How Much Does It Cost To Develop a Custom Application?

Just like everything in life, a mobile app also has a price tag, and the tag has no fixed amount. Yes, you read it right. There is no fixed price for making a mobile app.

It all depends on the app’s complexity, platforms, technological stack, chosen feature set, and hours consumed last but not least, your developer’s location also plays an influencing role in determining your app development cost.

Before reviewing everything in detail, let’s take a review of the world’s famous Facebook app. To understand the concept, first, you need to see the features of the Facebook mobile app and the estimated development time/hours.

Features of the Facebook Mobile App

• Registration via mobile number or email
• Auto Sync contact list
• Instant share option for texts, photos, and videos
• Instant notifications about comments and likes on the post
• Search option for nearby friends
• Integrated Messenger to chat with friends
• Easy access to Facebook business pages

Among the mentioned features, the most time-consuming features are:

• Feed 450 h
• Chat 190h
• Video Calls 300h

The sum of the Facebook app timeline is like:

• Backend- 1440-1680h
• iOS app-  1230-1350h
• iOS design- 160-190h
• Android app- 1230-1350h
• Android Design- 60-100h
• Total estimated hours: 4120-4670h
• Total estimated cost: from $82400 at $20/h to $700500 at $150/h.

We have discussed a particular app category, its features, making hours, and estimated the total cost. Now, let’s explore other factors that can directly affect the app development cost.

Factors That Influence App’s Cost

1.    Platform

The app’s platform can significantly determine the development cost. Therefore, it is required for businesses to understand the importance of the platform. If you are developing an app for corporate use, then considering both iOS and Android will be practical.

If you are catering to the needs of a small segment, then you should develop the app on a single platform.

First, analyze where your target users are frequently active and then carefully select the app’s platform.

Let’s take a look at the app development cost for different platforms:

         Apple iOS                                                            $5, 00

        Google Android                                                  $5,000

        Apple iOS and Google Android                       $8750

2.    Development Timeframe

The development timeframe of the mobile app also significantly influences the cost, and it is directly associated with your app’s complexity. Complex apps take more time to be finished.

As we already have mentioned in the example of the Facebook app, you can see that complex apps with multiple features and functionalities require more resources.

Therefore, your cost ultimately increases when more resources are assigned and you invest time into it.

If you are considering Silicon Giants, like Adobe Systems, Oracle, IBM, and others, then the app developer cost per hour will be $150 per hour to $200 per hour. The average cost of the mobile app with these great developers will be around $500,000.

3.    App’s Features and Functionalities

App functionalities and features are other factors that define the app development cost. If you want something more than the basic feature set, then it is going to be more expensive for sure.

You can choose the feature set as per your app’s requirements. You can review the competitors’ app to understand better what features you will need to deploy.

For example, some apps contain features, like payment integration, GPS, social media sharing, and others.

Additional features make the development process complicated and impact the overall cost. Added features are not the only reason for the increased cost; there are also code-related factors that may cause a shift in the app development cost. Some of those factors are mentioned below:

• Back-end development (for certain apps)
• Design cost
• Architecture
• Security
• Testing

Together all these factors define the development cost when you deploy the required features. Keep in mind that you have to be very careful before selecting the features of your app. A smart decision will not only help you to execute a great product but will also save your cost.

For example, backend development is not required for apps that do not contain a heavy amount of data.

The backend structure is for the apps that exchange data between the app and the database. If your app does not contain any heavy data, you don’t need to go for the backend development.

Moreover, if we talk about the app’s functionality, then using third-party integrations, frameworks, and libraries will be essential for enhanced functionality and faster navigation.

Development Team

Consider your development team as one of the most critical cost-defining factors. It’s entirely up to you to select the development team. You can opt for several options, including:

• Freelancers
• Offshore development team
• Agency

Your team selection heavily depends on your project requirements and budget. However, if you are concerned about the project deadline, then the agency will be a good-to-go option.

For complex apps, you need more team members; hence, more cost will be applied. However, if you want to create a simple app with basic features, then your team will consist of a project manager, a UI/UX designer, two programmers, and a quality assurance engineer. The cost will vary depending on the location of the team.

Wrapping Up

We have high hopes that up to this point, you have comprehended all the cost-driving factors, and now you are all set to take the next step to bring your BIG idea into life.