How much does it cost to develop a mobile application?

How much does it cost to create a mobile application? This is one of the most frequently asked questions in our industry.

The price of developing a mobile app can vary from €1,000 to €120,000, or even more. That’s quite a gap, isn’t it? 🤯

There is no fixed price for mobile app development. It’s like the price of a house; it varies according to a multitude of factors: location, size, materials used, architecture, etc.

The same principle applies to a mobile application; its price depends on several factors that we will examine together.

Factors that influence the price of a mobile application

1. Features
2. Design
3. Platform (iOS, Android)
4. Backend Infrastructure and Administration Interface
5. Structure and location of the development team
6. Type of service provider
7. App maintenance and additional services

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Features

The more features your application contains, the more time is required to create it. This results in a higher bill. 😝

In addition to the number, the complexity of the features impacts development time. Developing a Flashlight app 🔦 is not the same as developing a VTC (ride-hailing) app with a sophisticated matching system.

Let’s examine the approximate development time and cost required for some basic features:

Regarding app development timelines: more than 80% of mobile apps take more than 3 months to create, and 40% of apps take more than 6 months.

Given that the ADR (Average Daily Rate) of a developer in France is invoiced between €300 and €600, you can easily get an idea of the minimum budget required. To help you, let’s look at a few examples:

*For our example, we used an ADR of €300.

Design

The level of complexity of the application as well as the number of screens influence the time needed for the design of mockups, and therefore, the final price. For information, here are the tasks of the UX designer:

• analysis of user preferences and behavior;
• analysis of similar applications;
• creation of wireframes (UX);
• creation of the final design (UI).

The Platform (iOS/Android)

On which platform (iOS/Android) do you want to deploy your app? This choice will directly impact the project cost. Why?

Developing an app for iOS requires different tools and programming languages than development for Android.

Generally, two different approaches can be taken in mobile development:

• Native development: Native apps are applications specifically developed for a precise operating system (iOS or Android).
• Hybrid development: Hybrid or cross-platform apps, unlike native apps, are developed only once and are compatible with both iOS and Android.

Hybrid development usually costs less than native development. That said, each type of development has its pros and cons. Do not hesitate to ask your service provider for advice.

Backend infrastructure and admin interface

1. Backend

In mobile app development, the backend is a platform for exchanging data between an application and a database. The backend is also responsible for an application’s calculations and processing.

The workload on the backend is generally a function of the number and complexity of your app’s features.

A bubble level app, for example, requires no backend, unlike a carpooling app, which requires significant backend work because it involves a lot of processing and calculations.

2. Admin Panel (Back-office)

The admin panel, also called the back-office, is a very useful tool for managing content, users, and app statistics.

Ready-to-use templates exist; however, it is very difficult to find one perfectly adapted to your app. It is often more beneficial to create a custom admin panel to meet your company’s specific needs.

Structure and location of the development team

The location of your service provider is a factor that greatly influences the final product price. The cost of creating an app in France will be different from the cost of development in India or other regions.

Here is a table listing the regional hourly cost of different mobile development stakeholders:

Type of service provider

You generally have two options for choosing your service provider:

1. Independent worker (freelancer);

2. Mobile development agency.

Depending on the option you choose, the cost will be impacted. There are reasons behind the pricing structure of these different development options.

1. Independent worker (freelancer)

Hiring a freelancer is certainly the cheapest option, but it is also the riskiest. The freelancer works alone; if they fall ill, for example, your project will suffer.

There is also another risk with freelancers. Since they frequently work for several clients at once, your application will not be the only project they focus on.

A freelancer can offer a lower price than agencies because they do not have to pay the many overheads agencies do: a head office, a multidisciplinary team, subscriptions to professional tools…

2. Mobile development agency

Mobile development agencies generally have dozens of designed applications under their belt.

In comparison with freelancers, it is easier to access previous work and reviews from former clients.

The other characteristic of agencies is project management. As a general rule, project management within agencies is much more rigorous than with freelancers.

The cost of mobile development can vary from one agency to another, so it is advisable to request several quotes before choosing the mobile development agency that suits you.

App maintenance and additional services

One of the last points to consider is the cost of maintaining an app. It is common to allocate 15% to 20% of the initial app development cost to maintenance each year.

App maintenance is a necessary evil; it can include the following elements:

• continuous bug fixing;
• stability and performance improvements;
• code optimization;
• support for the latest iOS and Android versions;
• development of new features;
• support for the latest versions of third-party services.

The price of maintenance also depends on the number of features you want to add and their complexity.

This is why cooperation with your service provider does not end just after product deployment. It is an ongoing process of collaboration and exchange.

Tips to reduce the price of a mobile application

Now that you know the elements that impact mobile app development costs, you can effectively manage your budget for your app’s development.

Here are some tips to reduce your development costs:

The majority of digital entrepreneurs immediately expect good results. Most requests we receive sound like: “I want an app like Uber” or “I want to develop an app like Airbnb”.

You will surely agree that these app-based companies have evolved over many years to get to where they are today.

So, if you want an app like Uber or Instagram, plan for sufficient resources.

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