How Much Does It Cost to Build a Mobile App?
What drives the cost of a mobile app, how platform choice changes the budget, the costs people forget, and how to lower the price without hurting the product.
The price of a mobile app depends on a handful of decisions, and most of them are yours to make. This article explains what drives the cost, which costs are easy to overlook, and where you can save.
The formula
As with any software, the cost comes down to:
Cost = people × time × rate
Rates vary widely between regions and levels of experience, so this article describes effort in weeks. Multiply by the weekly rate of the team you are considering to get a budget.
What drives the effort
Platforms
Building separate native apps for iOS and Android means doing most of the work twice. A cross-platform framework such as Flutter or React Native shares most of the code, so a second platform adds far less than double.
We compare the options in React Native vs Flutter vs native.
The backend
Most apps need a server: accounts, stored data, notifications. People often budget for the app they can see and forget the backend and the admin panel behind it. Together these can be a third to a half of the total effort.
Number and complexity of flows
A list screen is quick. A checkout, a booking flow or a multi-step form with saved progress takes much longer. Count your flows and mark the complex ones.
Offline support
An app that must work without a connection needs local storage and a way to merge changes when it reconnects. This is one of the most expensive requirements to add, so decide early whether you need it.
Device features
Camera, maps and notifications are well supported and predictable. Bluetooth devices, background location and audio processing take more time and more testing on real hardware.
Design
Standard platform components are fast to build. A fully custom interface with animations takes longer on every screen.
Third-party services
Payments, sign-in with Apple or Google, analytics, chat and maps each add integration and testing work.
Rough sizes
For a team of two to three people using a cross-platform framework:
| Type of app | Typical effort |
|---|---|
| Focused first version: one core flow, accounts, simple backend | 8 to 14 weeks |
| Full product: several flows, payments, notifications, admin panel | 4 to 7 months |
| Complex app: offline support, hardware integration, real-time features | 7 months or more, in phases |
These include store submission. Building two separate native apps adds substantially to each figure.
Costs people forget
| Cost | Notes |
|---|---|
| Apple Developer Program | Annual fee, required to publish on the App Store |
| Google Play developer account | One-time registration fee |
| Store commission | A percentage of in-app purchases and subscriptions |
| Hosting and services | Server, database, storage, email, notifications |
| Test devices | A few real phones across sizes and OS versions |
| Operating system updates | Each yearly iOS and Android release can require changes |
| Store review delays | Reviews take time and rejections happen, so leave room in the schedule |
Check the current fees and commission rates on the Apple and Google developer sites, since they change.
After launch
An app is never finished at release. Plan for:
- Operating system updates every year
- Dependency updates, because libraries are retired and store policies change
- Bug fixes reported by real users on devices you did not test
- New features, since usage data will change your priorities
Set aside a share of the build cost each year for maintenance. The right amount depends on how actively the product keeps changing.
How to lower the cost
- Go cross-platform unless you have a clear reason for native.
- Release on one platform first if your audience is concentrated there.
- Start with a web app if you are still testing the idea. It reaches every device and needs no store review.
- Use existing services for sign-in, payments and notifications.
- Skip offline support in the first version unless the product depends on it.
- Use standard components and save custom design for the screens that matter most.
- Build the admin panel last. Early on, a database tool covers most needs.
Questions to ask a developer
- Is the backend included in this quote?
- Who publishes the app, and under whose developer account?
- What is included after launch, and for how long?
- How are operating system updates handled and priced?
- Which devices and OS versions will you test on?
- Who owns the source code?
Getting a real number
An accurate estimate needs a short description of the users, the three to five things they must be able to do, the platforms and your deadline. See how to write a software project brief for a template.
If you would like an estimate for your app, tell us about it. You can also read about our mobile app development service.