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readingHow Much Does an App Development Cost? [Your Complete Guide]
How Much Does an App Development Cost in 2024

How Much Does an App Development Cost? [Your Complete Guide]

Do you want to build a mobile application for your business? The very first question you would have is – how much does it cost to develop an app from scratch?

The cost of mobile app development depends on several factors. Here is a quick answer on application development costs based on their complexity.

  • Simple Mobile App -$10,000 to $15,000
  • Mid-size Mobile App -$20,000 to $30,000
  • Large-size Mobile App -$40,000 to $50,000
  • Complex Mobile App -$75,000 to $90,000
  • Enterprise-level Mobile App – Starts from $90,000

As the market of mobile apps is increasing, being an entrepreneur, you want to leverage this opportunity. According to the report from GrandViewResearch, the mobile application market size is expected to reach $626.39 billion by 2030 at a CAGR of 14.3%.

If you are looking for a complete mobile app development cost breakdown, read this article to get answers to your questions.

Many businesses struggle with app development budgeting because they don’t have clear visibility into all the cost components involved. This is where partnering with an experienced mobile app development company becomes crucial – we help you understand not just the costs, but also long-term maintenance, updates, and scaling expenses.

By the end of this blog, you will understand:

  • The factors affecting custom mobile app development costs
  • How much it costs to create different types of mobile apps.
  • What’s the cost of each phase of the mobile app development process
  • Hidden costs most businesses miss
  • How to budget for app marketing and maintenance
  • Strategies to reduce overall costs without compromising quality

Let’s get started.

Mobile App Development Cost: Real Data and Benchmarks

As the mobile app adoption has increased rapidly, so does the increase of tech startups. Billions of people use smartphone apps that make it easy and quick to do a portion of their everyday tasks.

Let’s look at industry surveys on mobile application development by timeline and average cost of app development.

The average cost to develop an app ranges from $30,000 to $300,000, depending on complexity, features, and development team location.

When looking to estimate app development cost, understanding the key benchmarks is essential. According to Clutch’s survey data on the average cost of mobile app development:

  • Average app development project cost: $90,780.11
  • Average timeline: 11 months
  • Average monthly cost: $8,188.44
  • Cost range by complexity: $37,912 to $171,450, calculated using development hours ranging from 250 hours (simple apps) to 1,143 hours (complex apps)

Development team hourly rates typically range from $25 to $150/hour depending on experience level, location, and company type (freelancers, agencies, or in-house teams).

The minimum budget size for app development starts from $5,000 to $10,000 for MVP projects, although the actual cost to design an app typically ranges from $20,000 to $100,000.

Formula for Quick Calculation:

Total Mobile App Development Cost = Development Time (hours) x Cost Per Hour ($)

However, the above quotations are based on three main cost factors that impact the cost range. These factors will determine the final price range of your app development project:

  • The objective of mobile application development – What problem does it solve?
  • Gathering business requirements – What features are essential vs. nice-to-have?
  • Functional and feature requirements – How complex are the features?

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How Much Does Each Phase of App Development Cost?

Here is a detailed breakdown to help you estimate app development cost by phase. The given information is based on current industry standards.

Stage TimelineCost Importance of Phase
Research and Analysis2 – 4 weeks$3,000 – $10,000
  • Identifying target audience
  • Gathering information about the competitors
  • Identifying the potential risks
  • Preparing user flow and user experience
UI/UX Design4 – 8 weeks$5,000-$20,000
  • Creating user interface of a mobile app
  • Designing responsive and optimized devices and screens for a mobile app
  • Making necessary changes in design as required
Development12 – 20 weeks$30,000-$150,000
  • Actual coding and programming of a mobile app
  • Optimizing code to increase speed, performance and security
  • Converting design into actual an application
Testing2 – 4 weeks$5,000 – $20,000
  • Actual coding and programming of a mobile app
  • Fixing issues and bugs of an application
  • Ensuring each feature of a mobile app works perfectly
MaintenanceOngoing$1,000 – $5000/month
  • Maintenance and regularly updating the mobile app
  • Continuously resolving the bugs and provide error-free user experience

As you have got a basic idea of cost, let’s now learn in detail about each phase of cost and timeline. Here you will learn information about each phase of the app development process.

