Are you planning to get a high-performing and user-friendly mobile app built for your business? Well, converting an idea to life in the form of a mobile app can raise many questions and one of the major ones is how much does mobile app development cost?
Well, the mobile app development cost is driven by many factors like specific requirements and complexity of the project, the experience and expertise of mobile app developers you hire, the platform and technology you choose to build the app, and many more.
In this article, we will cover everything you need to know to calculate the estimated cost of your mobile app development project, along with budgeting tips for the same, ultimately helping you to launch your mobile app without breaking the bank.
Let’s start with some questions to be answered to follow a systematic approach towards defining your mobile app development project requirements based on which you can make smart decisions and gain success in this endeavor.
Basically, answering these questions is the best way to discover the estimated cost of a mobile app development project.
Moving forward, let’s have a look at the cost breakdown of mobile app development on different factors like project complexity, hiring models, business type, platform compatibility, developers’ geographical location, team size, infrastructure requirements, development approach, launch timeline and more.
If you are outsourcing your project to a professional mobile app development company or freelancers, the development cost of your project would depend on the pricing models followed by them. There are two main pricing models followed by professional mobile app development companies and freelancers - fixed price and hourly price.
Let’s have a look at what is fixed pricing model when it comes to mobile app development and how much can your project cost when this pricing model is followed.
Mobile App Development Costs Based on Fixed Pricing Model
You can follow a fixed pricing model when you are clear with project specifications. Mobile app development companies or freelancers can provide you with the quote depending on project complexity, technology, platform, industry type, customizations, and integrations.
Calculate Mobile App Development Cost Based on Project Complexity
Mobile app complexity highly impacts its cost of development. When it comes to complexity, there are three main categories of mobile app development: simple, medium, and complex.
| Complexity | Key Features | Price | Time |
| Simple (Information based, and utility apps) | Single or a few screens, basic UI, limited features and data requirements, and no third-party integrations. | $5000 - $25000 | 2-3 Months |
| Medium (eCommerce, social media, booking) | Multiple users with role-based access, payment gateway integration, real-time communication, back-end data management, complex UI/UX design | $25000 - $100000 | 4-6 Months |
| Complex (On-Demand, Enterprise, Gaming) | AI and ML integration, real-time interactions, third-party API integrations, high-end security, cloud storage, and more. | $100000 - $500000 | 6-12 Months |
These are estimates; your mobile app developers can better provide an exact quote based on the platform you require to run your app on. Let’s have a look at estimated mobile app development cost based on platform.
Mobile App Development Cost Based on Platform
Whether it is iOS, Android, or cross-platform, the cost of mobile app development differs based on the platform you choose for your app to run on. Let’s have a look at the cost of mobile app development based on these different platforms.
iOS App Development Cost
Developing an iOS app requires using Apple’s native app development tools like Swift and Xcode. The cost of iOS app development services is comparatively expensive because Apple includes specific quality control and app submission processes. Also, to build a high-quality iOS app, iOS developers with specialized knowledge and experience must be hired, and their hourly charges are higher.
 | The cost of iOS app is estimated to be around $75,000 to $500,000, depending on the complexity of the app and the iOS tools your team is using. |
Android App Development Cost
Android apps are built using Java or Kotlin. As the number of devices using Android iOS increases, testing an Android app on several devices and screen sizes becomes more challenging. However, the cost of Android app development is less expensive than iOS app development because Google Play’s app submission process is simpler and more flexible.
| | The Android app development cost can be estimated to be around $25,000 - $125,000, depending on the features required, tools being used, and complexity of the app. |
Cross-Platform App Development Cost
Cross-platform apps are developed using React Native, Flutter, or Xamarin. Therefore, you need developers having knowledge of these technologies which can impact the overall development cost. Still, cross-platform app development costs can be lower as you don’t need different apps for iOS and Android platforms. Instead, you have the same app that can run simultaneously on multiple devices and platforms.
| | Cross-platform app development costs can be around $30,000 - $200,000 depending on the complexity of the app, features required, and tools used throughout the development process. |
Therefore, understanding the type of app you require is important to determining its cost. Once you have decided whether you require a native app or a cross-platform app, it becomes easy to choose the technology stack and mobile app developers for your project. Let’s have a look at mobile app development costs based on technology.
