Cost Of App Development

Cost Of App Development

The average Cost Of App Development is largely determined by the amount of time it will take to complete the mobile app development project. As well as the level of skill of the developers for the project specifications.

For a basic app that can be launched commercially the starting point is around $2,500 | £1,807.50 | €2,102.50 | ZAR35,775.

The more advanced the app becomes so the price increases.

Cost Breakdown:

• Basic App: Starting at $2,500 | £1,807.50 | €2,102.50 | ZAR35,775.
• Medium Complexity App: $15,000 – $50,000 | £10,845 – £36,150 | €12,615 – €42,050 | ZAR214,650 – ZAR715,500.
• High Complexity App: $70,000 – $100,000 or more | £50,610 – £72,300 or more | €58,670 – €84,100 or more | ZAR1,001,700 – ZAR1,431,000 or more.

The process we prefer for app development involves several exciting stages:

• Idea & Goals: Outline what the app will do.
• Detailing: Specify features and functionality.
• Building: Start creating the app.
• Early Testing: Check for any bugs or issues.
• Refinement: Improve and finalize the app features.
• User Testing: Let the client test and use the app.
• Feedback: Receive and review comments from the client.
• Adjustments: Make any necessary changes.
• Approval: Get the final go-ahead from the client.
• Launch & Support: Release the app and provide ongoing support.

We use a flexible approach to select the best technology stack, keeping in mind the project’s needs, your budget, and future growth goals. This ensures that any newly discovered or omitted features can be easily integrated, even at later stages, and allows us to hand over the source code as a complete and polished product tailored to your requirements.

Choosing a technology partner with global standing can significantly cut down on development time and consequently, the cost of app development. The duration of the app development process depends on the complexity of the project, the level of sophistication required, and the experience of the technology partner or app development firm. You can get a free app consultation by clicking here.

1. Overview of Cost Of App Development

Most app projects are completed within 2 to 4 months. This means that when you engage us for your project, your app could be live on all app stores as soon as 8 weeks from the start of development. This timeline is subject to the scope of the project and other complexities, but we’ve found it to be the average timeframe for our 420+ published apps in the global market. Many of our clients are entrepreneurs who are acting on an idea they deeply believe in. We find such clients inspiring as they drive job creation and economic growth. Few types of businesses enjoy the rapid scalability of mobile apps.

2. Time and Cost

The actual development time significantly influences the cost of app development. Most app developers charge per hour, with rates starting at around $10 (USD) | £7.25 (GBP) | €8.50 (EUR) | R150 (ZAR). But the best approach when looking for app developers is to find a company that is comfortable with the type of development you require. This often means they will do the job better and faster than having to deal with a learning curve on a new type of development.

3. Type of app development

There are several frameworks available for developing mobile applications. Certain frameworks like native development deliver the best performance and therefore cost the most, while other frameworks like Cross-platform and hybrid offer sufficient performance for most projects at a lower cost. Native app development refers to development using the framework of the device operating system. This means for Android devices, a native app is developed in Android Studio, and for Apple or iOS devices, a native app is developed in Xcode or Swift. Cross-platform development and low code development are growing in popularity.

