What is the Cost to Develop A Mobile App?
One can find an app for anything, so the saying goes. Due to the popularity of mobile applications, many digital businesses are investing time and money in their development. But when you think of creating applications, the first question that strikes your mind will be how much it would cost you to build an app.
In this article, you will get an answer and some insights into the factors that impact your mobile app development cost. It will give you an overview of the cost estimate and show you how to save money on your app development. Read on to learn more about the topic.
App Development Costs: An Overview
The cost of app creation can vary depending on factors, including the app’s complexity, features and functionalities, development approach, etc. But, in a nutshell, the cost of building a mobile application can range from 23,358 EUR to 140,156 EUR and can even exceed 280,320 EUR in the case of a customised, complex application.
An app’s cost can be calculated by multiplying the number of hours required to complete each development process by the number of billable hours. Later in this article, we will discuss the various factors influencing the cost, which will help you estimate how much it costs to build an app.
Factors Influencing the Cost of Building a Mobile App
Making the most cost-effective decisions and getting the best return on your development will be easier for you if you are aware of these cost-affecting factors. It will also aid in your ability to stick to your spending plan. Let’s now explore the main elements that significantly impact the overall cost of building mobile applications. It includes:
- Complexity
- Platform Used for the App
- Category of the App
- Size and Location of the Development Team
- App Maintenance
1. Complexity
The cost of building applications varies according to their complexity, which can be simple, medium, or highly complex. A simple app includes a login system, user profiles, dashboards, and limited administration features.
Medium-complex applications offer many features to engage users and monetize the applications. In addition to basic features, these applications include social media integrations, payment gateways, audio and video streaming, and user privacy settings.
On the other hand, highly complex applications are integrated with the latest technology, such as AR/VR and machine learning. They include features like multi-language support, high-end data logic, and more. Here are the rates of app creation of the simple, medium, and highly complex in order of complexity.
| Simple | 4,649 EUR to 46,496 EUR |
| Medium Complex | 46,496 EUR to 111,592 EUR |
| Highly Complex | 92,995 EUR to 279,005 EUR |
2. Platform Used for the App
Before starting the development process, there is an important decision to make. It is to decide the platform on which you are building your app, whether it is an iOS, Android, web, or cross-platform application. Most startups tend to start with only one platform so that they can eventually upgrade it to another platform. So the cost can vary according to the platform, as shown in the table below.
| Native (Android and iOS) | 46,536 EUR to 93,069 EUR |
| Cross-Platform | 23,266 EUR to 55,839 EUR |
| Web applications | 13,959 EUR to 46,536 EUR |
| Hybrid applications | 9,306 EUR to 139,603 EUR |
3. Category of the App
With every app, the category will change according to the target audience it is meant for. So when thinking of building applications, each category may have different cost requirements and expertise requirements. There will also be changes in the number of users, functionalities, security criteria, etc. The app category includes ecommerce, gaming, dating, learning, social media, etc., and its average cost can be as follows.
| eCommerce App | 46,536 EUR to 139,603 EUR |
| Social Media App | 46,536 EUR to 279,370 EUR |
| Learning App | 55,868 EUR to 209,547 EUR |
| Dating App | 46,536 EUR to 325,960 EUR |
| Gaming App | 55,868 EUR to 232,832 EUR |
4. Size and Location of the Development Team
You have several options on who you choose for the app development, which can heavily affect the total application development cost. You can go with a proficient app development company, a local team, an in-house team, or a freelance programmer for assigning your project.
So when the team or company works to return you with quality projects, you will have to invest accordingly. The same goes for the location you choose; the living expenses vary in various countries, which naturally influences the salary of the programmers.
5. App Maintenance
Completing the app development will not be enough; the maintenance should also be taken care of once it’s done. In order to stay on top of market trends and maintain compatibility with new devices and operating systems, businesses will have to continuously update their applications.
The applications should be free of bugs and may require design changes, so they require timely maintenance by the programmers. The annual maintenance cost of mobile applications is calculated at 20% of the total development cost.
Even though there is no precise estimate, you now have a general idea of how much it will cost to build a mobile app. This is due to the fact that there are numerous influencing factors that will influence your journey toward making your app a reality. Consider all those factors mentioned in the article so that you can make a rough estimate for creating an app for your business or try approaching experts to help you with it.
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Hi, my name is Rahil. I work at YUHIRO Global and I help web agencies and software companies from Europe to build developer teams in India.