1. Research and Analysis

  • Cost: $3,000 – $10,000
  • Timeline: 2 – 4 weeks

Business research (also known as the discovery phase) is a critical stage for any type of custom mobile app development project. Whether you are working with an outsourcing mobile app development company or hiring freelance developers, you must conduct an analysis of your project.

The business analysis team helps to come up with specifications for technologies, create a development plan, team size, and business app development cost. It gives you the answer “ how much to develop an app”.

Why is the discovery stage important?

  • Reduces app development time and cost by properly defining clear and proper requirements
  • Following the standard process for validating your requirements ensures you get your final product as per specifications
  • Creating goal-based architecture to get your application aligned with your vision and objective
  • Reduces project risks by identifying potential risks and challenges prior to development
  • Tailored solution to your requirements as you are involved in the development process

To help you enterprise or startup app development cost for the discovery phase, you must know the  bifurcation of the app development timeline. It gives you a rough idea on how to create app development pricing structure. 

2. UI/UX Design

  • Cost: $5,000-$20,000
  • Timeline: 4 – 8 weeks

UI design has always been about interaction with customers. Where UX is just all about the user experience and how users feel on a platform. Ultimately, it helps users to get:

  • Effective onboarding
  • User-friendly customer interaction/user experience
  • Fascinating design of the product that eases the usage of the app
LocationApprox HoursApprox Apps Cost
Canada120 – 200$60 – $100/hour
United States120 – 180$60 – $110/hour
Latin America100 – 170$45 – $55/hour
Eastern Europe100 – 170$35 – $60/hour
Asia100 – 150$30 – $45/hour

In comparison to Android app development, the iOS UI and UX design take more time to develop. For example, designers need up to 120 hours for iOS versions and 100 hours for Android if you’re developing an app like Uber for both platforms.

3. App Development

  • Cost: Starts from $20,000
  • Timeline: Depends on the complexity of the app

This stage of programming a mobile application majorly influences the expense of developing mobile apps. Depending on your platform choice, you’ll need to hire app developers with different skill sets and expertise levels.

Developer Roles & Hourly Rates Needed for Mobile App Development:

Developer RoleExpertise RequiredHourly Rate
iOS DeveloperSwift, Objective-C, Xcode, Apple frameworks$80–$120/hour
Android DeveloperKotlin, Java, Android SDK, Google frameworks$70–$110/hour

Developer Costs by Region & Experience Level:

LocationJunior DeveloperMid-level DeveloperSenior Developer
Canada$50–$70/hour$80–$100/hour$100–$150/hour
United States$60–$80/hour$90–$120/hour$120–$150+/hour
Latin America$41–$60/hour$61–$80/hour$81–$120/hour
Eastern Europe$41–$60/hour$61-80/hour$80–$100/hour
Asia$15–$30/hour$30–$60/hour$50–$100/hour

Which Developers You’ll Need:

  • iOS-only app: 1 iOS Developer + 1 Back-end Developer
  • Android-only app: 1 Android Developer + 1 Back-end Developer
  • Cross-platform app: 1–2 Full-Stack Developers + 1 Back-end Developer (for complex backends)

Note: Total developer costs depend on their qualifications, experience level, and the complexity of your app. More experienced developers command higher rates but often deliver faster, cleaner code and reduce overall project timeline.

4. Testing & Quality Assurance (QA)

  • Cost: $5,000 – $20,000
  • Timeline: 2 – 4 weeks

The QA engineer and QA team start testing once app developers complete development. They verify the reliability of the system by running regression, load, smoke, and other test forms. Testing is done simultaneously with development and cannot be skipped. QA tests each functionality of the product. Without the final approval of the quality assurance team, an app is not released into the market.

