In the constantly evolving world of mobile apps, knowing the complexities of the cost of developing apps is vital for companies trying to establish their online presence. Additionally, as demands for apps continue to grow, so do the complexity and range of factors affecting the mobile app development cost.
Transforming an app idea into a mobile-friendly application is all about tapping into your imagination, choosing the best idea in light of the market, implementing the concept and, foremost, working out the price of developing an app. Developing apps is a tense procedure and making a successful app can drain your pockets if you don’t make a proper cost estimation.
Let’s dive into the details and breakdown the mobile app development cost, factors affecting and the costs of apps developed on the different platforms.
What is Mobile App Development?
Mobile app development involves developing software applications for mobile devices like tablets and smartphones. Apps can be designed for specific platforms like iOS or Android or created to run on multiple platforms. The process involves designing user-friendly interfaces, programming, testing and deploying the app to storefronts like Google Play or the Apple App Store.
These tools can be found in programming languages such as Swift Kotlin and Kotlin and frameworks such as React Native or Flutter. Mobile apps can serve various functions, including entertainment and social networking, e-commerce and productivity, providing multiple solutions to users traveling.
Cost of Different Types of Apps
There are various kinds of apps and each comes with a particular cost range:
Basic Apps
Basic apps are priced between £5000 and £60,000 since they do not require extensive backend or front-end development. The cost of these apps can differ based on the platform (iOS android or both) and developer costs. The most basic apps typically include games, watches and calculator applications.
Data-Driven Apps
Data-driven apps could cost between £25,000 and £80,000 to create because they heavily rely on data processing and analysis. These apps collect hundreds of data points, analyse them and then present the results to users. Examples of data-driven applications include calendars, weather forecasting tools and maps and their prices increase due to the difficulty of data management and integration.
Social Network Apps
Making a social networking app can cost between £30,000 and £100,000. It requires user profiles, social interactions, messages and media sharing. The costs may vary depending on features such as real-time notifications, real-time updates and scaling. LinkedIn, Facebook and Pinterest are the most common examples of social network applications.
On-Demand Services Apps
On-demand services connect users with products or services in real-time and cost between £60,000 and £120,000. Their price heavily depends on features such as the ability to geolocate, integration with payment systems and service provider management.
E-Commerce Apps
The cost of developing eCommerce apps ranges between £80,000 and £150,000 and costs rise through features like managing inventory security, secure transactions and multi-platform support. Alibaba, eBay and Amazon are some of the most well-known e-commerce applications.
Gaming Apps
Gaming apps’ costs could range from £30,000 to £2,00,000. This is based on the design specifications, from simple 2D games to complicated 3D games that include multiplayer capabilities. Gaming apps are graphically heavy and can be too demanding at the back end. They require high processing power and a complicated user interface, which results in high development costs.
Enterprise Apps
Enterprise apps are intended for internal company purposes, such as sales and marketing, CRM, HRM and more. The price of developing an enterprise-level app ranges from £50,000 to £3,00,000 and is determined according to the business process requirements and integration needs.
Healthcare Apps
The cost of healthcare apps is typically between £45,000 and £250,000. However, they may cost more because they must conform to regulations regarding healthcare, secure data handling and integrate medical equipment.
Apps for E-Learning
Planning and executing E-Learning applications can be expensive, ranging from £60,000 to £3,00,000. Online learning apps provide online instruction and other educational resources, including virtual classrooms, course distribution, training and more. The cost could rise even more with features like audio and video content, tracking progress and other user engagement tools.
Video Streaming Apps
Video streaming apps permit users to stream videos online in real time without downloading the video. Depending on the bandwidth demands and the server’s infrastructure, developing a video streaming application could cost between £50,000 and £350,000.
Mobile App Development Cost Breakdown
The cost breakdown of mobile app development services is different based on size, type and the specifications of your mobile application; the industry is dependent on general price ranges based on complexity for estimating the total costs of a project:
Simple Apps: £50,000 to £80,000
They include basic utility functions like maps, media sharing listings/search and more. The UI utilises basic templates and controls and the backend technology is cloud-based.
Medium Complexity Apps: £100,000 to £300,000
Most apps are in this category, which includes more sophisticated features such as Social graphs, multi-media, online shopping and SaaS productivity. Custom-designed designs are more popular. Infrastructure can balance flexibility and the ability to scale.
