Mobile App Development Cost – Everything You Need to Know

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The article uncovers the concept of mobile app development cost along with the factors that determine it...


Users are spending over 90% of their total screen time on mobile apps – A Report by Statista

Do you still underestimate the importance of mobile app development for your business? We hope not!!!

Most of the small businesses are reluctant to build an app for their company due to a common misconception – Mobile App Development Costs are Really High and go in hundreds of thousands. This is evident by the fact that only 32% of the total businesses have an app for their company.

However, the cost of app development can start as low as $5000. To uncover the full story, you have to read the article till the end. In this post, we will discuss everything about mobile app development cost and the factors affecting it along with how to choose the right mobile app development company. We have presented an insight on cost of app development based upon different app complexities, region, industries, process, and working models.

Mobile App Development Cost – Stats & Facts

  • As of 2023, Smartphone users spend over 90% of their screen time in using apps
  • On average, a user uses 9 app per day while it has over 80 apps in the phone
  • The most popular app development category for iOS apps is gaming, followed by Business apps.
  • According to Statista, over 76% users prefer apps with chat option and are more successful
  • According to Statista, total mobile app downloads touched 255 billion in 2022

Mobile App Development Cost – An Overview

Developing an app for your business is a onetime investment and provides long term benefits. An app is helpful in boosting sales, building a stronger brand, better customer connection, engagement, and many more. Thus, it is wise not to be frugal and be a little open to spend some money. No doubt, your budget is an important factor in the app development decision.

Thus, a rational choice is to go with a mobile app development company in India. India is a prime destination for top Android and iOS app developers that offer affordable solutions as compared to other developed nations. Further, there is no language barrier as most of the Indians can understand & speak English.

“Overall, the mobile app development cost ranges with medium complexity ranges between $50,000 and $250,000 in a developed nation. However, the average app development cost in India for the same complexity will only range between $20,000 and $50,000. That is almost, 1/5th the price; seems a good deal. “

How to Calculate Your Mobile App Development Cost?

The formula for calculating the final cost of app development is simple, i.e. Project Complexity X Developer Hourly Price = Average App Development Cost. However, the process to determine the complexity of a project is vague and difficult.

Now the real question is…

How to Calculate Project Complexity for Your App?

The complexity of an app depends upon several factors and includes the following –

Functionalities of the AppEvery functionality you choose costs different and requires specific time & effort by app developers.
Number of PlatformsiOS, Android, or Both
App DesignIncludes user interface (UI), user experience (UX), custom designs, templates, etc.
Users/TrafficNumber of users expected to visit the app
Type of AppSocial Media App, Food Delivery, Logistics, Gaming, etc.

So, these were the factors that determine the project complexity and eventually decide the cost of app development.

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Further, to give our readers a better idea, we will list down the mobile app development cost according to different complexities.

Mobile App Development Cost & Time – According to Complexity

The time and cost of app development is determined by the complexity and other factors while building the app. The average price is $15,000 to $30,000 while the average time is three to six months. The table below explains a detailed version –

App ComplexityApp Development CostAverage TimelineLevel Of Complexity
Simple App$5,000-$15,0002-3 Months
  • MVP Functionality
  • Basic UI
Medium Complex App$15,000-$30,0003-6 Months
  • Sophisticated Features
  • Custom UI
Highly Complex App$30,000-$100,0006-9 Months
  • Advanced Features
  • Bespoke UI
  • Two Platforms

Average App Development Cost Breakdown Based On Complexity

Simple App

These are easy to build app with limited functionalities and thus require less time & effort by app developers. The app design is also basic and there are not more than five screens in the app. Apart from this, the Android app development cost for such platforms start as low as $5000 and don’t go higher than $15,000.

Medium Complex App

These are better apps than the simpler ones and are the most popular type of app in the market. The functionalities are not limited but don’t include any advanced one. There can be multiple processes, pages, integrations, and plug-ins to make the app robust & interactive for users. The cost of app development for such platforms starts @$15,000 and go as high as $30,000.