QA Hourly Rates by Region:

LocationApprox HoursHourly RateTotal Cost
Canada28–42$60 – $90/hour$1,680 – $3,780
United States40–50$70 – $90/hour$2,800 – $4,500
Latin America30–35$35 – $50/hour$1,050 – $1,750
Eastern Europe30–40$30 – $55/hour$900 – $2,200
Asia25–30$25 – $35/hour$625 – $1,050

Testing Tip: App testing takes up about 30% of the total costs of customer-side (front-end) deployment in production. Investing in thorough testing upfront saves significant rework costs later.

5. Maintenance & Updates

  • Cost: $1,000 – $5,000/month
  • Timeline: Ongoing

After your mobile app launches, maintenance and updates are critical to keep it competitive, secure, and functioning smoothly. Many businesses underestimate these costs, but they’re essential for long-term success.

Annual Maintenance Cost Formula:

Annual Maintenance = 15–20% of Initial Development Cost

Example: If your app costs $50,000 to develop, budget $7,500–$10,000/year ($625–$833/month) for maintenance.

What’s included in app maintenance:

  • Bug fixes: Address issues reported by users or discovered during monitoring
  • Performance optimization: Improve speed, stability, and resource usage
  • Security patches: Implement fixes for vulnerabilities and compliance requirements
  • OS compatibility updates: Ensure compatibility with new iOS/Android versions
  • Third-party dependency updates: Update APIs, libraries, and integrations
  • Server management: Monitor uptime, manage databases, backup systems
  • User support: Address technical issues from end users
  • Analytics monitoring: Track app performance and user behavior
  • Compliance updates: Ensure adherence to privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA, etc.)

Hiring Model Comparison: In-House vs Outsource vs Freelance

Before we dive into app categories, it’s crucial to understand which hiring model works best for your app development budget and timeline.

FactorIn-House TeamApp Development AgencyFreelance Developers
Initial CostHigh (salaries, benefits)Medium (project-based pricing)Low (hourly rates)
Ongoing Cost$8,000–$15,000/month per $5,000 to $25,000 ( vary based on location)$3,000–$8,000/month per developer
Quality ControlDirect managementEstablished processesVariable
Time to Start4–8 weeks (hiring)1–2 weeks1 week
ScalabilitySlow and expensiveQuick and flexibleQuick but inconsistent
CommunicationImmediateScheduled meetingsTime zone dependent
Best ForLong-term, large teamsFull-cycle projects with fixed scopeSmall features, part-time work
Risk LevelLow (direct control)Low (contract protection)High (dependency risk)

When to Choose Each Model:

  • In-House: Building a dedicated product team that you’ll manage long-term; full control is critical
  • Outsource/Agency: Complete app development with fixed budget and timeline; you want professional project management
  • Freelance: Specific features or maintenance work; budget is tight; project scope is small and well-defined

App Development Cost Estimation By Business Categories

Each mobile application project is unique since many clients have different business concepts, requirements, technologies, and development teams. To answer the question “how much does mobile app development cost?“, you need to look at specific app types and their cost ranges.

Below is detail the initial mobile app development costs and timelines for different app types to help you understand how much you can expect to invest in your specific application.

1. Basic App Development Cost

  • App Cost: Starts from $5,000
  • Duration: Four weeks to six weeks
  • Examples of the Project: Calculator, Camera, Local games, SMS apps, Local audio/video players

The above examples are of simple apps that you develop with five to six app screens and simple functionalities. These apps probably don’t require a network connection.

To build an application for your business, you must be clear with your objective. So, it becomes easy to collaborate with the app development team to create an app from scratch.

2. Data-Based Application Development Cost

  • App Cost: Starts from $15,000
  • Duration: 4-6 weeks
  • Examples of the Project: Calendar, Weather, Stocks, Maps

These types of apps are entirely created on a particular domain. Like the Today Weather app that uses third-party API integration to deliver accurate weather information.

You can create data-based apps and make them advanced applications by adding new features. As data-based apps require some back-end development work, these apps are more expensive than basic apps.

3. Authentication Application Development Cost

  • App Cost: Starts from $50,000 and can be more
  • Duration: 3-5 months
  • Examples of the Projects: McDonald’s Loyalty App and Google Drive

Authentication apps can be quite expensive because these apps require the integration of multiple features.

