


How much does it cost to make an app today? $5,000, $50,000, or $500,000?
As with everything, mobile app development costs depend on what you want.
Remember: the devil is in the details.
A Clutch survey states median costs of Native iPhone (iOS) app development varies from $38,000 – $171,000 (the survey includes only costs based on common US hourly rates.) Costs go as high as $500,000+. It all depends on what is under the hood.
*the survey includes only costs based on common US hourly rates.
Why the wide range? No two projects are alike. Every request differs in the details. The cost of creating an app depends a lot on:
Are there any extra numbers?
Depending on app complexity, costs to develop a mobile app range the following way:
Curious? Check out below what determines how much it costs to make an app.
Examples of estimates are included.
More precisely, costs of outsourcing app development depend on the region where the provider is located.
A development company located in North America charges 2-3 times more for the cost of app development than in an Eastern European company and 5 times higher than in an Asian country.
A precise list of project requirements is the most important document development companies want to receive and review before proceeding with the project overview and estimates on how much it costs to make an app.
In their calculations, developers consider the two following aspects:
Both criteria are inherent pitfalls. Why? Too often clients make mistakes if they:
Choices you make can often lead to failure.
Development companies often receive requests to create an app similar to already-existing software (the next Instagram, Uber, etc.).
Prospects expect it fast.
But it just doesn’t work that way. Project discovery does not take much time because similar products are in the market. Nonetheless, it is impossible to create an app with 150+ screens within 2-3 months.
Clients must give a detailed list of their app requirements to avoid incorrect estimates. If they had to answer the question, “How much does it cost to make an app?”, they would have to realize how much time and effort project implementation takes. The “visual” components can be developed fast. But, just like a powerful engine under the hood, building a reliable backend demands a lot of effort, even though the backend remains “hidden” under normal conditions. You don’t see it, but you know it’s there when everything runs smoothly.
Choices you make can often lead to failure.
Choosing a provider that fails to deliver its promises turns your dreams into a disaster. When expecting estimates on how much it costs to make an app from development providers, ensure you include the following key points:
As effort and time increase, so, too, app development costs.
Development of iOS app development and Android development services differ.
Different programming languages mean different specialists required for each.
Testing processes differ because there are more Android devices available.
The backend or server part is also required when you develop a mobile app. It is needed to exchange, update, and store user information. For example, the backend ensures data synchronization between an application and database.
This job requires a back-end developer and also increases app development costs.
An Admin Panel is required in some mobile apps to:
The back-end developer also carries out this work.
Another important question directly affecting how much it costs to develop an app is which approach should the team choose for mobile app development: Native, Cross-platform or Hybrid?
Let’s figure out the difference between both development approaches.
Native apps use language specific to the target platform:
Hence, you need two different apps (=different codebases).
Cross-platform apps share the same codebase that is translated into a target language. You still need to maintain two codebases, but updating is easier.
Hybrid application development is a mix of Web and mobile development approaches. Hybrid apps can be developed with HTML/JavaScript/CSS. Hybrid supports the same codebase.
Below are pros and cons of these three approaches:
Use the points below to decide the best for you: Hybrid, Cross-platform or Native.
Remember to take the following factors into account:
Smartphone app development costs increase as you go from East to West. They can even vary within the same region. There is no clear-cut formula for hourly rates. Company rates depend on:
Thus, a company with a solid proven portfolio,10+ years in the market, and an office in the USA has a higher hourly rate than a younger, less-experienced company with a small portfolio and no office in the US or EU.
US, Canada, Australia, and the Schengen countries have the highest developer rates.
Below is an overview of hourly rates on the most popular destinations for outsourcing software development starting from highest to lowest. This gives you a guide to estimating costs to create an app.
Every client wants to know: How much does it cost to develop an app?
Let's be clear about basic app development costs.
Here is the basic formula to calculate how much it costs to make an app.
How do features determine scope of work?
It depends. Below are some of the most common features.
The above list is a possible basic feature list of an application.
Now let’s determine the minimum app development costs for development based on their complexity. All apps can be nominally divided into three categories:
Estimated app development costs based on geographical region:
Based on the table above, you can see that cost estimates fluctuate within each category. Does this mean that you can save on mobile app development? Yes, this is possible, depending on your requirements.
Send your request and get a free consultation with possible implementation paths.
A basic app has five to eight screens. It neither exchanges nor synchronizes data with a database, so, no data analysis. Basic apps provide some static data such as business cards. They enable making one or two very easy actions, such as choosing an item and adding it to a user profile, list, etc., but cannot change parameters of the item.
A team takes a month to build an app with basic functionality. It takes around 200 – 300 working hours to create an app. Implementation includes design, development, testing, and deployment.
These apps can have several functions, some quite complex. For example, an online store app can have 10+ screens, integration with the company’s website, and payment systems. Shipment options and rating features are also possible. Such an application requires at least 800 – 1,300 working hours to implement. The timeline is 4+ months.
Outsourcing companies most often receive requests for this mid-range option. App development costs to build an app of average complexity tends to be within the price range of most businesses.
Complex mobile apps top the list in terms of app development costs. Implementation takes 6+ months. Required working hours range from 1,500 – 2,000+. A complex app can include:
….and more.
Is there anything else you need to know in advance about app development pricing?
Yes. Be extremely cautious when you receive an unreasonably cheap option.
App development price can be higher at a company with a proven portfolio of completed projects than at its less-experienced competitors. Expertise and high-quality code are never cheap.
An experienced software company can build an app within the promised timeline ensuring high-quality source code.