Highly Complex App

These are the most advanced and complex platforms and require the most amount of time to build. It includes highly advanced functionalities such as real time synchronization, use of algorithms, latest tools & technologies, animation, and much more. Some of the most popular examples of such apps include social media apps, database apps, and marketplaces. The cost of app development starts as low as $30,000 and can go higher based on your requirements.

“Good, Fast, or Cheap. What do you want?

Spoiler – You Can’t Have All Three”

So, this was all about Android app development cost based upon different complexities. However, it is not the sole differentiator of an application. We can differentiate the apps based on their types too.

Let us now move to understand the cost of app development according to its type.

Types of Mobile App Development & Estimated Price

ParametersNative App DevelopmentWeb App DevelopmentCross Platform App Development
Cost$15,000 to $60,000$8,000 to $50,00015,000 to $75,000
When to SelectYou need to code for one platform; to make use of specific hardware optionsYou’re limited on funds and want to reach a wider audienceYou want to target iOS and Android users and reduce app creation cost
Required ExpertiseiOS SDK, Android SDKAngular, ReactReact, Dart
Distribution ChannelDistributed from the App store of the particular OSDirectly available on the webDistributed from the App store of the particular OS
PerformanceFast and responsive as they can access native device featuresGreater performance due to their lightweight natureHigh on performance, but cross-platform capabilities still affect it

 Average App Development Cost Breakdown Based On App Type

Native App Development Cost –

Native apps use certain programming languages and are made to run on particular operating systems. The programming languages Swift and Objective C are used to create iOS apps, while Java or Kotlin are used to create Android apps.

The price of native apps can range from $15,000 to $60,000, based on the user experience and complexity. Note that the cost for Android app development cost and iPhone app development cost is different in this type.

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Web App Development Cost –

Technically speaking, web-based applications are not the same as mobile apps. Rather, these are responsively designed mobile-friendly webpages. Because of this, web applications guarantee the optimal user experience across a range of screen sizes and devices.

For businesses with limited resources, web applications are the best choice.

A web app can be developed for as little as $8,000 to $25,000. The price range for developing a more complicated web application is $30,000 to $50,000.

Cross-Platform Development Cost –

The trend towards cross-platform development is expanding. It enables programmers to create applications for both iOS and Android smartphones using a same code. Developers and businesses are drawn to this form of app development because it saves time.

Popular technologies that have dominated the industry are React Native and Flutter. The price range for developing a cross-platform app is $15,000 to $75,000. You can consider a good react native app development company or Flutter app Development Company for your next cross platform project.

Popular IT Working Models & Mobile App Development Cost

Hire An In-house Team –

You appoint a committed group and assume complete command over your project and the development team as a whole. Using this dedicated team engagement model, you assemble your own in-house team of app developers based on the project scope. It allows you the freedom to choose the knowledgeable and experienced developers you want and maintain total control over the project. All you have to do is pay a set monthly fee for every developer or employee you use.

Hire In-House Development Team Pros –

  • It grants complete command over the project and development team.
  • Much simpler to rearrange tasks and associated priorities
  • Availability of selecting qualified developers
  • Improved IP protection, data privacy, and project confidentiality
  • Exceptional adaptability and alignment with the agile methodology

Hire In-House Development Team Cons –

  • Expensive for small-scale projects
  • It necessitates a high level of client involvement in the process.
  • Client bears exclusive responsibility for project delivery and quality
  • Requires continual oversight of the developers to guarantee that the workflow complies with project requirements

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Hire an Outsourcing Agency

You can establish a development centre offsite with this engagement approach. In essence, you hand-pick the necessary engineers and team members based on your preferences. With complete alignment with your project, this team functions as an extension of your team. You establish the infrastructure and have total command over the team. An organization, business, or agency that you have collaborated with is responsible for maintaining an outsourcing development centre (ODC).

Hire Outsourcing Development Agency Pros –

  • It works well for extended tasks.
  • When you wish to grow your staff in remote areas
  • Broad availability of competent developers
  • When a project necessitates working across time zones

Hire Outsourcing Development Agency Cons –

  • Obstacles to communication and difficulties managing relationships
  • Issues with project management and collaboration brought on by remote handling
  • Demands a large financial commitment for data sharing and security across several ODCs

So, these were the two most popular mobile app development working models in the market. The outsourcing model is the most popular one and is further divided into two major categories, i.e. offshore & nearshore outsourcing.

