Determining the cost of your app development project is one of the most tedious parts of executing your app development project. Usually, service providers/development teams hesitate in providing you with a cost estimate on an immediate basis. It becomes even tougher when you receive a broad range of cost from different service providers/development teams for your required app.
Let us tell you the reason behind that hesitation and a broad range of costing for your app development project. App development cost depends on lots of factors as discussed below:
(i) The platform for which the app is supposed to be built, such as Web, iOS, Android, Windows, etc. A number of platforms for which the app is required to be built will certainly be a significant cost deciding factor.
(ii) The devices for which the app is supposed to be built, such as Smart Phone, Tablet/iPad, Smart Watch, Smart TV, etc. More devices mean dedicated UI/UX design for each device and hence the cost can be significantly altered here.
(iii) The technology and development methodology using which the app is supposed to be built. Technologies include Swift, Objective C, Java, React Native, Flutter, etc. Methodologies include native and hybrid app development. Software Engineers charge on the basis of the technology/methodology on which they are required to work. Also, not every software engineer is well versed with all technologies/methodologies. Hence, complex technologies/methodologies attract more costs as compared to simpler ones.
(iv) Experience level of the development team who will be working on your app development project. The more experienced they will be, the more amount they will be charging.
(v) Location of your app development team. Different geographical locations define different average wages for development teams, in line to cost of living in that location.
(vi) Complexity of required features within the app. The more complex features required, the more cost will be attracted.
(vii) Teammates who will be working on your project. A typical iOS and Android phone app development project requires a team of 7 resources including (i) project manager, (ii) UI/UX Engineer (iii) iOS Engineer, (iv) Android Engineer, (v) Backend and API Engineer, (vi) Frontend Engineer and (vii) Software Testing Engineer.
There are multiple other additional factors that help you/your development team define the cost of your app development project, but the above-mentioned factors are the major ones.
You probably need a cost estimate so that you can define your budget and go-to-market strategy for your required app. The cost estimates will also let you determine if a development company can offer you the services within your budget or not.
Let us talk about how a development team/company estimates app development projects, what you need to provide to your development team so that they can provide you with a firm estimate, and how much time they will require to calculate the cost of building an app.
Cost of an app development worldwide
The cost of app development varies drastically across the world and depends on the cost of living in a particular region. Relatively low prices and high quality are what everybody is looking for when hiring an app development team, whether that team is located in the UK, US, India, or Western Europe. We develop web apps, Android and iOS mobile apps for start-ups and established companies all over the globe.
While in the US and Canada developers can charge from USD 80 to USD 250 and more per hour, in Western Europe and UK based developer charges usually range between Euro 50 and Euro 200 per hour. Whereas Australian agencies offer the service between AUD 70 to AUD 300 per hour. For the same, Indian rate ranges between USD 25 to $80 per hour which is quite attractive.
The skills of developers in Europe are pretty much the same as those in the US and UK, as the technologies and documentation are universal and depend only on the companies that make them, like Google and Apple – the two most influential companies in the mobile development world.
What influences the cost of an app?
The hourly rates and locations of developers are not the only things that influence the cost to build an app but the features involved in it equally affect the cost. More features added in your app, more will be the complexity which will influence the price. This indirectly reveals the number of hours developers spend on each part of your app. A complex app requires more time for planning, business analysis, design and execution.
How do we estimate the cost of a web or mobile app?
The cost of making a mobile app or a web app is based on the number of hours the project may take, and more the number of functionalities, the longer it will take to implement. Let us divide apps into major three categories – simple, little complex, and highly complex – and estimate the cost of each type of application. We will calculate the cost based on the hourly rate of $35 since it can be considered near-average in India.
Simple apps consist of some basic functionality, not required of integration with any third-party APIs, and may not need a backend infrastructure. Features of such small applications may include standard UI components, a feed list, simple filters, and map markers. Developing a simple app takes about 500 – 700 hours and starts around USD 20,000.
The second category of Apps with middling complexity will include custom UI features, real-time chat, payment functionality, handset adaptation, integration with APIs, and a simple backend server. It takes around 1000 – 2000 hours to build such an app, and the price starts at USD 35,000. An example of a middling complexity app is an event planning app.
