have used by selecting the flexible payment options. The project execution is seamless as it requires minimal paperwork.	The deadlines aren’t fixed as the amount of work is uncertain. The budget also may significantly vary. While the project is done, it is possible to receive multiple revisions to the actual requirements.

3. Milestone

   In this model, the client and the developers set benchmarks or milestones before beginning the app development process. The client and the team members agree to make the payment after achieving the predefined milestone. Unlike the previous pricing models, the bill of the decided cost range is paid only after the client is justified with the milestone achieved.

   Pros of Milestonewise Model	Cons of Milestonewise Model
   The client can pay once the project hits a milestone. More control – the client gets to decide whether the milestone is achieved or needs revisions. The client can easily keep track of the project through milestones.	Because the time taken for developing a functionality is uncertain – the client will have to pay the prices according to the time it took to reach the milestone. This means no fixed budget. There could be variances in the perspectives about each functionality. The client and developer conflict may raise because of this. The time required to complete the milestone always remains uncertain.

3 Things to Consider Before Choosing App Development Company

Now that you know what it will cost you to build your app, it’s time to hire an app development agency or developer for your project.

While there are countless software development companies out there, you must ensure the one you hire fits right to your needs. Let’s look at a few things that you must consider before hiring your tech partner.

You can also look for threads, topics, or questions about them on forums like Quora and Reddit. This way, you will have a brief idea about their working patterns, development approach and how well they treat their clients.

Apart from the above-mentioned ones, there are many more things you should consider before hiring an agency or Android and iOS developer team for your project to build your app.

Things like the app development timeline, the pricing options they offer, the platforms they work with, and their overall involvement in the project. Your project execution will be smoother, once you understand your partner well enough.

If you still have any doubts about the cost to develop an app, check the following FAQ section.

Get Your Custom Cost of App Development

Evaluating the total app development costs can be really difficult. That’s because there are so many moving pieces to the mobile app development process.

Being the leading app development service provider, we can help you estimate the mobile app development cost, and provide you an accurate answer to your question “how much does it cost to start an app” and what app development budget should be realistically considered for your idea. We will evaluate your requirement in detail and suggest the best possible solution.

This way, you will have a brief idea about the mobile app development process and app cost with its counterparts. So schedule a call today, and our experienced consultants will be happy to help.