Complex Apps: £320,000 to £500,000+
At the top end, advanced platforms offer features like transportation coordination, meal delivery, gaming in real-time interaction and more. Predictive algorithms, highly customised designs and robust infrastructure add cost.
Although these app development costs are a good starting point, you might still ask, “How much does it cost to make an app?” The cost will depend on several aspects, as our comprehensive analysis explains. The evaluation of business goals, targets, features, user numbers, design requirements and the engineering team’s rates, maintenance plans and technological choices can influence the cost.
This is why working with an experienced mobile app development firm early on will provide you with the correct direction. The experts at their company can assess the total cost of creating an app for mobile and the technical requirements in terms of time, effort and complexities. They’ll also help you align your business goals and pinpoint crucial growth opportunities.
Mobile App Development Cost by Platform
The price of creating an application for mobile devices will depend on the platform on which it is selected to run. This section briefly overviews the mobile app development cost separated by OS platform type.
Android App
An Android application is designed to work with the handset’s specifications and operate Google’s Android operating system. Depending on the app’s complexity, the cost of creating an Android application can range between £70,000 and £250,000 or even more.
Cross-platform App
Flutter’s solutions can work across all platforms using a single base code and reduce app costs. Making React Native apps is often cheaper than creating native software, which can cost between £3,000 and £12,000. Cross-platform applications can lower the price of developing mobile applications by 30% to 40%.
IOS App
iOS apps are designed for Apple devices, including iPads, iPod Touches and iPhones. The gadgets are created using Swift and Objective-C and used with the iOS operating system. Depending on the application’s complexity level and the cost of programming and creating an iOS application, the cost can range between £5,000 and £20,000.
Web App
A web-based version of the app is less costly to create than a native application and can be used on various devices running web browsers. In addition to ongoing hosting and maintenance costs, designing an online application could cost anywhere from £2,000 for a basic version to £12,000 and higher for a fully functioning platform.
Factors That Affect The Overall Mobile App Development Cost
There are specific questions you could face when deciding on the price of your mobile application because building and developing an app is costly. It requires technology, human labor and more that isn’t expensive. No matter the app’s domain, every app has distinctive functions and features to add money to your budget. Many aspects affect the total mobile app development cost.
Choosing Development Partner
There’s always a way to fix it when selecting a tech partner because it generally affects the cost of developing mobile apps. In general, there are two options: employ an app developer dedicated to the project or outsource the work for development to a firm. Selecting an app development firm for mobile can give you a leg up over freelancers because they have much more to provide regarding technology than the freelancer.
However, hiring a freelancer could reduce the cost of developing your app. However, there are a few areas where you’ll be compromising, like the time frame for development, the source code and many more. In general, selecting an app development firm that works on mobile devices is a superior choice regardless of the future cost of creating an application.
Features and Functionalities
The capabilities and features required by the application are the primary factors driving the price of the application. The initial discovery phase of an application is to understand the business flow, the goal and function that the software will serve and how it can enhance existing business processes. In this initial phase, the app team understands the features and functionality needed. The functions and features are a significant portion of the overall cost. Outsourcing your work to a mobile app development company in UK could affect the price since they are charged more for innovative features.
App Complexity
The rationale behind the business of the executed mobile application is the basis of any mobile app, which defines the functions’ characteristics and multi-faceted nature. Therefore, the price of a mobile app will vary based on the rationale for business. The type of application that will be developed is also an essential factor to consider when deciding on the mobile app development cost. For instance, if creating an application for wedding planning businesses and wedding planning, the cost of developing wedding planning apps is influenced by the app’s complexity and features.
Picking Up the Appropriate Platform- Native Vs. Hybrid
There’s always a conflict between hybrid and native apps because both offer distinct comparisons regarding cost and user preference. Native apps have to restrict their functionality to one OS at a time. As a cost comparison, native app development is more expensive than hybrid.
Intriguing Between Android and iOS
This is a different aspect that influences the price of mobile applications. Apple’s devices are considered the top collection of mobile apps on the market, with fewer than 4.74 million apps (gaming and non-gaming applications) on the App Store. However, developing applications is less expensive than developing Android applications because it has fewer devices than Android. This means that the iPhone cost for app development and Android app development costs could vary based on your device type and platform preference.