In these kinds of apps, the user will have an account to access the information of the app; once the user types in the login details, it will be synchronized among devices with user data encryption. Also, to manage app users, you need to create an admin panel for a content management system and user management.

To ease the login or signup process for your authentication apps, allow users to register through social media accounts like Facebook or Twitter.

4. Social Media App Development Cost

  • App Cost: Starts from $50,000 – $240,000 and even more
  • Duration: The time duration could range from 5 to 9 months
  • Examples of the Project: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Yummi

Social networking apps basically mean social user engagement, discussions, information, and file-sharing (send media files). So, keep in mind that you are going to process a lot of data while designing the back-end architecture.

If you are planning to create a social media app by cloning Facebook or Instagram, then it will be of no use because your users might already use such apps. So, make your social media application unique from your competitors.

5. eCommerce App Development Cost

  • App Cost: Starting from $50,000 to $240,000 and more
  • Duration: 90 days to 6 months or more
  • Examples of the Project: Amazon, eBay, Alibaba, ASOS

eCommerce applications come with all the functions like user registration, user account, and social features.

eCommerce apps are built with features like comprehensive product catalogs, a specific page for each product, and a check-out system with an online payment system feature like Google Pay, credit cards, debit cards, etc.

Developing an eCommerce application can be quite complicated because it requires extensive back-end support with a committed admin panel.

6. On-Demand App Development Cost

  • App Cost: Starts $70,000 to $80,000 and more per app, per platform
  • Duration: 5 to 7 months or more
  • Examples of the Project: Uber, Uber Eats, Postmates, Nimber, Melabiz

The on-demand app development specifically came into existence to meet the demands of users. The most popular worldwide example of an on-demand app is Uber.

On-demand and social apps have similar functionality, including login and interaction-based features like chats, calls, and more. And similar to eCommerce apps, in-app ordering, delivery, and payment features are integrated.

It is always vital to have two separate applications with a balanced list of features, especially if you want the app to work on multiple platforms such as Android and iOS.

Want to Develop an On-demand Mobile Application?

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7. Marketplace App Development Cost

  • App Cost: $240,000 or more (web platform)
  • Duration: 9 months or more
  • Examples of the Project: TripAdvisor, Booking.com

These types of apps combine the basic features of eCommerce and on-demand because they work together. The objective and the concept of a marketplace app should be well stated because it involves two sides of an economy—demand and supply.

The pre-development stage of an eCommerce app takes a lot of time, so the average cost of building mobile application is always higher.

For example, Uber (an on-demand app) is specifically about transportation services. In contrast, a B2C service-providing app like TripAdvisor covers hotels, restaurants, airline tickets, and many other services with the help of a website and native iOS and Android apps.

8. IoT & Hardware Application Development Cost

  • App Cost: Starts from $50,000 and can be more
  • Duration: From 3 to 5 months
  • Examples of the Project: Amazon Dash Buttons, Beacons, and BELI Printing Service

Internet-of-Things apps, also known as IoT apps, interconnect specific hardware products or equipment to technology. Once devices are connected with technology, the physical object is called ‘smart.’ These physical items can be any object that enhances productivity or improves the way we live.

Examples of these smart items are medical tools, pet collars, and appliances for home assistance.

You need to connect the smart tools to another mobile device through WiFi or Bluetooth technology. The tools will use any connectivity options to send requests and receive data and help in data storage.

For the successful development of your app, you will need to have a device (that will serve as the platform) and detailed documentation of the device. The documentation should cover all the aspects of the app, and once you have that, you will get to know the answer to your question—how much do apps cost for iOS and Android devices?

9. Healthcare/HIPAA-Compliant App Development Cost

  • App Cost: Starts from $100,000 and can be more
  • Duration: 6–12 months
  • Examples of the Project: Telemedicine platforms, Patient portals, Health tracking apps, Electronic health records (EHR) systems

Healthcare apps interconnect patients, doctors, and healthcare providers with secure technology infrastructure. These applications must handle sensitive personal health information (PHI) and comply with strict regulatory requirements like HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and state-specific healthcare laws.