Two Major Types of Outsourcing Models – Offshore & Nearshore 

Offshore Development Model:

When a business employs a development firm from a far-off location to handle its task, this is known as offshore software outsourcing. There are several reasons to outsource your work to a separate organization in a different area, such as pricing, resource choice, and experience. Another name for the model is “remote working model.”

Example of Offshore Development: You assign your development job to an Indian Android app development company, yet your company is based in the United States.

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Nearshore Development:

In this outsourcing development model, a user assigns its software development work to a different company, usually situated in a neighbouring country, with a time difference of one to three hours. This is known as nearshore software outsourcing. For example, American-based businesses often contract out their work to teams in North America or Latin America.

Example of Nearshore Development: Your US-based corporation assigns the development job to an iPhone app development company in Mexico.

(See the Table Below for Overall Development Team Cost Breakdown)

Employee TitleNorth AmericaLatin AmericaCentral EuropeEastern EuropeSouth AsiaSoutheast Asia
Business Analyst$72-$85$23-$40$50-$80$30 -67$20-$45$25-$35
Software ArchitectSl0-$125$45-$75$60-$100$45-$67$35 – $80$30-$50
Project Manager$88-$95$41-$68$50-$70$25-$62$30 – $50$24- $50
Senior Developer$78-$125$32-$65$45-$80$30-$59$25 – $50$24- $33
Lead Developer$85-$125$28- $70$50-SI00$35-$65$32-$65$24- $35
Junior Developer$55-$80$28- $55$32-$50$22-$31_$21- $30$20- $25
Middle Developer$65-$90$27- $60$36-$70$27-$40$22-$35$25- $30
Graphic Designer$65-$85$44-$70$55-$70$25-$57$20-$45$24- $50
Junior QA$60-$80$35-$45$26-$70$18-$30$15- $30$20-$26

Mobile App Development Team Cost in Different Regions

Mobile App Development Cost According to App Type

The time & cost of app development varies based upon different industries and the type of the app. Some of the most complex app types are based upon latest technologies, like AI, ML, AR/VR, etc, and require heavy functionality that is new to the market. The table below presents a rough idea of the approximate time & cost of mobile app development for different app types –

App TypeAverage Estimated CostEstimated Time to DevelopExample
Social Media$5000-$50,0006-12 monthsApps like Instagram
Productivity$5,000-$50,0003-6 monthsApps like Notion
Gaming$10,000-$50,000 or more2-12 months or moreApps like Candy Crush
E-commerce$10,000-$50,0004-12 monthsApps like Amazon
Education$5,000-$50,0003-6 monthsApps like Duolingo
Travel and Hospitality$5,000-$30,0003-8 monthsApps like Airbnb
Health and Fitness$5000-$25,0004-6 monthsApps like Calm
On-demand$5,000-$30,0004-8 monthsApps like TaskRabbit

 5 Hidden Costs While Developing a Mobile App 

1. Debugging and Troubleshooting

After the program is completed, it must be rigorously tested to ensure that it functions as intended. This can need extensive time investment and testing across multiple platforms and devices. Additionally, the average app development cost may increase if there are any problems or difficulties that need to be fixed.

2. Updating and Maintenance

For apps to remain current with emerging technology and remain effective, they need to get regular upgrades and maintenance. This can involve everything from feature additions to bug fixes. Application maintenance can be expensive, particularly if you want to maintain the competitiveness and relevance of your product.

3. App Store charges

There are costs for each download if you want to publish your app in the app publishing stores like Play Store or Apple Store. Depending on the platform and the pricing plan you select, these costs may change.

4. Promotion and marketing

Marketing and promotion efforts are necessary to get consumers to notice and download your app. This covers everything, from making a website and social media accounts to advertising and promoting products. This may continue even after your app has launched, which could affect the total cost of developing an app.

8 Cost-Saving Tips – How to Reduce the App Development Cost?

Make sure the app development team you choose has worked on projects similar to yours. This will assist conserve resources and help prevent errors.

