What is the cost of mobile app development?
When people ask this question, they expect to get a straight quotation from a development company.
It’s not that you can’t get a straight answer from the development company. It’s just that they need more information to be able to properly respond.
So they ask “what type of application you’re looking for?”.
And from there follows a series of questions.
The only problem is, if you’re not aware of the cost of mobile app development, one of the things that can happen is you can end up overpaying software development companies, which is something that you don’t want to do.
How Much Does It Cost to Develop A Simple, Non-complex App?
With all the factors in mind, the cost of simple mobile app development will start from $30,000 and can go up to $60,000.
What Features Are There in A Simple Mobile App?
The Number of Features & Cost Of Mobile App Development Are Directly Proportional. So it’s important to know the number of features that simple mobile apps have in common.
- Limited platform support: A simple mobile app only supports one mobile operating system, either Android or iOS.
- UI/UX: Basic or prebuilt UI
- A Search Option: A search option is a basic feature that is essential for any mobile app.
- Social Media Integration: Social media is the biggest user-driven platform, making it an essential part of any mobile app.
- Data Collection Opt-Out: Whether it’s a basic or complex mobile app development, user privacy and data security are very important.
Read More: 15 Must-Have Features Of A Successful, User-Friendly Mobile App
Cost-Benefit Analysis Of Mobile App Development
Mobile app development is only necessary in the case when you know that it’ll be beneficial in the future.
Otherwise, why would someone invest a penny?
Cost-Benefit Analysis helps you know why is it worth developing a mobile app. What will be the cost of mobile app development and the benefit that you will get out of it?
That’ll help you determine whether you should develop the app or if it’s just a white elephant.
Read More: Cost Benefit Analysis Of Android
What are the three important elements of Cost Benefit Analysis?
Calculate the app development cost: app complexity, per-hour rate, Core Features, Operating system, UI/UX, etc.
Calculate the benefits of application: Achievement of business objectives such as building a loyal customer base, ROI, etc.
Analyzing cost vs benefits comparison: Help you determine if this project is worthwhile
What Are The Two Scenarios?
Once you carried out the calculation the end results will show any one scenario from both these mentioned scenarios below.
Scene#1: An-Every-App-Owner-Dream Scene
Financial perks > cost associated with app development: If the result shows that financial benefits in the future will be more than the money you spend this time. Then it’s worth developing a mobile app.
Scene#2: A Nightmare
Financial benefits < associated cost of mobile app development: If there are not enough financial benefits or the situation is uncertain so it’s not worth a penny.
Breaking Down The Cost Of Mobile App Development iOS & Android
There’re various factors that influence the cost of mobile app development. These factors don’t affect the cost at the same time. To better understand them we’ve divided them into different categories.
Elements That Impact The Cost Of Mobile App Development
- Size of the application
- Level of complexity.
- Team size.
- Team’s location.
- App type.
App Size is Directly Proportional To The App Development Cost
It’s very important to know the size of the app you want to develop. As it directly influences the cost. Since the large app has more features and takes more time and effort to develop so is the cost.
- Small iOS app takes 1-2 months to complete the cost to develop such an app is between $5000-$10,000.
- Medium-size iOS app 3-6 months to complete the cost to develop such an app is between $10,000- $50,000.
- Complex-size iOS app takes up to a year to complete the cost to develop such an app is more than 50,000.
The Higher The App’s Complexity, The Higher The Development Costs.
Developing an app with fewer features or you can say with only necessary features will always cost you less than an app with more number and complexity of features.
- Developing an app with basic UI and less complex features will cost you $5000- $20,000.
- App with high-end UI and integrated complex features will cost around $20,000 – $200,000.
Want To Cut Down The Cost Of Mobile App Development? Consider Hiring A Smaller BUT Professional Team.
The iOS mobile app development isn’t a one-man show. You need a full-time development team. But remember, greater team size means more money. So to save the cost of mobile app development, you can consider hiring a small team.
However, knee jerk reaction of most has been hiring an in-house software development team, which is a very expensive and hassle-packed enterprise.
From managing developers first-hand to paying a ton of money, it gets very hectic for businesses and owners to cope with such pressure.
So instead of hiring individuals with specific skills, you can consult with a full-time app development company that can offer you everything. Also, this method is relatively cost-effective.
The following are the talented individuals required to develop an app with an average per-hour rate.
- iOS developer $20-$100
- UI/UX designer $15-$50
- Scrum Master $50-$150
- QA engineer $12- $40
- Business Analyst $30-$70
- Project Manager $60-$180
Read More: In-House vs Outsourcing Software and App Development
Believe It Or Not, Your Development Team’s Location is Directly Related To The Cost Of Mobile App Development
South Asia remains the cheapest region when it comes to developing an app. Followed by eastern Europe, Russia, and Australia. Europe and The United States remain the costly region to develop iOS Apps. The difference in rate per hour is due to the standard of living and cost of living.
We’ve mentioned hour rate to develop iOS apps for different regions.
- South Asia $25 – $50
- The United States and Europe $70 – $180
- Eastern Europe $30 – $100
- Australia $80 – $150
- Russia $50 – $120
Apps Come in All Shapes & Sizes. And Your App Type Dictates The cost Of Mobile App Development.
There is a direct relationship between the type of app and the cost to develop that app. For instance, if you want to create a gaming app it will take the most time to develop. Hence the cost will also be the most.
In addition, the app category popularity and app development cost are commensurate.
Simply put, gaming apps are the most popular app category in the iOS play store. Hence, to develop a gaming app development company will charge you the most.
- Gaming apps are usually the most expensive app development it takes 3 – 12 months and the average cost is $30,000 – $250,000.
- Due to less demand and simple UI food and drinks apps are the cheapest app development. The cost to develop such as app is around $10,000 – $30,000.
How To Reduce The Cost Of Mobile App Development?
Developers love details: The less time and effort the developer takes to understand your project will indirectly reduce the cost of mobile app development.
Sounds a bit confusing? Let’s break it down for you.
Before getting in touch with a development team, if you’ve done the work from your end and you’re aware that what needs to be developed.
That means you can communicate it to the developer in less time. Also, he can’t fool you by quoting a higher price because you know the specific features you need in your app.
Avoid superfluous features: The development team is very smart when charging you for the project. They will charge you for everything that you want in your app. But you can reduce the cost of mobile app development by leaving out the features that are not necessary
Cross-platform Development: why to develop an app for each platform separately when you can do it at once with the help of cross-platform? We know that the apps built from cross-platform don’t offer the same user experience or speed but if you are on a shoestring budget this is a perfect way.
Don’t skip Q/A testing: If you think final Q/A testing is needless and if needed you can do it on your own. This is a mistake. Q/A testing is more than necessary as it ensures an error-free app.
One project-One team: Instead of hiring multiple teams to develop an app you can hire a single team that is capable of doing everything. Ultimately, it will require less time and the project will be well organized.
Outsourcing: Instead of hiring a team of developers full-time and paying them salaries every month. You can outsource the project to any company anywhere in the world. This way you can have access to the global talent pool, and less overhead results in an excellent final product with less money spent.
Read our blog here: Stop Overpaying For Software Development Today With These 5 Golden Tips!
Average Cost Of Mobile App Development Services
The cost of a complex mobile app with ultra-edge and advanced features supporting more than 2 platforms and personalized UI starts from $200,000 and can go up to $300,000.
The average cost of a simple mobile app with basic UI, support 1platform only, and MVP functionality starts from $40,000 and can go up to $120,000.
The average cost of a medium mobile app with feature-rich UI, support 1-2 platforms, and high performance starts from $120,000 and can go up to $200,000.
