How Much Does It Cost To Develop A Mobile App?

Mobile apps do not belong to only big brands like Amazon or Netflix. Instead, every small or large business needs mobile applications to build strong customer relationships, deliver personalized experiences, and foster business growth. 

Nowadays, people rely on mobile devices to perform their everyday chores, from online grocery shopping to booking cabs and taxis, and more. Thus, impacting customer journeys in numerous ways possible. All these benefits showcase the necessity of mobile app development for every small to medium and large-sized business looking to scale their businesses in this digitized world. 

However, one common question arises amongst businesses – ‘how much does it cost to develop a mobile app?’. Besides, some are confused about whether to hire mobile app developers or outsource the project to a reliable mobile app development company.

So, if you are one of those then in this write-up, we will cover the factors considered when determining the cost to build a mobile app.

6 Key Factors Influencing the Cost to Develop a Mobile App

The cost of mobile app development is reliant on multiple significant factors. Understanding these cost-influencing parameters can help make informed choices. In addition, you can stick to your budget while achieving the best returns on app development. 

So, let’s dive in!

App Complexity

Building a high-performing app that delivers the best user experience possible necessitates advanced features, functionalities, and technology. Besides, these apps include payment gateways, user security, social media integrations, etc.

All this contributes to the app’s complexity, consequently contributing to the overall development cost. Usually, you can expect the pricing of a complex app to be between $50,000 to $1,20,000. 

Type of App

The app type you decide to develop will ultimately help hire the right professionals for your app development, impacting your overall cost for mobile application development. 

Web Applications

These apps are not mobile apps technically but rather mobile-friendly websites designed for responsiveness, ensuring the best possible user experience across multiple screen types and sizes. This option is best suited for small-sized businesses. 

Native Applications

The native apps are user-friendly and operate offline as well. However, application development requires knowledge of a specific programming language depending on the operating system for which you want to develop the app, either Android or iOS.

Here, you may need to hire developers for Android and iOS mobile app development separately. Thereby, increasing the overall cost of building the app.

Cross-Platform Apps

Cross-platform apps work on different devices and operating systems and are designed using a common base code, saving a lot of effort, time, and money on app development. Furthermore, these apps are easily scalable.

However, the only flaw you would experience with building a cross-platform mobile app is the slow app performance.

Essential Features and Functionalities

The features and functionalities integrated into your app play a significant role in its performance. However, it does impact the cost of building the mobile app as well.  When you focus on only the core features and functionalities in the initial app development stage, it saves you money while delivering a better customer experience. 

Building an MVP comes here as the best option. It helps develop an app with the necessary features only and gather valuable feedback from the user. Further, deciding on the need to integrate additional features or not.

API Integrations and Backend Infrastructure

An app’s robust backend is the key to its smooth and optimal functioning. However, the development of backend infrastructure includes various things like database management, server hosting, and more, contributing to increased expenses.

In addition, the apps require third-party integrations such as social media platforms, payment gateways, etc. All this costs usage fees and licensing charges, accelerating the cost of mobile app development.

App Maintenance

The cost of building a mobile app also involves ongoing maintenance and regular upgrades. Furthermore, the requirement of additional resources for bug fixing and more incur the maintenance charges.

Usually, the average cost for mobile app maintenance is around 15-25% of total development cost annually.

Type of Mobile App Development Services You Hire

Selecting the right development approach helps to assess the accurate app development cost. You can either hire an offshore app development company or hire mobile app developers separately. And there is no ideal choice as both the options have their strengths and benefits.

Hire Freelancers

The one main benefit of employing remote mobile app developers is they are affordable, charging around $20 per hour. It seems lucrative for businesses with low development budgets. However, you may understand that building an app does not only revolve around coding.

It needs to take care of other key aspects including planning, designing, etc. as all these affect the project completion. Also, it would cost more if you separately hire experts for project management, analysis, and so on.

Hire an App Development Company

On the other hand, when you hire an offshore mobile app development company, you benefit from accountability, quality assurance, smooth project development, and efficient development. They have all resources in place right from designing and development experts to maintenance and support teams to ensure smooth mobile app deployment and its optimal functioning. 

In simple terms, the cost of mobile app development may seem less when employing freelancers but the time-to-market increases. Whereas, hiring a mobile app development agency may cost you more but you will get a quality solution developed in less time.

Final Thoughts

There is no right answer to the cost of building a mobile app. However, considering all the important factors that influence the cost can help get the approximate figure. 

Are you also stuck calculating the exact mobile app development cost? You can consult a trustworthy mobile app development company who have specialized experts well-versed in different programming languages and technologies to develop and deploy innovative apps with advanced features. Also, ensure they can provide the exact quotes for app development as per your needs, budget, and any set preferences.