4. 4. Some well-known apps below and their cost:
      • • Facebook-like App: $500,000 – $1,000,000 | £361,500 – £723,000 | €420,500 – €841,000 | ZAR7,155,000 – ZAR14,310,000. Source: GoodFirms
        • Twitter-like App: $50,000 – $250,000 | £36,150 – £180,750 | €42,050 – €210,250 | ZAR715,500 – ZAR3,577,500. Source: Savvycom
        • Zoom-like App: $50,000 – $100,000 | £36,150 – £72,300 | €42,050 – €84,100 | ZAR715,500 – ZAR1,431,000. Source: Codetiburon
        • Spotify-like App: $200,000 – $350,000 | £144,600 – £252,050 | €168,200 – €294,350 | ZAR2,862,000 – ZAR5,005,500. Source: Auxano Global Services
        • Airbnb-like App: $100,000 – $300,000 | £72,300 – £216,900 | €84,100 – €252,300 | ZAR1,431,000 – ZAR4,293,000. Source: Appinventiv
        • E-Commerce (like Amazon): $200,000 – $500,000 | £144,600 – £361,500 | €168,200 – €420,500 | ZAR2,862,000 – ZAR7,155,000. Source: Hyperlink InfoSystem
        • Uber-like App: $1 Million – $1.5 Million | £723,000 – £1,084,500 | €841,000 – €1,261,500 | ZAR14,310,000 – ZAR21,465,000. Source: Forbes
        • Instagram-like App: $100,000 – $300,000 | £72,300 – £216,900 | €84,100 – €252,300 | ZAR1,431,000 – ZAR4,293,000. Source: Cleveroad
        • WhatsApp-like App: $50,000 – $130,000 | £36,150 – £94,000 | €42,050 – €109,300 | ZAR715,500 – ZAR1,861,300. Source: Mind Studios
        • Tinder-like App: $80,000 – $200,000 | £57,840 – £144,600 | €67,280 – €168,200 | ZAR1,144,800 – ZAR2,862,000. Source: MLSDev
        • Snapchat-like App: $75,000 – $150,000 | £54,225 – £108,450 | €63,075 – €126,150 | ZAR1,073,750 – ZAR2,147,500. Source: Steelkiwi
        • Angry Birds-like Game: $125,000 – $180,000 | £90,375 – £130,140 | €105,125 – €151,380 | ZAR1,788,750 – ZAR2,575,800. Source: ThinkMobiles

An app like Uber is made of two apps, a driver app, and a passenger app. Thenextweb.com conducted research, and they also estimate Uber would have cost $1,000,000 to develop initially. It was the first well-known concept where a driver’s location on one app was displayed with a live tracking map view on the passenger’s app. Over time, the original Uber app development platform became less expensive and quicker to bring to market.

All the brand-name apps mentioned above have had a significant impact on people’s lives worldwide, disrupting several industries. But initially, no one was certain of their success. It was a classic entrepreneurial risk that paid off big in some cases.

A visionary entrepreneur executed these ideas. Who do you know who would, without the certainty of success, spend $280,000 (USD) | £202,600 (GBP) | €238,000 (EUR) | R4,200,000 (ZAR) on an app that lets you upload photos and then add pretty filters to the photos? Probably no one. Yes, that app is Instagram, and was bought by Facebook for $1 Billion in 2013. Healthy 357,143% return on investment for Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger the founders of Instagram.

5.App Developers are your digital builders

Think of app developers as the behind-the-scenes magicians of our digital world. They take cool ideas and turn them into apps we use every day. Like builders with bricks and mortar, these folks use codes and designs. They ensure our apps look good, work well, and don’t crash. In simple terms, they’re the folks who bring digital dreams to our screens, making life a tad easier and more fun. So, the next time an app wows you, remember there’s a skilled developer behind it, piecing everything together.

6.How long does it take to get an app development quote or estimate?

In some cases, you may receive a mobile app quote within 24 hours. In other instances, it might take 2 to 3 days, depending on the options you choose for your mobile app. If you have a detailed list of features ready and available, it’s always quicker to obtain a quote. But if you want to talk through features with one of our consultants first, that’s also an excellent way to decide which feature to add or remove for the first version of your mobile app. It’s always interesting to see how the first version of a famous website or app looked compared to the current version. Over time, digital products like mobile apps and websites are optimized based on market feedback. We always encourage our clients to source as many quotes as possible to gain a perspective on the cost of app development. It is a price that can range greatly based on the app development company you choose.

7. Can I sell my mobile app after I had it developed?

Absolutely! In fact, many entrepreneurs do just that. You may identify a gap in the market for a profitable concept but lack the time to roll it out yourself. This shouldn’t mean you should not profit by selling the digital asset to someone else. Many of our clients have developed an app and then sold it for a profit of several hundred thousand to someone else who then launches the asset into the market.

8.Can I develop a basic version of my idea and then expand later?

Definitely! This is a wise approach. By taking a lean version to the market, you can use the feedback to add the most requested features later. Or better still, you can get investment to expand the app features or do the marketing. It’s always a good idea to launch a basic version of your app and then expand later. Please contact us for your app development needs.