For the successful development of your app, you will need to partner with healthcare compliance experts and have detailed documentation covering all regulatory aspects, security protocols, and data handling procedures. The documentation should cover all requirements for HIPAA compliance, data residency, and integration with existing healthcare systems.

10. FinTech App Development Cost

  • App Cost: Starts from $150,000 and can be more
  • Duration: 8–14 months or more
  • Examples of the Project: Payment apps, Investment platforms, Digital wallets, Cryptocurrency exchanges, Loan management apps

FinTech app development specifically came into existence to meet the demands of users for secure, fast, and transparent financial transactions. The most popular worldwide examples of FinTech apps are Stripe, Square Cash, Robinhood, and PayPal.

FinTech and banking apps have similar security-first architecture, including strong authentication, encryption, and fraud detection features. And similar to eCommerce and on-demand apps, FinTech apps integrate payment processing, transaction history, and financial data management.

How Much Does It Cost to Develop an iPhone Application from Scratch?

The average iPhone mobile app development costs range from $25,000 to $2,00,000.

The cost of creating an iPhone app depends on multiple factors which include features, functionalities, size of the app, app category, third-party integration, size of your iPhone app development team, development time, and last but not least complexity of the iOS app.

Here is an example of a simple and complex iPhone application.

  • Simple App: Note-taking App Imagine a straightforward note-taking app. This app is your digital notebook, letting you jot down thoughts, save them, and keep them organized. You can make different folders for your notes, format your text, and even search your notes. Creating such a simple app could take between 2 to 4 months. The price could range between $10,000 to $25,000.
  • Complex App: An Inclusive Health and Fitness App Now, let’s consider a more intricate app – an advanced health and fitness app. This app is like your personal health coach. This health and fitness app provides personalized workout routines and meal plans and even syncs with your wearable devices.

    Moreover, tracks your sleep, helps manage stress, and provides a community platform for sharing progress and motivation. Advanced features like AI-based personal coaching could also be part of the package. Developing a health or fitness app could take around 12 months, and cost you up to $100,000.

How Much Does It Cost to Develop an Android Application from Scratch?

The average Android mobile app development costs range from $15,000 to $1,00,000.

Certainly, the cost of Android apps depends on the multiple factors of the complexity, type and category of the app, app design and animation, and app deployment on the Google Play Store, app development team, hourly rates of developers, location of developers, and timeline to develop your Android application.

How Much Does It Cost to Develop a Cross-platform Application from Scratch?

The cost of creating a cross-platform application starts from $20,000 and goes beyond $1,00,000.

Similar to Android and iPhone app development, certain factors directly influence the cost of building a cross-platform app. Factors like code-reusability, application framework, app development team size, hourly rates of developers, app complexity, UI/UX design, and location of your team.

To get an exact cost estimation, you need to contact an app development company. The company will analyze your requirements and provide you with a complete roadmap for development.

So far, you have learned about the cost of making an app by stages and different business categories. So let’s explore how much it costs to create an app depending on various factors.

5 Factors Affecting the Total Cost of App Development

Beyond the phases and categories, several key factors directly influence your final app development cost. Understanding these factors helps you make better decisions about your project scope and budget. Whether you’re asking “how much does it cost to design an app?” or wondering about development complexity, these factors explain what truly drives your expenses.

1. App complexity and feature set

App features aren’t created equal. Some are simple toggles, others are entire systems in disguise. To understand how features impact your app development cost, it helps to split the typical feature set into basic and advanced capabilities.

Feature Cost Breakdown:

FeatureCategoryEstimated CostNotes
User LoginBasic$1,000–$4,000Email/password, Google, or Apple login
User ProfileBasic$1,000–$3,000Editable profile, avatar, preferences
Push NotificationsBasic$1,500–$3,000Standard alerts via FCM or APNs
Basic AnalyticsBasic$1,000–$2,000Firebase, Google Analytics setup
Static ContentBasic$500–$1,500About, FAQ, Terms pages
API IntegrationsAdvanced$4,000–$6,000 per integrationPayment, maps, messaging, etc.
Machine Learning/AIAdvanced$20,000–$50,000+CoreML, ML Kit, or custom AI models
eCommerce ModuleAdvanced$15,000–$40,000Cart, payments, product catalogs
GeolocationAdvanced$4,000–$10,000Map display, routing, geofencing
Phone SensorsAdvanced$2,100 per sensorGyroscope, NFC, barometer, etc.
IoT IntegrationsAdvancedFrom $9,000External hardware connectivity
Accessibility ComplianceAdvanced$15,000–$25,000WCAG, ADA, Section 508 support