However, if you wish to increase the reach of your company by launching an app, you should consider Android as the primary OS because it comes with a variety of devices and a greater reach than iOS, which gives you the chance to increase the reach of your business plan.
Wireframing, Prototyping and Designing
Wireframing and design are two of the main factors involved in creating mobile applications and they play a significant role in an app’s success. A well-wired and designed application will be more than an idea of an app. Each screen is designed to function, so wireframing is paramount.
The prototyping process is an additional essential element. During this process, you can get the initial version of your app that has all the vital functions needed to test your concept with a limited population of users and, thus, identify areas for improvement. Designing is the last step in mobile app development and during this step, you can create the mobile app’s screens to match the flow of your app, including features such as navigations and so on.
Number of Third-Party API Integrations
API (Application Programming Interfaces) is a language used to facilitate connectivity for apps that aid them in sharing data and communicating without requiring any human interface. APIs create an interface in which apps communicate with other applications. So, if your application needs to be connected to different services, you could create one or utilise an API from a third party. For instance, Facebook or Instagram API make registration quick and payment APIs such as PayPal allow in-app purchases. If you build APIs, the time required to develop them and the cost can increase. However, integration of third-party APIs will cost you per integration.
Mobile Connectivity and Hardware Dependency
The app comes with unique integrations to provide standard connectivity. APIs available from mobile platforms allow the application to communicate with other devices through protocols such as Bluetooth, USB and different types of connectivity. The more dependent an app is on multiple hardware and connectivity, the more time and development costs will impact its development cost. So, this is one of the elements that affect the mobile app development cost.
Integration of Animation Elements
The ability to give applications a visual design is essential to providing the most enjoyable user experience. To be more satisfying and enjoyable, it must include animation elements, such as virtual items, leaderboards, badges, progress displays, etc. Integrating these elements could be a significant factor in the cost of developing an application. It allows customers to take a few steps according to the psychological basis of the games.
Backend Infrastructure
The backend is an arrangement that runs and supports the company’s back-office applications. It can be mainframes, servers or other systems that offer data services. App infrastructure components may be involved in many different areas, such as servers, data storage, monitoring apps, networks and so on. Both are crucial, regardless of whether the app is complex or simple.
Server Packages and Configuration
A mobile application approach to provide content like OD video streaming internet services, software downloads and more static content could be hosted on one server that integrates CDN. If the number of users is large, a dedicated server with vertical scaling is recommended. This is an ideal option. This kind of server configuration won’t significantly affect the total cost. However, server configurations of more complicated mobile applications provide information to millions of users, like taxi booking, food delivery and live streaming applications.
Mobile App Development Tools and SDK
SDK is created using lines of code. It’s a downloadable software program that comes with the tools needed to create an application on the platform. Mobile SDK is ideal for developing apps for Android or iOS devices. Both the software and SDK are necessary for creating an application. No matter what they cost (choose depending on your company’s requirements), using these tools is essential. They are the development costs.
Mobile App Testing
App stores have specific ramifications, so it’s imperative to conduct a quality assurance test before launching your application on the app market. A program that has glitches and other technical issues could result in a poor impression of your company in the eyes of your customers, which can have devastating consequences. Therefore, testing your mobile app, including Q&A and beta testing, is crucial to remain on the phones of prospective customers longer. After you’ve completed the key steps in the development of apps that determine the app’s development cost and associated costs, let’s better understand the costing process based on various variables.
How to Reduce the Mobile App Development Cost?
We have repeated here that the price to create an app depends on the development process. If you take into consideration some of the following aspects, it is possible to save fees for additional expenses:
Features
As we’ve said, there are a myriad of options, but what percentage of them are actually beneficial to your app’s success? Therefore, you must determine the essential features that will help your app be useful to the people you want to reach and reduce the cost of running your business.
Practices
As time and budget are the major constraints, following these kinds of Agile and DevOps practices allows you to design and frame the development process of your app accordingly. This is due to transparency and better team communication and collaboration.
Service Model
When you have a fixed-budget project, you must allocate all your budgets simultaneously. However, in the case of hourly hire, you control the skills, hours of work and even costs to be managed in accordance with your needs. Therefore, you should choose the one that you believe will help reduce some of the costs associated with developing apps.
Consider Cross-Platform Development
If you want top-quality performance, choose Native app development. However, if you require reliability in the same code base that can be used for both Android and iOS development at a lower price, consider cross-platform development through the aid of technology such as Flutter or React Native.
