How much will an application for your business cost? The total depends on its complexity and functionality. Should the app be for iOS, Android, or both? Do you want it to work offline? What is the scope of third-party integration? Will there be animations, quizzes, or streaming video?
When it comes to cost, the more challenging the task — the pricier. For example, an iOS app may cost between $30,000 and $80,000, depending on its complexity. Using a convenient app development cost calculator, you will get a quote range immediately.
How to Use an App Cost Calculator
How much will an application for your business cost? The total depends on its complexity and functionality. Should the app be for iOS, Android, or both? Do you want it to work offline? What is the scope of third-party integration? Will there be animations, quizzes, or streaming video?
Overview of Mobile App Costs
An app may be built from scratch or based on an open-source kit like Flutter. The estimation is the sum of design, front-end development, back-end work, and maintenance. Most commonly, an app cost calculator features the following components.
1Which Platform(s) Are Targeted?
Would you like to engage iOS users or the Android audience as well? A product for both systems costs more and requires more development time. In any app development calculator, this choice is primary.
What if you cannot afford the work on all fronts? Start small with the most widely used platform, and add other versions later. Conquer your mobile audience gradually by native or cross-platform technology. Globally, Android dominates the market, but you need to look at your target audience:
Increase the range of screens, too. You may start with the iPhone and then adapt your product to another application device — a tablet. The development itself costs $28,000 on average.
2Offline or Online?
The overwhelming majority of new applications are online — i.e., exchange data with other services through the internet. These systems are associated with the most extended development times and the highest costs. Even now, some companies opt for basic offline apps. These are static but still suitable for some purposes (e.g., an electronic dictionary or eReader).
Another option is adding offline functionality to online apps, making them usable without a connection. The initial online code will be modified to support offline operation and subsequent ‘syncing’. Getting the best of both worlds will ramp up the cost. Meanwhile, an offline standalone app may cost between $12,000 and $25,000.
3What Features Do You Need?
The correlation between the cost and features is linear. The more functionality you pack into your app — the longer and the pricier its development. Play around with your mobile app cost calculator and see for yourself!
Today, search or map views are quicker to add than before. However, such features still have their price tags. Streaming video integration may cost you around $1,500, while an image gallery may set you back $12,000! Fortunately, you do not have to include everything in the pilot version.
Experts recommend dividing features between several editions. This way, updates will keep users engaged while you save money. There is no need to splurge on a fully functional application from the start.
Bear in mind that some elements are more popular than others. For example, in Tinder, the real ‘crowd puller’ is the matching algorithm. Some features cost more than others but can also be crucial for your success.
4How Polished Should It Be?
Some apps fulfill only essential functions and look basic as well. Others have simple functionality but look fancy. A mobile app development cost calculator may offer different levels of quality depending on the team. The hourly rate starts at $25 for offshore services and reaches $180 for a company in Silicon Valley.
The more polished the look — the more it costs. Some apps do not offer much user-friendliness. Most of the development budget is spent on the coding work for the back-end and front-end.
Functions and appearance are two distinct factors to consider. A simple app might be a real work of art that took 13 weeks to develop and enhance. Here, you may also start small and polish the features later on. There is no pressure to offer users the full package from the get-go.
5The Complexity of the Back-End
Consider the Uber smartphone app. The front-end (the features accessible to users) is relatively simple: a map with available drivers, payment methods, current location, and destination. However, the back-end behind it is elaborate, and it is also the costliest part.
The system matches drivers with clients, calculates fares and surge pricing. It handles millions of requests every second. On the other hand, a simple back-end with a basic data processing level may cost just $1,000 to make. Integration with existing back-end systems may cost roughly $14,000.
6UI/UX and Special Effects
As you might have guessed, apps with high-quality effects and animations are not the cheapest. They require more development efforts and time. E-learning apps like Duolingo keep users engaged with their entertaining features, leaderboards, mascots, etc. Such extras are essential components of app development cost estimation. For example, quizzes and surveys cost roughly $4,000 to set up.
7Third-Party Integration
The modern customer expects to unlock any app through their Google or Facebook account. Smooth integration would cost around $1,000 and involve work on both the front end and the back-end. Connection to social media and payment platforms is quicker and cheaper to set up than before. It is included in every app cost estimator.
Examples of App Development Cost Estimation
Sleeptrack is an app for sleep monitoring developed by Attract Group. Built on Flutter, it syncs up with the user’s fitness tracker to evaluate their sleep quality. The system was developed in three months, and the quote range for similar projects is $10,000-15,000. Sleeptrack has various functions, which includes:
- manual/automated input of sleep and wake time;
- personalized notifications;
- gamification (rewards based on sleep data);
- data sharing on social media;
- tracking of sleep points;
- inviting friends.
Headhunter is a cross-platform recruitment network for video interviews. It connects candidates to HRs based on character and skills. Each video profile works as a business card, and the hiring process is accelerated as it becomes more personalized. The app includes:
- Search for candidates based on video profiles;
- Search by location, skills, keywords, etc.;
- Bookmarks and connections;
- Protection of private data (contact details and full names are shared if the connection is mutual);
- Push notifications.
This innovative platform makes hiring faster and more efficient. It took Attract Group just six months to create. A similar app will cost you $25,000 and $50,000 on average.
Final Words
As you can see, the prices of app development vary greatly. What exactly does your company need? Is it a basic system to get started in the mobile domain? Do you want a powerful app packed with features and third-party integration? Whatever the goal, you can calculate app costs using this straightforward online tool. Remember: you do not have to choose an app costing a fortune from the get-go.