Simple apps with basic screens and minimal backend logic are more affordable. In contrast, apps with sophisticated features, multiple user roles, complex data processing, or advanced functionality require more development effort and higher costs.

2. App development team composition

Building an app requires diverse expertise beyond just developers. Here’s how typical team roles and costs break down based on app scope:

Team RoleCost Range
Lead Engineer/Dev$50,000–$70,000
Product Designer (UI/UX)$7,000–$10,000
Technical PM$8,000–$11,000
QA/Test Automation$13,500–$18,000
Product Strategist/BA$5,500–$7,500
DevOps/Cloud Setup$5,500–$7,000
Solution Architect$6,000–$9,000
Total Investment$95,500–$132,500

Successful apps require expert teams with diverse capabilities who can adapt to market conditions. The team composition changes based on your app’s complexity and scope.

3. Type of mobile apps

Your app’s technical architecture significantly impacts development cost, timeline, and performance. Different approaches offer varying trade-offs between cost, performance, and development speed.

App TypeEstimated CostDescription
Native$100k–$250k+Built separately for iOS and Android using Swift, Kotlin, or Java. Best performance and full hardware access.
Cross-Platform$60k–$180kSingle codebase for multiple platforms (React Native, Flutter). Great balance of speed and cost.
Progressive Web App (PWA)$30k–$80kWeb apps that work like mobile apps. Cost-effective but limited access to device features.
Hybrid$50k–$120kWeb code (HTML/CSS/JS) wrapped in a native shell (Ionic, Cordova). Faster to build, but lower performance.
Web$25k–$100kBrowser-based applications, not installed via app stores. Ideal for desktop or mobile web usage.

Choosing the right architecture depends on your performance requirements, budget, timeline, and target audience. Cross-platform development offers the best balance for most businesses.

4.  Platform development strategy

Your choice of development approach directly affects cost, performance, and time-to-market. Different strategies offer varying trade-offs between budget, capabilities, and speed.

Development ApproachCost RangeBest For
Native$100k–$250k+High-performance apps, games, AR/VR, hardware-intensive features
Cross-Platform$60k–$180kMVP launches, multi-platform reach, balanced cost/quality
Hybrid$50k–$120kRapid development, code reusability, moderate performance
Progressive Web App (PWA)$30k–$80kBudget-friendly, web-first approach, easy updates
Web$25k–$100kBrowser-based applications, desktop/web usage, no app store

Strategic approach: Start with cross-platform or PWA to launch quickly and affordably, then upgrade to native for specific platforms if performance becomes critical.

5. Design quality and user experience

Design quality directly affects development cost and user satisfaction. Using pre-built templates and standard UI components is cost-effective, while custom design tailored to your brand increases costs but improves engagement.

Design Investment Levels:

  • Template-based design: $2k–$5k ( Pre-built UI components, standard layouts)
  • Custom design: $8k–$15k (Branded, tailored to your audience)
  • Premium design: $20k–$50k+ (Advanced micro-interactions, animations, UX research)

Design considerations like animations, micro-interactions, and responsive layouts across different screen sizes add to overall costs. Investing in high-quality design upfront improves your app’s market success and user retention.

How to Reduce App Development Costs (Without Cutting Corners)

If you want to build an application within your budget, here are practical strategies to reduce costs:

1. Start with an MVP (Minimum Viable Product)

Launch with only essential features (3–5 core features), then add more based on real user feedback. Instead of building Uber’s complete platform with surge pricing and insurance, launch with rider booking, driver assignment, basic payment, and ride tracking.

This approach gets your app to market weeks faster and lets you validate your business model before investing in advanced features.

