How Much Does App Development Cost? A Budget Estimation Guide

Wondering how much does it cost to make an app? Let us find it out!

Apps have been dominating the digital era for years. The growing usage of smartphones has also led to the adoption of apps in diverse business segments. Indeed, people usually spend 88% of their overall active screen time on apps.

The fascination with apps is so intense that the average American checks their phone more than 262 times every day. From ordering food to booking cabs to shopping online, apps are simplifying every possible task.

Both Google Play & Apple app stores have around 3.4 million apps and 2.09 million apps, respectively. And they will generate more than $935 billion in revenues in 2023. No wonder, the app industry will continue thriving.

People are always fond of apps that simplify their tasks and save time. And most business owners are keeping that in mind.

While in the first stage of ideation, businesses focus on their target audience and market demands to maximize their profits. But how much does it cost to make an app?

Businesses can underestimate – or overestimate – the costs. They can also end up spending thousands of dollars on trying to create an app internally when they do not have the kind of resources to do so – in such a case, they would benefit from custom app development by an experienced company like BluEnt.

Average App Development Cost: Key Factors

A common question from businesses wanting to develop an app is about the estimated cost of building an app.

Below are the key factors that decide how much it costs to create an app for any business:

• Type of app or product to develop

• Team of developers or experts hired (Location & type of engagement model).

• Number of app features

• Complexity of UI/UX design

• Development approach & the operating system (Android, iOS, & cross-platform)

• Added maintenance & support

Got an app idea? Transform your visions into brilliant innovations with BluEnt! Get a quote.

The initial cost of building an app from scratch also depends on the hourly rates of developers working on a project.

Cost estimation is crucial for every company founder desiring to launch an app. Whether it is about building an app from scratch or upgrading an existing one, it is necessary to do budgeting in the initial stage.

Read further for more details on how much it costs to make an app for a business.

Average App Development Cost: Key Factors

The average cost of creating an app may go up to $171,450, according to Clutch. However, the pricing of MVP development (Minimum Viable Product) varies between $10,000 and $20,000.

What is the right way to build an MVP? See what BluEnt's expert team says!

To get the exact cost estimate of your project, you should consider the following parameters of custom mobile application development.

Type of applications

The app development cost may vary depending on these app categories:

• Simple app Apps including calculators, alarms, timers, notes, and small games use basic features. They run without a network connection.
  The development timeline of such apps will not exceed a month and their cost will vary from $10,000 to $15,000.

• Data-based app The major examples of data-driven apps are calendars, weather forecast apps, maps, etc. Such apps use external sources to get relevant information and share the latest updates with users.

  The estimated development cost of data-sharing apps is between $15,000 and $20,000. Their development timeline may exceed a month.

• Social media app Social networking apps are introducing more ways to promote brands and make money. These social media apps are community networks that connect millions of users, businesses, & influencers. They have unique features to engage people through live content, chats, reels, and various features.

  The cost of building a social media app like a community musician will vary from $60,000 to $300,000.

• On-demand app Apps for on-demand delivery and booking facilities belong to this category. Developing an on-demand taxi booking app like Uber will take more efforts and time. On-demand apps are aggregators that involve users, vendors, and admins to offer smooth services.

  integrating features like live location tracking & in-app chatting add more complexity to on-demand app development process.

  Hence, the estimated budget for on-demand app development will range from $80,000 to $150,000.

Type of development team and location

The type of team involved in the process also influences the projected cost of app development. For example, the cost of an outsourced product development team in the US will differ from other geographical locations.

The hourly rates of the developers will also influence the budget. Here are country-wide variations in standard per-hour charges of app developers:

• In the USA, rates are over $150.

• In the UK, rates are more than $80 and less than $90.

• In Canada and Australia, per-hour rates are not more than $100.

• In Europe, the average rates are between $40 and $80.

With the best practices of successful outsourced app development, we at BluEnt provide custom software solutions to businesses of all sizes and with any budget.

Planning to approach an independent resource or freelancer? Well, there will be a major difference in the budget proposals if you choose to hire a freelancer over an app development company.

So, how much does it cost to get an app developed by a freelancer?

A freelancer may charge you less than a full-stack app design and development agency, but results are likely to vary. Freelancers usually charge between $1,000 to $10,000 per project.

Hiring an independent individual may not be a great option as limited resources will be there to handle your project. Hence, quality and satisfaction are not guaranteed.

Whereas, a reputed company deploys a team of dedicated project managers, UI/UX designers, developers, & QA engineers to ensure your project's success. They will take you through the whole cycle of software design and development from scratch to final delivery. They will also share a detailed progress report on a weekly basis to ensure the timely completion of a project.

Hence, the cost of app development at any reputed app development company is higher than a group of freelancers. A minimum budget of $100,000 is ideal for full-fledged app development services offered by any top-notch agency.