Mobile App Development Cost Breakdown Based on Technology
| Storage | Inclusions | Technology | Price |
| Backend-As-A-Service (BaaS) | It provides tools for file storage, databases, SDKs, APIs, authentication, and real-time communication. | Firebase, AWS Amplify, Azure, Parse, Google Cloud | $10000 - $50,000+ |
| Cloud Solutions | Used for apps that require high-end scalability with large databases, heavy user traffic, and real-time functionalities. | Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, DigitalOcean, Amazon Web Services (AWS) | $15000 - $80,000+ |
Now, let’s look at the summary of mobile app development costs based on the type of app, platform, and technology.
Mobile App Development Cost Breakdown Based on Type, Platform, and Technology
| Simple Apps | Moderate Apps | Complex Apps | |
| iOS App | $20,000 - $100,000 | $30,000 - $150,000 | $100,000 - $250,000 |
| Android App | $25,000 - $125,000 | $30,000 - $150,000 | $75,000 - $200,000 |
| Hybrid/ Cross-Platform App | $30,000 - $200,000 | $40,000 - $150,000 | $100,000 - $300,000 |
| Native App | $30,000 - $150,000 | $40,000 - $120,000 | $150,000 - $500,000 |
| Cloud/Backend | $10,000 - $50,000 | $20,000 - $80,000 | $50,000 - $200,000 |
Knowing how the type of app, technology stack, and platform choice impact mobile app development cost is important to a great extent. While budgeting for your mobile app development project, it becomes important to smartly choose the platform, technology, and type as that would help you get a mobile app developed that can balance cost with functionality, making sure that your app is exactly what you need it to be without going out of your budget.
Professional mobile app development companies can also quote fixed costs for a mobile app development project depending on the business type, services offered, and technologies to be integrated. Let’s have a look at how much a mobile app development costs if you go for a fixed pricing model.
Mobile App Development Cost Breakdown Based on Industry Type
| Industry Type | Development Cost |
| Social Media App | $50,000 - $500,000 |
| Banking App | $30,000 - $1,000,000 |
| eCommerce App | $30,000 - $500,000 |
| Gaming App | $10,000 - $500,000 |
| Education App | $25,000 - $175,000 |
| Health and Fitness App | $50,000 - $170,000 |
| Travel and Hospitality App | $25,000 - $300,000 |
| Fitness App | $50,000 - $200,000 |
Mobile App Development Cost Breakdown Based on Customizations
| Types of Customization | Development Cost |
| Basic Changes to the App Interface | $3,000 - $10,000 |
| Intricate Design & Layout, Detailing, High Responsiveness | $50,000 - $150,000 |
| Intensive Graphics, Complex Animations, Data Algorithms, API Integrations, Payment Gateways, and other Advanced Features | $70,000 - $300,000 |
Mobile App Development Cost Breakdown Based on Integrations
| Integrations | Development Costs |
| Augmented Reality / Virtual Reality | $80,000 - $300,000 |
| Artificial Intelligence | $50,000 - $250,000 |
| Blockchain | $40,000 - $300,000 |
| IoT | $50,000 - $100,000 |
Each mobile app development project takes time to build, and we all know that time is money. Whether you are hiring mobile app developers for your project or outsourcing the project to a professional mobile app development company, in both cases, you need to consider the hourly rates and timeline required to complete the project. On the other hand, if you are hiring in-house mobile app developers, you need to consider the salaries you pay them and infrastructure costs. Therefore, the hiring model you are following plays an important role in estimating the cost of your mobile app development project.
Mobile App Development Cost Based on Hourly Model
There are three options when it comes to hiring experts for building a mobile app: hiring in-house app developers, outsourcing mobile app projects to a professional mobile app development company or freelancers. Hiring in-house app developers require investing in infrastructure and overheads. Therefore, at present outsourcing projects to mobile app developers is the most preferred choice in hiring model.
#1 Hiring Cost of Professional Mobile App Development Companies / Freelancers
If you are outsourcing your mobile app development projects to professional mobile app development companies or freelancers, you need to consider hourly costs of hiring them.
Let’s start with knowing how much it cost to hire an app developer in the US depending on their experience level.
Hourly Costs of Hiring Mobile App Developers in the US
| Country | Junior App Developer (0-2 years) | Mid-Level App Developer (2-5 years) | Senior App Developer (5+ years) |
| US | $39.23 | $45.59 | $50.64 |
(Source: Indeed)
Hiring senior app developers can be expensive, but at the same time, you can benefit from the experience they offer. Besides experience level, there are different factors that can impact the mobile app developers’ hourly charges, such as their geographic location, app complexity, and development platform. Let’s have a look at the hourly costs of hiring mobile app developers based on these factors.