2. Provide clear, detailed requirements upfront

Document everything before development starts: user personas, feature priorities, wireframes, design preferences, and technical specifications.

Undefined requirements force developers to guess, leading to misalignment, scope creep, and expensive rework. Clear documentation prevents back-and-forth discussions that eat up budget and timeline.

3. Choose hybrid app development for multi-platform launch

If you need both iOS and Android, use cross-platform frameworks (React Native, Flutter) instead of building separate native apps.

It helps you pay only for the hybrid app development cost instead of paying for separate apps for different platforms. A single app developer maintains one codebase instead of two, significantly reducing complexity and ongoing maintenance burden.

Single codebase approach:

  • 1 team instead of 2
  • 1 codebase to maintain
  • 3–6 month timeline
  • $20,000–$60,000 for both platforms

4. Use low-code and no-code platforms

For certain app types, low-code and no-code platforms (Bubble, Flutterflow, AppGyver) let you build functional apps without custom coding. These platforms provide pre-built components, drag-and-drop interfaces, and built-in integrations that dramatically accelerate development. They work well for social networking, simple marketplaces, community apps, and basic eCommerce.

Low-code solutions offer faster time-to-market and lower upfront costs, though they may have limitations on customization and scalability. They’re ideal for MVPs and internal tools where you want to validate ideas quickly before investing in custom development.

5. Choose transparent mobile app development partners

Select partners with clear cost breakdowns, fixed-price contracts, and milestone-based payments. Red flags include unclear hourly rates, hidden fees, no project breakdown, and vague timelines. Transparent partners communicate openly about scope changes and prevent surprise expenses.

At Space-O Technologies, we believe in transparency from day one. We provide detailed project breakdowns, clear pricing structures, and milestone-based payments so you know exactly where your budget is going. Our team communicates openly about scope changes, timelines, and any challenges that arise, ensuring no surprises along the way.

Get an Accurate Cost Estimation for Your Mobile App—In Hours

Our certified mobile app developers analyze your requirements, identify technical challenges, and provide a detailed, obligation-free cost breakdown—so you know exactly what to expect before committing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to make an app for your business?

The average cost of developing an app is around $5000 and could go up to $500,000 and more with an enhanced version.

How much does it cost to build an app in Canada?

In Canada, app creation costs about $5,000 for the most basic mobile app. Complicated apps, on the other hand, certainly require more effort to get developed, and so does the app cost reaches over $50,000.

How much does it cost to build an app in USA?

The cost estimates for development would be around $10,000 for a simple application. However, applications with medium complexity would cost between $30,000 and $70,000 to develop, and the cost app development with complicated features goes above $70,000.

How do you estimate mobile app development costs?

App development costs depend on the size of the app, social media integration points, the role of the development team, and the number of platforms.

You need to consult the mobile app development team about all the features and business priorities of the proposed product in order to obtain an accurate calculation.

How to make an app

  • Prepare an overview of your mobile app idea
  • Conduct market research on your idea
  • Decide the features and functionalities
  • Know the market trends of your application idea
  • Search for mobile app developers who could work as a lead in-house mobile app developers and the project manager, or find app development companies
  • The custom software development company will design and develop the app
  • Launch the app

Get Your Personalized Cost for Creating an App

To draw the final line, the costs of building an app per platform are around $5,000 to $240,000 and can be more than that. If you are wondering, how much does it cost to develop an application for my business then mentioning the exact app development costs is quite difficult to answer. However, you can use app development cost calculator to know the price range of developing an app on your idea.

The final cost for developing an app is based on the following factors:

  • App development service
  • Number of features
  • Complexity of your app
  • Application UI design
  • Development concept

However, you can conveniently reduce the expense if you opt for a minimum viable product. Want to know what MVP is? Check out a guide on what MVP stands for in software development. Then, upgrade your mobile app gradually after getting users’ feedback.

If you are looking for mobile app development company around Toronto, connect with us to get an exact app cost estimation for your project idea. As one of the best app development companies in Toronto, we will provide you with the best custom web and app solutions within your estimated budget.

author
Founder and CEO of Space-O Technologies (Canada)
November, 4 2025

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