Frequent testing of your app will help you identify problems and difficulties early on, ultimately saving you time and money.

Cost Saving Tips
Tip #1 – Have A Clearly Defined ScopeMake sure you have a clear and well-defined app scope before beginning the app development process. By doing this, you may prevent scope creep and save money and time on app development.
Tip #2 – Hire An Outsourcing AgencyConsider contracting with a third-party vendor to handle all or part of your development work. IT outsourcing can be a financially advantageous choice, particularly if you select an offshore supplier, like Konstant Infosolutions, with reduced labor expenses.
Tip #3 – Hire Experienced AgencyMake sure the app development team you choose has worked on projects similar to yours. This will assist conserve resources and help prevent errors.
Tip #4 – Use Open-Source ToolsYou may maximize your app development budget and reduce licensing expenses by using open-source technologies.
Tip #5 – Prioritize Functionality & FeaturesCharacteristics should be built in order of importance. Start with the characteristics that are most crucial. This will speed up app launch times and help you save money on superfluous features.
Tip #6 – Testing is ImportantFrequent testing of your app will help you identify problems and difficulties early on, ultimately saving you time and money.
Tip #7 – UI/UX is ImportantImproving your app will make it more enjoyable for consumers to use, which could eventually result in higher engagement and income.
Tip #8 – Use Agile Development Method:You may lower the average cost of app development by developing your app in manageable, iterative steps with the aid of agile development approaches.

“Agile Development Method is a win-win for both, client and developer. The Method is a Cost Effective and High Quality Way to Development. “ 

Mobile App Development Process and the Cost Associated

Stage 1 – Research & Discovery

Pre-research, planning, strategy or discovery all refer to the same things: paperwork, a company plan, and a market analysis. Any good mobile app development company at this stage will question you endlessly about your application and business goals; if they avoid questioning you, that’s a significant red flag.

This step costs about 10% of the entire cost of developing a mobile app, and it takes 20–200 hours to finish. The following details ought to be included in the final document:

  • Analysis of competitors
  • Goal statement
  • MVP idea Market and user analysis
  • An unambiguous project schedule

Stage 2 – Wireframing & UI/UX Designing

User experience design, visual (UI) design, and software prototype and wireframing are the main focus of the second phase. You must create an exquisitely designed app that captures the hearts of your consumers since, as we all know, first impressions are crucial.

For this reason, you should not skimp on your design budget because it has the power to make or break your project. It will cost between 10% and 15% of the total cost of developing an app, and the labor hours may increase because of sophisticated screens, unique elements, visually demanding content and other factors.

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Stage 3 – App Development

This is the most crucial and costly stage of mobile app development, as the complexity of the functionalities determines the anticipated cost of app development. The more complicated the features, the longer it will take to build them, which will result in higher prices.

Aside from the functionality, this stage demands you to concentrate on the application architecture, data encryption and storage, user base, third-party integration, and so on.

This stage necessitates extensive collaboration and the close attention of your engineers, as the cost of coding and programming is far more than the cost of all previous stages combined. Building your app utilizing cross-platform mobile app development frameworks will also save you a lot of money over generating many apps for different platforms.

Stage 4 – Testing & Deployment

The next step is testing to ensure the quality of an app. This phase is significant in evaluating the cost of developing an app because it eliminates the need to spend resources on post-launch issue fixes.

Comprehensive testing by the quality assurance team means that your clients will experience fewer crashes, bugs, and lags. The greatest method to ensure customer pleasure is to release an app with few bugs.

Again, the cost of testing and deployment is determined by the complexity and feature richness of your software.

Key Criteria for Evaluating App Development Agencies

Expertise and Experience –

Years of arduous work accumulate experience. But these days, businesses call themselves expert iPhone app development companies after working on a few projects.

When product owners believe their sugar-coated, unrealistic promises of the fastest project delivery, this dishonest deed goes unchallenged. You end up with a customized application that is rife with flaws. Then, to make it bug-free, the inexperienced iPhone app development company needs more time than the overall development time.