Hourly Costs of Hiring Mobile App Developers Based on Location
| Countries | Approximate Hourly Rate (Depending on Experience Level) |
| India | $20-$50 |
| UK | $50-$300 |
| Canada | $25-$200 |
| Australia | $25-$150 |
| UAE | $25-$50 |
| Ukraine | $25-$50 |
| Poland | $25-$99 |
| France | $50-$150 |
| South Africa | $25-$99 |
| Germany | $50-$150 |
| Netherlands | $50-$150 |
| Japan | $100-$150 |
| China | $20-$150 |
| Egypt | $25-$150 |
| Saudi Arabia | $25-$50 |
| Singapore | $50-$150 |
Hourly Costs of Hiring Mobile App Developers Based on App Complexity
| App Complexity | Examples | Cost Per Hour |
| Simple |
| $20-$90 |
| Moderate |
| $25-$200 |
| Complex |
| $60-$300 |
Hourly Costs of Hiring Mobile App Developers Based on Platform
| Platform | Simple App | Moderate App | Complex App |
| Android App Development | $25 - $50 | $50 - $90 | $90 - $140+ |
| iOS App Development | $30 - $60 | $60 - $100 | $100 - $150+ |
| Cross-Platform App Development | $40 - $70 | $70 - $120 | $120 - $200+ |
So, now you can easily determine how much mobile app development costs based on hourly and fixed pricing models. What if you are planning to hire in-house mobile app developers? Then, the cost would depend on the salary you pay to the team you hire to work on your mobile app development project.
Let’s have a look at the annual salaries of mobile app developers in different countries.
Mobile App Developers' Annual Salaries Across the World
| Country | Entry Level (0-2 Years Of Experience) | Mid Level (2-5 Years Of Experience) | Senior Level (5+ Years Of Experience) |
| USA | $60,000 - $80,000 | $80,000 - $120,000 | $120,000 - $160,000+ |
| Canada | CAD50,000 - CAD70,000 | CAD70,000 - CAD100,000 | CAD100,000 - CAD130,000 |
| United Kingdom | £25,000 - £35,000 | £35,000 - £55,000 | £55,000 - £75,000+ |
| Germany | €40,000 - €55,000 | €55,000 - €75,000 | €75,000 - €100,000+ |
| France | €35,000 - €45,000 | €45,000 - €60,000 | €60,000 - €80,000+ |
| Australia | AUD60,000 - AUD80,000 | AUD80,000 - AUD110,000 | AUD110,000 - AUD150,000+ |
| South Africa | R200,000 - R300,000 | R300,000 - R500,000 | R500,000 - R700,000+ |
| India | ₹300,000 - ₹500,000 | ₹500,000 - ₹1,000,000 | ₹1,000,000 - ₹2,500,000+ |
| Pakistan | PKR360,000 - PKR 720,000 | PKR 720,000 - PKR 1,440,000 | PKR 1,440,000 - PKR 3,000,000+ |
| Bangladesh | BDT 240,000 - BDT 480,000 | BDT 480,000 - BDT 960,000 | BDT 960,000 - BDT 1,800,000+ |
| China | ¥96,000 - ¥180,000 | ¥180,000 - ¥300,000 | ¥300,000 - ¥480,000+ |
Therefore, the cost of your mobile app development project would vary depending on the geographical location of the company in which it operates. However, these figures are approximate and can change based on locations within the countries, demand, experience level, and other market conditions.
Based on these mobile app developers’ salaries worldwide, you can also make outsourcing decisions. Hiring mobile app developers in Pakistan can be cheaper than mobile app developers in India or mobile app developers in Ukraine, but there are several questions that you may ask yourself before making your hiring decision, such as:
- Does the country you are outsourcing your project to have a large pool of skilled mobile app developers?
- Will you be gaining quality at cost-effective prices if you hire mobile app developers from a specific country?
- Are you comfortable with the language and time zone of the country you are planning to outsource your project to?
When you have answers to all these questions, and weigh them properly you can make a well-thought-out decision. To help you with this decision, we have come up with the salaries of mobile app developers from the countries where you can get your most reliable technology partner for your project.
