In 2023, the annual global app download count reached 299 billion, marking a significant rise from the roughly 247 billion app downloads recorded worldwide in 2020. Such trends can’t be ignored — mobile application market grows extremely. If you want to get your piece of mobile cake, your application should be done well from both technical side and benefits for user. How much does it cost to make an app, that is useful and popular and how to choose a professional offshore development team?
You may use our calculalor to estimate the approximate cost of app development
Few Pro-Arguments For Mobile App Development
Mobile apps downloads are increasing constantly, as well as a share of Android apps on the mobile app market. The global app industry has witnessed remarkable growth over the years, with people allocating more spending to mobile apps than ever before. In 2023, it is projected that consumers worldwide will collectively invest $236 billion in paid apps and in-app purchases, and they are expected to initiate 262 billion app downloads, marking the highest figures in the market's history. However, 2024 might surpass these records and establish a new benchmark.
More and more users prefer using apps, as in the fast-moving world it is more comfortable to get information from mobile devices, whether you are standing in blockade or waiting in turn. The game is worth the candle, but what is the price for it?
Most important aspects, that influence the cost of app development are:
- Experience and location of your offshore development team;
- The complexity of your future app;
- Mobile operating system;
- A mobile app design you need.
Let’s describe mobile apps pricing more detailed
Experience and location of offshore development team
Application development undertakes the biggest amount of the budget, as it includes the work of various specialists and depends on the time and materials spent. Project managers, developers, QA specialists — all of them will be participants of your offshore development team. Depending on your team’s experience and locations the budget on app development will vary a lot.
Rates for mobile app development and design in different regions
You shouldn’t make decision based only on the lowest price rate, moreover, do take into consideration general experience of team, projects in portfolio and specialization in your field of business. If developers are experienced in particular areas, the process of cooperation will be much easier and efficient.
2. Mobile app functionality
Your future application cost will firstly depend on the functionality, that application requires to solve your auditory needs. Parameters, that influence the works scope are:
- Number of screens;
- Custom controls;
- Device types (a smartphone, tablet or both);
- Screen orientation modes;
- Security;
- Supported OS versions;
- Number of supported languages;
- Deployment.
That is a very short overview, the more complicated your application becomes, the more functionality you wish to add, then the more time and money it will cost to develop. Important thing — the more clear mobile application functionality you describe at the start, the more realistic price you will get.
What OS to choose for mobile app
Mobile apps can be classified as:
- Native — developed particularly under the platform, according to the specific rules, that were stated by the platform developers;
- Web apps — it is the same site adapted for mobile devices, which opens in mobile browsers;
- Hybrid — anywhere from web to native technologies, hybrid apps work under Android and iOS, but there is no warranties of effective functioning.
If to talk about which OS to prefer, that Android and iOS — are the most popular operating systems for now. And if Apple’s iOS applications are mostly more expensive on Play Market, Android mobile apps get more of mobile market share. According to Statista, during the third quarter of 2023, Android continued to dominate as the world's top mobile operating system, boasting a substantial market share of 70.5 percent. In comparison, Apple's iOS, the nearest competitor, held a market share of 28.8 percent within the same timeframe. iOS app development costs typically come at higher compared to Android app development.
4. Design your ideas
One more vital part of app development goes to the design, as it specifically focuses on satisfying customers’ needs. The main option of the mobile app design is to make visible part of your app clear in using and inviting to the eye. Well created design is an intuitive manual for solving the problem of your app’s user. App development costs will also depend on the screen orientation modes (landscape and portrait) that will be implemented in mobile solution.
How We Estimate an App Development Cost
App development costs are a creative process. Each mobile application is unique, even if it has business logic, that is similar to other existing projects. The functional’s realisation always have few different variants. Our specialists, on the basis of theirs experience, may give you a rough estimate of project’s budget frames. But the estimation of exact accuracy can be provided only for few weeks of development iteration.
To make estimation process simple and easy to understand, mobile project should be divided into several iterations, each will include the development of previously approved functionality.
For each iteration next issues are made:
- Analysis of client requirements and tasks;
- Mockups estimation;
- Design estimation;
- Project development estimation;
- Testing and Verification Cost Estimation;
- Risks estimation.