Less-experienced developers often provide misleading estimates and timelines but lower the quality of their work trying to catch up with a fast-approaching deadline.
This results in:
(To check out what is “unreasonably cheap”, look at your list of requirements, refer to our list below on how many hours is required for them, then divide number of hours into the low estimate. The answer is an approximate indication of the per-hour rate. Also, ask them to break down the estimate of number of hours required per task.)
Remember, it always makes sense to ask experienced professionals for help.
Try this handy app calculator. Choose options you need and see how much it costs to build an app.
As with all projects, the development team does more than code to create an app and successfully launch it. Other stages are an integral part of the implementation process to ensure the app runs smoothly after it goes live.
The number of stages in a mobile application development project might vary. The correct answer to the question, “How much does it cost to make an app?” depends on:
IT Craft provides full-cycle development services no matter at which stage of development it begins working on your app. The difference will be in total cost of creating an app and timeline.
Below are all necessary stages of the full development cycle:
A detailed list of requirements makes it possible to get a correct estimate. A software development company provides its clients with questions about the proposed app and finalizes the answers in a document.
In some cases, only a preliminary estimate on how much it will cost to make an app is possible.
The parties agree:
Both parties can sign an agreement and an NDA, if required. It serves as a guarantee of implementation and copyright protection for the future product.
A development team reproduces the basic logic of the app. The team prepares wireframes and forms a map of screens to present logical connections between screens. After the customer approves of the map, designers start working on the UI.
This stage ensures app is intuitively clear and easy to use.
This stage critically affects both how much it costs to develop an app and maintenance costs.
Without open and immediate client-server interaction, efficient work of an app and staying on track is not possible. Server part and server logic require skills and experience from developers.
A separate app is developed for each mobile platform when using the Native approach. When using Cross-platform or Hybrid approach, the same codebase is adapted to platforms.
QA testing must be carried out at every development stage and affects how much it costs to develop an app. QA determines if there is full compliance with both concept and functional requirements. The deadline depends on timely detection of bugs and resolving issues.
The review process takes time.
To pass the review fast, create your own content consisting of:
A fine description helps users find the app easily.
If you hire a software development company, the team can also take care of this stage.
A managerial approach is a way of organizing work on a project. It determines the development workflow and interaction between customer (product owner) and development team. An incorrect approach might affect app development cost and especially deadlines.
The two most common project management models are Waterfall and Agile.
Waterfall is linear. Each step must be completed before the next step can begin.
Waterfall is best suited for short projects under 6 months having a firmly defined scope of work.
With Agile, the implementation process is divided into Sprints. Sprints have the same duration of 2-3 weeks to ensure flexibility. All processes are done in parallel, including development, testing, debugging, and deployment.
Agile is best suited for startups that want to get to the market quickly. They can make changes to initial requirements. As a result, they can attract customers or investments for the next stages.
A good question. With other companies, prices often tend to increase.
But not at IT Craft. Our prices are stable.
The cost of your app to be developed by IT Craft in 2021 remains the same as in 2020. At our company, costs of outsourcing software development haven’t increased even though salaries of our software developers do.
How is this possible?
Ever-greater efficiency.
IT Craft’s developers—always at the front line of innovative ideas—introduce best practices to accomplish the same scope of high-quality work in less time (= same or lower budget.)
However, you need specific requirements to get a solid answer when you ask, “How much does it cost to build an app at an experienced company?”
Time and development costs for mobile apps vary greatly. For a simple photo-sharing app, it takes about 1.5 months. To transform custom, desktop software into a SaaS solution takes 1.5 years.
For example, RocketRoute, a flight planner app, has a killer feature: a custom-built, auto-route calculation algorithm. Using RocketRoute, it’s easy to create a flight plan in minutes and send it to the authorities for approval.
The IT Craft team kept improving the MVP until they had integrated all APIs (weather, winds, NOTAMs, etc.) needed to process flight plans. The entire project (Web, iOS, Android apps) took approximately 8 months to launch.
Two more examples of how IT Craft helped create an app:
OrderPort is a Native mobile solution for wine businesses. The app turns an iPad into a full-fledged POS (Point of Sale). Customers can buy wine using any payment type and get their receipt printed or sent via email. The app displays statistics on sales channels, available stocks, and more.
99Coaches is a Hybrid mobile solution to help basketball trainers organize and plan team training, manage squads, and monitor progress of single players. A large library is available for trainers to help them plan each training session with a few clicks. When a training plan is ready, trainers can automatically synchronize it with their smartphone app and use it offline.
Below, we would like to share how app development price depends on requirements.
Estimates for three types of apps available give you a clearer understanding of typical project costs.
Click on the link below and download the estimate as a PDF file:
Please note that the estimates above include only working hours for basic functionality. Hence, costs to build an app might vary from those estimates based on requirements provided to the development team.
Do you want to see those real-life examples with numbers of hours spent on a project? Check our portfolio.
The amount of work on each project determines app development costs. Precise requirements determine whether or not you get precise estimates on how much an app costs.
A business must be prepared for flexible budgeting when requirements change throughout the development cycle. In case of changing requirements, it makes sense to apply for Agile development. Businesses might initially pay higher app development costs but save on app expansion and maintenance.
Businesses can save on software development if they have some work already done. e.g., some source code or app layouts. However, the development team initiates a code inspection to ensure they can turn existing source code into a smooth mobile app for estimated app development costs. If this is not possible, businesses should start app development anew.
Send your requirements or schedule a call with IT Craft today!