Third and highly complex apps include advanced functionality such as audio/video processing, real-time synchronization, custom animations, integrations with third-party services, complex backends with several types of database relationships, and much more functions. The timeframe for building complex apps is 2500+ hours, and the price starts at USD 85,000. A full-fledged social network application, Augmented reality, Artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and a video streaming app are few that fall into this high complex category.
How to lower the app development cost?
Generally, we say that for the best app, you have to spend more. On the contrary, there are multiple apps which are good in quality with low cost. We have to look for effective ways to manage our app development cost without losing its quality. Lots of different factors impact this cost. It depends on who builds your app, how it gets built, and what you want your app to do, like that.
Following are the few steps to reduce the cost of app development without compromising on quality.
1. Plan well
Contact the Development team with a detailed plan. Proper planning of your requirement will lead to reduce the cost considerably. Effective planning depends on how well you have documented the requirements of your app so that you can explain clearly. Good technical specifications of required apps will save you from miscommunication, wastage of time and money. Also, make sure that none of your development team members wear multiple hats at the same time.
2. Outsource your requirement
Outsourcing is a great way to get your desired app development going fast at a reasonable cost. Find an expert company or team who can provide you the required app with high quality on low cost. Outsourcing the app development will reduce the risk factors with increased professionalism. It will help you in saving infrastructure and resources with end to end assistance. Try to find out an app development company who has the technical and functional expertise in developing the app that you want.
3. Development Methodology – Native VS Hybrid App Development
Determine whether you need a native app or a hybrid app. Both methodologies have their own advantages and disadvantages. Easily access and utilize the built-in capabilities of the user’s devices (e.g., GPS, address book, camera, etcetera) are the main advantages of Native Application. Hybrid app is web based built using HTML5 and JavaScript, covered in a Native container which loads most of the information on the page as the user navigates through the application. On the other hand, Native app downloads most of the content when the user first installs the app. Read more about native VS hybrid app development here.
4. Minimum Viable Product
The concept of launching a Minimum Viable Product(MVP) assist to test the response in a real market setting without having spent huge amounts on building a complex app. Once the MVP is ready, you can continue to add features in updates. Once your app goes to the app stores and users start using it, you can rely on in-app feedback to assess the user response to your app. MVP is also a quality control technique which saves considerable costs and increases quality to your product after each stage of live testing.
5. Continuous Supervision
Communicate with your development team continuously to know the progress of the app development, which will keep you and your development team on the same page. Testing to be done on every new build of your application so that if any slight deviations from the requirement are found, the same can be easily identified and rectified immediately. It will be much cheaper to address those issues if we trace out on the initial stage rather than correcting once the app has been released.
As you can see from this article, you can have an idea about the cost of various apps. An app like Uber, WhatsApp or Facebook will obviously cost much more than a flashlight app. But if you’ve got USD 25000 – 35000 to spend, you can definitely get started and build something that’s functional. Building a Minimum Viable Product(MVP) or developing a hybrid app, will fall under a limited budget.
Are you looking for an app development partner who can give you cost-efficient apps? Contact us now!
Acropolis is a leading Custom Mobile App development and renowned Software Development Company across the world, rated by top rating companies like Clutch and GoodFirms. We at Acropolis simplify the technology selection and implementation process for clients by being a strategic partner throughout the engagement, right from the requirements discussion phase to the after-sales support phase. Contact us right now to have our technology experts at your service! Do have a detailed discussion with our skilled engineers about your needs, and upon your approval of our recommended solutions, we will deliver quality software that will help you exceed your business goals at an affordable cost. We have delivered more than 3000+ projects across the globe. We cater to clients from the US, UK, Australia, Germany, France, and many more countries!
For a consultation, you can reach out to us via email at sales@acropolisinfotech.com or you can call us at +1 716 393 8486 (US) or +91 9999 8765 94 (IND). We are also approachable over WhatsApp at +91 9999 8765 94. If you wish to connect with us over Skype, our Skype ID is ‘acropolis.infotech’. Alternatively, you can also schedule a call with us at your convenience.