Work Portfolio –

After sifting the mobile app development companies based on their experience, dive into their work. You’ll assess if the company’s projects meet the requirements for profitable mobile apps. Below are some checkmarks to analyze a company’s work portfolio –

  • Examine the caliber and range of the prior jobs they have completed for their portfolio
  • Find out if they have any prior experience creating online applications that resemble your concept
  • Seek proof of effective deployments and encouraging customer comments
  • Take into account the web apps’ performance and scalability that they have created

Technical Skills –

The companies that are still on your list have solid experience and a track record, so now is the time to take things seriously. Thus, their technical proficiency and technology flexibility should be assessed next. How are you able to accomplish that? You can refer to the checklist below –

  • Examine their technical proficiency with programming languages, frameworks, and web app development.
  • Seek for proficiency in pertinent technologies, such as databases, security, integration, and front- and back-end programming.
  • Examine if they maintain current knowledge of upcoming technology and industry trends.
  • Seek out affiliations with technology companies or certificates that attest to their technical proficiency.

Budget & Pricing

By this point in the evaluation, you will have a small number of Android app Development Company. However, you can’t pick at random because there’s still a pricing model, which is an additional important factor to consider.

The three most popular pricing models in the current market are –

Popular Pricing Models
Model of Fixed Time/Fixed CostHand-select a committed group of people with the necessary knowledge and experience for a set project fee
Time and Material ModelPay for both time and resources by hiring staff in accordance with project specifications.
Dedicated Team ModelContract with a committed group of professionals to handle entire projects or certain deliverables

Depending on their location and level of experience, they charge different prices for each model.

Scalability –

Most of the time, businesses simply assist clients with bespoke app development up until release. Furthermore, the program becomes more complicated for other developers to comprehend as the web application grows in size. As a result, there is a greater chance of process downtime and eventually losing some income.

For this reason, you need to work with a bespoke iPhone app development companies that stick around once the app is deployed. Therefore, you won’t need to look for other developers to enhance your mobile application or add new features.

Development Methodology –

Mobile applications are built by custom mobile app development companies using a methodical process. Scrum, Waterfall, Agile, and Rapid are a few development methodology examples. Only a small number of businesses use this strategy.

Therefore, you need to find out about the development process that your prospective iOS app developer uses. Next, confirm whether that strategy is appropriate for your project as well.

The time to Market (TTM) is fastest for Agile Development Method

Concluding Words – Mobile App Development Cost

So, this was all about mobile app development cost and the factors affecting it. We have presented an insight into the cost of app development based upon different app complexities, region, industries, process, and working models. Further, we have also uncovered some hidden development costs and some cost saving tips that you can use.

Note that apart from considering the cost, it is also important to consider a reliable & trustworthy iPhone app development company, like Konstant Infosolutions. It is not wise to always go for the cheapest option. In the end, remember the quote again –

“The right mobile app development company won’t be cheap, but it’ll be worth the price”

Top FAQs – Related to Mobile App Development Cost

1. How much does app development cost?

The average cost to build an app is $12,000 to $25,000, depending upon the requirements. However, this price can go higher or lower also based upon the complexity and design of the platform.

2. What is the timeline to develop an app?

The time to build an app ranges between 3 to 6 months. However, simple apps can be built in shorter time and complex apps can take more than 6 months also.

3. What is the cost of mobile app maintenance?

App maintenance cost generally lies between the 10% and 20% of the initial development cost and thus, ranges from $5000 to $25000 per annum.

4. What are the factors that affect the average app development costs?

Some of the top factors that affect the overall mobile app development cost are application type, app design, functionality, features, developer location, skills & experience, number of platforms, and tools used.

5. What are some shortcuts to optimizing my app development budget?

Some of the shortcuts to optimize the overall mobile app development budget are using open source technologies, leveraging third party tools, outsourcing your work, and testing the app early.

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About Author
Vipin Jain

Vipin Jain

Vipin Jain is the Co-Founder and CEO at Konstant Infosolutions and is in charge of marketing, project management, administration and R&D at the company. With his marketing background, Vipin Jain has developed and honed the company’s vision, corporate structure & initiatives and its goals, and brought the company into the current era of success.

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