Development approach and operating system

The cost of custom app development also depends on the preferred development approach–native, hybrid, or PWA.

Besides this, there is a vast difference in the standard costs of building apps for major platforms including Android and iOS. Wondering how much it cost to make an app for Google Play & Apple store?

The below chart will give you a clear picture of the hourly rates of iOS and Android app development:

Now you can make a rough estimate of how much Android and iOS app development will cost you across different regions of the world. Multiply the given timeline by the hourly rates of the team to get the right estimates of your project.

In most cases, the average cost of app development is between $50,000 and $170,000, regardless of the platform.

But the right approach to Android vs iOS app development will give the best outcomes from any service provider despite having limited funds to spend.

The complexity of UI/UX design

Creating a classic and compelling UI/UX design is a challenging task. It demands relevant skills and deep understanding of the app's purpose, brand value, features, user perspectives, and other designing requirements.

These factors add to the entire complexity of user interface design which increases the overall cost of app design and development services.

Using a catchy and personalized UI/UX design with a combination of graphical, navigational, and visual elements will give a unique touch to the app's interface. Apart from this, keeping up with the future trends of mobile app design also gives a competitive edge to any business.

Hence, the cost of app development will increase with the number of custom UI/UX design practices.

App maintenance & support.

Even after the app launch, your project remains unfinished.

An app demands regular upgrades and technical support once it turns live. And for this reason, your mobile app development service providers will include post-launch support and maintenance options in the package.

It may increase the projected mobile app development cost by 15% to 20%. But it will be more rewarding than the entire expense. From bug fixing to launching the latest updates to adding new features, using app maintenance and support after product deployment keep you ahead of the market changes.

Top Features Influencing Mobile App Development Cost.

How much does it cost to make an app with multiple features and functions?

Integrating advanced features and functionalities requires more effort and time in the development process. And as result, the overall cost of app development will increase along with the number of features added.

By adding components such as interactive buttons, multiple screens, payment integrations, etc., your budget will go higher than the quoted budget for app development.

Some features may be more complex than others and implementing them may become lengthy and tricky. Hence, app developers will charge you accordingly.

For example, the must-have features of a community app make a significant impact on the cost of app design and development.

How much does it cost to create an app? Key features.

• User registration and profile- $800-$1,000 (20 hours)

• Geolocation- $1,500- $2,000 (50 hours)

• In-app chatting- $2,500- $3,200 (80 hours)

• Search- $500-$600 (10 hours)

• Calls and video chats- $7,200- $18,250

• Push notifications: $3,500

• Third-party integration: $1,500

• Payment gateway integration- $2,500 (50 hours)

• Rating system- $2,900- $3,250

• In-app purchases- $3,250- $3,750

• UI/UX designer- $4000- $6000

• Backend Development- $6,800

• Framework and libraries used for Android and iOS- $6,700

• Project manager- $3,000- $6,500

• Quality analysts (fixing bugs and performance issues)- $7,000-$13,000

Hire BluEnt to Get Scalable & Innovative Apps Within Your Budget.

BluEnt caters to global businesses and emerging brands with future-ready app solutions for major platforms. From designing custom web portals to innovating stellar mobile apps, our expertise in software development involves years of excellence in the digital space.

Our clientele includes startups, SMEs, & top firms from diverse industries ranging from healthcare, finance, eCommerce, social media and networking, media and entertainment, and other domains. Being an award-winning software development company, BluEnt is recognized as a top-rated IT service provider with a group of certified and experienced engineers. 

We at BluEnt use agile methodologies and cost-effective techniques to deliver faster, better, and more secure solutions. With over 1100+ featured projects, our portfolio presents our exclusive products, mobile & web apps, web portals, e-commerce platforms, CRMs, etc.

Need more help with your app idea or a software product? Schedule a call for expert consultations or drop us an email for a quick discussion.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the estimated costs of development of different app types?

The cost of app development for different industries will vary with features and functionalities. Let us say, the estimated cost of a video streaming app like YouTube Live will be different from food delivery marketplaces like Door Dash and UberEats.

Here is a list of estimated cost of building an app for popular categories:

• Taxi booking app- $60,000- $4,00,000 (1400-1600 hours)

• Dating app- $50,000- $3,00,000+ (1200-1400 hours)

• Hotel booking app- $60,000- $150,000 hours)

• Educational app- $60,000- 220,000 (600-1300 hours)

• Retail app- $50,000- 150,000 (1200-1400 hours)

• Food delivery app- $35,000- $100,000 (1000-1200 hours)

How to reduce the mobile app development costs?

• Build a minimum viable product first.

• opt for a cross-platform development approach.

• Hire an outsourced app development service provider

• Choose a full-service app design and development package.

• Involve the QA team in the process.