These were, therefore, effective methods of reducing the cost of developing mobile apps. If you follow these steps carefully, you can save 10% to 30% of your mobile application development expenses.
Most Popular Global Apps and Their Development Cost
Below are examples of well-known apps that have re-defined and transformed the idea of customer experience. They currently lead the app market. We also discussed the cost of development of these apps.
Uber
Uber is a well-known ride-sharing application that connects riders and drivers worldwide. Using the app, customers can request a vehicle immediately or in a scheduled manner. Drivers in the vicinity accept these requests. The price of creating an app similar to Uber can be as low as £30,000 to £100,000.
Snapchat
With over 300 million users, Snapchat has become a game changer in social media apps. The popular messaging app is a pioneer in offering users augmented reality with filters and interactive lenses. The app allows users to send multimedia messages that “self-destruct” in up to 10 seconds. The price to create an app that is Snapchat-like can range from approximately £45,000-£100,000 for one platform and up to £200,000 on both platforms.
Whatsapp is an instant messaging application that allows users to send messages with instant video and audio calls and upload photos and videos, among other things. The price for building an app that communicates similar to WhatsApp will range from £30,000 to £70,000.
TikTok
The video-sharing application TikTok has become a must-have and has significantly changed the world of entertainment. It lets users lip-sync dialogs and recreate scenes from different films and music videos.
The app also provides a range of filters and effects that can enhance the quality of your photos and videos. Developing an application like TikTok will range from £60,000-£100,000 for one platform and £150k for hybrid development.
Coursera
Coursera is an online learning app that has become very popular among teachers and students due to its incredible advantages. The app provides a wide range of distance learning courses that offer skill development classes as well as university-level degrees around the world. The cost of development could range from £60,000 to £120,000.
Netflix
Netflix is the globe’s most popular streaming media platform. It lets users watch movies and shows at their own pace. The typical cost of creating an application like Netflix is about £25,000 to £200,000.
Holafly
Holafly is an innovative eSIM application that provides seamless global connectivity for travelers. Depending on the app’s intended features, complexity and developer experience, the development costs for an eSIM application such as Holafly could range between £30,000 and £300,000 or more.
How Bestech Can Help You Optimise Mobile App Development Cost?
Mobile app development is a complex process with many technical components that can be difficult and expensive. However, working with a seasoned vendor can dramatically reduce the cost while still ensuring the highest-quality product.
Bestech has years of experience in the web and app development field, working with a wide range of clients and projects. Our teams adopt an approach that is fundamental to data privacy and security. We specialise in creating GDPR-compliant software, which ensures that your application complies with the strictest privacy regulations for data.
At Bestech, we follow ISO-certified processes that ensure the highest quality standards and effectiveness. From the initial planning stage to the installation, a planned process minimises mistakes and boosts efficiency, resulting in significant cost savings.
Conclusion
We’ve explained the many aspects that affect the development of mobile apps. Knowing this will help you better comprehend the actual costs and avoid misleading estimates. Our team is available to help you in case you require help planning your budget. We are committed to giving our customers value without compromising budgets and that is why we are the perfect choice for your next project.
Making a seamless mobile application is a daunting task that requires the right amount of expertise and knowledge. With many years of experience in the field, we’ve witnessed successful apps and encountered some pitfalls, which has helped us expand our expertise and knowledge. Look at our mobile app development services tested on the ground and contact our experienced experts. We can design an app that will meet your requirements without wasting resources!
FAQs
What are the main factors that influence the overall mobile app development cost?
The factors that influence the cost of app development include functionalities and features, the level of complexity of your app’s layout and animated design, reuse, the size and location of your team of developers and other unnoticed aspects of app development.
What will the ongoing cost be following the launch of an app?
The ongoing costs, which range from 10% to 30% of the budget, cover the cost of updates, bug fixes and compatibility changes to ensure that the app is functional, safe, secure and up-to-date.
What is the cost to create an app by 2025?
The costs of developing apps vary greatly and range from £40,000 to £60,000 for simple applications, whereas more complex apps could cost more than £500,000. Factors like features, platforms and locations affect the cost.
How much are hidden expenses involved in developing mobile apps?
App store charges and administrative expenses, as well as tests, data storage and scaling costs and maintenance costs, are just a few of the hidden costs associated with developing mobile apps.
