How much does it cost to Build a Mobile App?
If you want to know how much you have to invest before entering the mobile app world, you need to consider these set of factors and estimate accordingly.
How much does it cost to build a mobile app? No one can give an exact value for it, not even a person with years of experience in the mobile market.
Why? Because the cost of developing a mobile app is not fixed; it varies from app to app on the basis of a plethora of factors, including the features and platform you choose. Before we begin with, keep your app plan with you as it will make it easy for you to calculate the cost.
Factors Influencing Mobile App Development Cost
App Size and Screens
You might be surprised to know that the number of screens and app size drive the cost to create a mobile application. The more screens, the more complex app flow will be. The demand for design and development will be accelerated, and so will the app size.
Platform and Device Specifications
The platform you select for launching your mobile application also plays a pivotal role in determining the app cost. For example, if you want your app to land only on Android devices, you can go for native app development. But if you wish to launch your application on both iOS and Android, it is cheaper to go for cross-platform app development with React Native framework than building native apps for both the platforms individually.
Likewise, the device you want your app to run upon also has an impact on the app development price. All the devices have slightly different specifications.
Technologies and Features You Choose
The features and technologies you integrate into your application also determine the app cost. Every feature has different needs and so the cost of implementing them. Similarly, some technologies can be easy to integrate while other might require higher time and investment due to their complex nature.
Background Integration and Server Cost
The server you employ for keeping data backup and the process of background integration also adds to your mobile application development budget. The mobile app developers might have to integrate various third-party services (APIs) to serve your mobile application with a certain functionality. This process is complex, time-consuming and tough if proper documentation is not available. The development team might have to turn towards various resources to understand and integrate, which influences the app cost. Apart from this, managing content will also affect the cost of the mobile application development process.
App Security Practices
To prevent data breaches, you might have to employ various encryption mechanism and security tools, which will also have an impact on the app cost. Higher the encryption level, higher will it cost.
Mobile App Development Company You Hire
The development partner you hire for mobile app development also influence the cost. If you ask a novice app developer or freelancer to create an app for you, he will do it in return for a few dollars. Whereas, a corporate would demand a higher price.
Likewise, the cost for app development will increase with the skills and experience of the developers. The best mobile app developers will charge a higher amount than a novice, but there’s one point to consider - they will be far more familiar with the market trends and challenges, and so will deliver a quality app that could enjoy limelight in the market.
On the top of it, the location of the developers also has an impact on the cost. If you look for mobile application development services locally or in developed nations, your app budget will rise. However, the same services can be achieved at reduced cost by outsourcing your app needs.
Testing and Launch Cost
To ensure app success, it is vital to launching an error-free app, which implies multiple quality, alpha and beta tests. More the tests you conduct, more time will the app development process take, and so higher will be the app development price. In addition to this, the alpha and beta test tools you implement also have an impact on your app budget.
Besides, the app stores also charge an amount for creating an account and publish your app. You need to pay $99/yr and $299/yr for enrolling in Apple developer program and Apple Developer Enterprise program, respectively. On the other side, Google asks for $25 one-time to register and launch your android app.
App Marketing Cost
Launching your app on the app store is not enough. You have to invest in promoting the app so that people get familiar with its existence and think about installing it. From keeping an eye on the rapidly changing market trends to implementing different practices like referral marketing to boost app downloads, you have to invest in numerous activities. This again will drive the app cost.
Besides, app update and maintenance also influence the app cost. According to the best mobile app developers, app maintenance cost you nearly 20% of the cost of the mobile application development.