To help our clients spend the budget wisely, we may provide our expertise in app development and make recommendations for more effective financial distribution.
Mobile App Development Cost of an Uber-like App
In Uber-like app there are two roles usually: an app for drivers and for clients. By estimating an approximate time needed for their development, we can calculate a total cost. To develop an Uber-like car booking app for passengers and drivers, it will take about 500 hours. The Back end will take 350 hours. We get 850 hours in total. Adding the time needed for admin dashboard development (about 70 hours) and we will get 920 hours.
Average cost of Uber-like app in different regions:
USA: $46,000-$230,000;
Canada: $46,000-$230,000;
Australia: $46,000-$138,000;
Western Europe: $27,600-$161,000;
Eastern Europe: $19,000-$138,000;
India: $9,200-$73,600.
Uber-like apps can match different spheres, you may be interested in 7 industries where Uber for X flourishes.
IOS App Development Cost
We are all well aware that there are lots of factors that influence app development. Let’s look closely at the key ones.
Application size
The number of features and screens of your application determines its size and development costs consequently. So, how much does it take to develop an app?
Expect a budget of about $8,000-25,000 for a small app, and something between $25,000 and $50,000 for a medium one. An enterprise app development often exceeds $50,000 and may go far beyond this figure.
Complexity of functionality
Based on the selection of features, the applications may have the following breakdown – simple, semi-complex, and complex ones.
Low-complexity features include – user registration and authorization, password recovery and account management, profile settings, and customization. The users can customize application appearance, notifications they want to get, privacy preferences, etc. Data synchronization and in-app purchases are also low-complexity features. The cost of a simple app may vary between $20,000 and $60,000.
Semi-complex solutions may take from US $60,000 to US $250,000 for development. They may include data visualization functionality, geolocation, social media platforms integration, and push notifications.
Highly complex features are advanced multifactor user authentication, ML (machine learning), AR (Augmented reality), and IoT (Internet of Things) integrations. You need between US $250,000 and $500,000 for their development because you also need a robust backend and highly interactive UI/UX design for such solutions.
UI/UX Design
The UI/UX design process comprises the following stages: research, UX design, UI design, Branding, animation, and illustration. The UI/UX development cost may vary between $7500 and $65000+.
Development team location and hiring model
Often, offshore app development cost is more reasonable than expenses for hiring individual talents in-house.
An hour of an Indian developer costs $20 to $40, while in the USA the range is $80 to $170. Ukrainian developers will charge $30 to $100, while Australians take between $80 and $200.
However, Ukrainian developers are well known for the proficiency and quality they deliver, at a rather decent cost of development.
Keep in mind that hiring an in-house team is more time and budget-consuming. You need to pay salaries and purchase all the necessary hardware and software. Outsourcing or hiring a dedicated offshore team is a more attractive and reasonable option.
App categories
There are multiple categories of applications and each of them has its development specifics. To tell how much does an application cost, you should know its type. Look at the approximate cost breakdown below.
- Education software solutions - $10,000-$75,000
- Health and Fitness Applications - $10,000-$250,000
- Entertainment Apps: $15,000 - $150,000
- Food & Drink Solutions: $10,000-$35,000
- Travel Apps: $10,000-$90,000
- Shopping Applications: $15,000-$100,000
- Social Networking Solutions: $10,000-$50,000
- Medical Apps: $25,000-$90,000
- Gaming Solutions: US $30,000-$250,000
- Business Applications: $10,000-$150,000
Method of development
To develop an iOS application, you can go for native development which has a significantly higher cost and may on average take you $100,000. Alternatively, you can choose cross-platform development. The cost of an app can be 5 to 6 times less, but be ready to face performance challenges, and limited user experience, not speaking of a slow coding.
API Integrations
The most valuable factor in this context is payment API integrations – from $2500 to $5000 per API. Also, third-party integrations should be taken into consideration. They may vary between $100 and $1000 per API.
Testing
This phase is the essential step in iOS app development, which must not be neglected. More than that, the solution needs repeated testing for security and performance. This stage may cost you from $2000 to $7500+.