Average Annual Salaries of Mobile App Developers in Most Favored Countries
According to current trends, the most favored nations for mobile app development are US, Canada, China, India, UK, Germany, and more listed below. India is known for its large pool of skilled mobile app developers, whereas the US is known for technological excellence and quality deliverables. Every country has its own specialty, let’s have a look at annual salaries of mobile app developers in these countries.
(Source: Glassdoor, Payscale, Statista, Indeed)
So, now that you know whether you follow an in-house hiring model or outsource your mobile app development project to mobile app development companies/developers, annual salary information and hourly costs are important aspects to consider.
Besides these costs, you also need to consider some hidden costs relating to mobile app development, as mentioned below -
Mobile App Development Hidden Costs
We have already discussed all the “visible” mobile app development costs, including developers’ hourly costs and salaries based on different geographical regions, technology, and other aspects. Let’s unveil some “invisible” costs relating to mobile app development that should not go unnoticed while planning the budget.
Maintenance and Updates: Mobile applications require maintenance and updates, which even include fixing bugs, adding new features, addressing user feedback, etc., to fulfill users’ demands and keep it lucrative. This requires paying for extra hours spent by mobile app developers on these tasks and thus adds up to the overall cost of mobile app development.
Marketing: Launching a mobile application is just not enough. It requires promoting it and gaining attention from users who can convert into customers. Spending on app marketing services might not be related to its development, but still it is a hidden cost required to keep an app running and earning.
Server/Cloud Hosting Fees: If your app requires server/cloud hosting, then you will require spending on database administration, ongoing security auditing, disaster recovery procedures, caching mechanisms to optimize speed, and everything else that encourages scaling to support growth.
UI/UX Improvements: Over the course of time, you may require improving UI/UX of the app to make it look appealing to new users and that would require you to pay extra for the hours spent by designers for the same.
Infrastructure Costs: If you have hired in-house mobile app developers, you will have to spend on infrastructure, equipments, and tools required to build apps besides their salary, and that is considered to be hidden cost of mobile app development.
Project Management: In case of huge and complex mobile app projects, you may require hiring project managers who communicate with the team and get tasks done and delivered on time. Therefore, paying hourly costs or salaries to these project managers can add up to overall mobile app development cost.
Legal and Compliance Costs: Some mobile applications may require adherence to local Government regulations and paying for legal fees. So, this can be a hidden cost that should be considered before preparing budget for your mobile app development project.
So, these are the hidden costs that you need to consider while budgeting for your mobile application development. However, following a strategy that helps you save costs throughout the mobile app development process is also significant. Below are some tips that help you save the overall cost of mobile app development.
How to Save Mobile App Development Costs?
- Have Clearly Defined App’s Features and Functionalities. A well-defined project scope would help your mobile app developer to provide a cost-effective quote.
- Prioritize essential features and focus on them. Not so essential features can be taken care of in the maintenance part. This will help you launch your mobile app quickly.
- Consider hiring mobile app development companies from low-cost regions, but don’t compromise quality. Cheaper options can prove to be more expensive in the long run.
- If you are considering fixed-price options, negotiate with the best mobile app development companies and choose the one that provides you with the most cost-effective quote.
- Native app development can prove to be more expensive especially if you are looking for iOS and Android platforms both. In that case, you can go for cross-platform app development, as that would help you save your mobile app development costs.
Finally, Estimating the Mobile App Development Cost
In this article, we have discussed almost everything that helps you come up with mobile app development cost estimates considering different platforms, hiring models, geographical locations, industry types, and more. But, it is also not possible to come up with the exact cost without knowing the requirements of the mobile app development project. So, you need to be very clear about the project scope before you consult a mobile app development company for your project.
Generally, in-house hiring of mobile app developers provide more control over the deadlines, but at the same time comes up with several costs related to onboarding staff, extra incentives, overheads, etc. On the other hand, outsourcing mobile app developers whether a professional company or freelancers, can be a flexible and cost-effective way to get a quality mobile app built at a low cost.
So, now you need just to weigh all the alternatives mentioned here carefully and make decisions that suit your mobile app development project requirements. To accelerate your decision-making process, you can also go through this list of top mobile app development companies curated by GoodTal's team of experts.
Jemimah Rodriguez
Content Marketing SpecialistJemimah Rodriguez is a content marketing specialist at Goodtal. Besides writing, she is passionate about reading, travelling, and listening to music.