So, the question of how much money you need to develop an app is complex. The estimations should be based on your business requirements, user needs, and budget possibilities.
How Much Does It Cost to Design an App?
The factors that influence the cost of app design are to a great extent similar to those mentioned above: platform type, solution complexity, design team type and location, visual design, functionality, illustration, and animation features.
Looking from an iOS perspective, the design cost of a solution for an iPhone only falls between $3,000 and $10,000. Designers do not need to create specific images in this case.
However, solutions for iPhone 6 and ahead require an additional 25% to the UI/UX design cost. It’s because of retina displays that call for high-resolution files. They come with additional expenses.
Add an extra 50% to the budget of a mobile app design if you are going to develop an iPad application. These devices require product designing solutions and high resolution to meet the size and speed of the iPads.
Android mobile app design comes at a higher cost. This happens because the devices on Android continuously revolutionize adhering to the Google Material Design process guidelines. More than that, Android designers have to work with various platforms and new frameworks all the time.
So, it automatically increases the design costs for Android. If an iOS designer’s hourly rate is $600 to $1000, an Android designer’s rate is $650 to $1200 on average.
FAQs About Cost To Develop An App
What are the main factors that influence the cost to develop an app?
The main factors that determine the cost of app development are application type and size, complexity of functionality, UI/UX design and API integrations needed, development team location and hiring model, and method of development and testing.
How does the complexity of an app's features and functionality impact the development cost?
The logic is simple – the more complex the application you want, the higher the cost. The key features of a simple app comprise basic functionality, simple UI/UX components, and a backend with predefined templates and analytic features. Such an app will cost $20,000 to $60,000 to develop Semi-complex application which costs between $60, 000 and $250 000 will have high backend, medium functionalities, custom UI, and smooth and adaptable interface. If you need highly interactive design, custom animations, complex features and integrations, real-time synchronization, and media processing along with a robust backend with a variable database get ready to pay $250,000 - $500,000 for development.
How do development costs differ between building an app for iOS versus Android platforms?
In short, the cost of development for iOS and Android is at preset almost the same. There were times when iOS development was higher, however, Google enhanced quality requirements and now Android development costs are approximately at the same level. The expenses are now more dependent on the tech stack, level of team members and their location, and features you want to implement than purely on the iOS or Android platform.
How can businesses optimize their app development budget to get the best value?
The key factor that helps to optimize the app development budget is clear requirements and realistic expectations. So the discovery phase should be profound, detailed, and devoted to figuring out project requirements, expected outcomes, and detailed planning. Also, it’s vital to choose the proper tech stack and to consider developing an MVP (minimum viable product). You can then ensure you are moving in the right direction. What is more, MVP may help you to get funding from outside investors if you decide to. Opt for simple UI/UX design and agile method of development. It will help you not waste time on fixing errors. By the way, hire a quality assurance specialist to optimize this aspect even more. Choose the right team and outsource the process to real professionals. It will help you get the best results at the best price.
What are some strategies for reducing app development costs without compromising quality?
As we have already mentioned, outsource to the right team. East European developers, Ukrainian in particular, are known for their high-quality development at rather a decent cost. Besides, you can take advantage of the open-source code and tools available in the market and SaaS and BaaS solutions that exist. Low-code apps allow developers to scale projects without excessive costs, so do not underestimate them.
Conclusion: How to Develop a Successful Mobile App?
- The first and the main thing — your future mobile application have to satisfy your users needs. Even with the ideal user-friendly mobile app design and the perfectly written code, if your application doesn’t match your auditory demands, you will hardly receive good benefits.
- So customer — first. Choose the most suitable offshore development team, consider its portfolio, prices and terms.
- Discuss as clear as possible the functionality of your future mobile app with your offshore development team: business logic and functional, region where you plan to set up your project, monetization and analytics;
- Approve your ideas about the mobile app design.
- After all points are discussed and set — you may go straight to success!
Our experts have strong experience native and cross-platform mobile app development for medium and enterprise businesses. Would like to order a mobile app of a high quality? Contact us to share your ideas. We will be glad to answer your questions and to realize the project of your dreams!
