The smartphone has become one of the most significant inventions of the 21st century. In less than 20 years since the release of the first iPhone, the world of mobile internet has fundamentally changed our habits in work, shopping, leisure, and accessing services. Currently, there are over 7 billion active smartphones worldwide, and mobile networks are used by three-quarters of the global population.
It's no surprise that businesses strive to establish their presence in the mobile sphere to reach a massive audience. Developing applications for smartphones remains relevant as it provides suppliers of goods and services the shortest path to interact with consumers. A proprietary mobile application offers several advantages for any company:
- Enhanced Customer Experience: Provide users with the best client experience to earn their loyalty and improve your reputation.
- Innovative Business Models: Enable new business models that are entirely based on online functionality.
- Expanded Marketing Opportunities: Offer extensive marketing activities that help retain and re-engage customers through push notifications and more.
In this article, we'll delve into the realities of creating mobile applications. You'll learn how to choose a development team, how the cost of such a project is formed, and how much it costs to develop an application in 2024.
Factors Influencing the Cost: Four Key Components
The cost of creating a mobile application is influenced by various factors that clients may not always be aware of. At the project's outset, the client and the development team discuss desires and determine the application's key features, which the team will bring to life. The more complex and numerous these features are, the more time and resources will ultimately be needed for development.
Stages of Mobile Application Development
To better understand how the cost of mobile application development is formed, we need to highlight the key phases in this process:
- Requirement Gathering: The team studies the client's request, problem, and wishes. This stage answers why the mobile application is being created and what functionality it needs. Close communication with the client and necessary research, such as target audience analysis, market research, competitor solutions, and existing project audits, are essential.
- Design and Prototyping: Developers prepare a prototype of the new application, representing usability logic and visual solutions. Depending on the project's complexity, designers may create a basic prototype followed by detailed design or simultaneously work on UX and a detailed, colored prototype.
- Backlog and Technical Specifications: Once the application design is formed and approved, managers prepare project documentation, including a backlog and technical specifications for developers. The approved backlog serves as the basis for estimating the project's cost in terms of optimal and maximum expenses for each work section.
- Development: At this stage, the application code is written, and its functional parts and admin panel are implemented.
- Testing: This quality control stage involves checking the product for bugs, errors, and overall performance. Usually, manual testing is employed, but some projects may require automated testing.
- Application Deployment: New applications are published in the App Store and/or Google Play Market. After deployment, the team typically moves on to refining the product and working on updates.
Project Type
The complexity of tasks facing developers significantly influences the cost. Mobile applications are a vast category of software with diverse purposes. Based on functional complexity, the following types can be distinguished:
- User Account Apps: Personal user accounts for consumers or employees.
- Product Catalogs: Applications showcasing product catalogs.
- Educational Apps: Tools for training and testing personnel.
- eCommerce Platforms: Online shopping applications.
- Financial Apps: Banking and insurance applications.
- Enterprise Management Systems: Tools for managing business operations.
- Social Networks and Messengers: Platforms for social interaction and communication.
- Media and Streaming Apps: Applications for media playback and streaming.
- Online Services: From car-sharing and food ordering to government services.
These are just the surface-level categories. Real projects often require a combination of various functionalities. Therefore, developing an application and determining its price always require individual assessment.
Development Technologies
Depending on project requirements and product complexity, the team selects an appropriate technology stack. For simple tasks, applications can be based on cross-platform solutions like Progressive Web Apps (PWA) and Single Page Applications (SPA).
For more complex projects, development on cross-platform frameworks like Flutter or React Native may be necessary. These technologies allow creating fully native applications that can run on both Android and iOS from a single codebase. In most cases, their capabilities are sufficient for the majority of projects.
For the most demanding products requiring high performance and extensive use of specific smartphone features, native development for each operating system is advisable. Applications for iOS are written in Swift, while Android solutions use Kotlin. Native development is the most expensive option and is less commonly used today.
Functionality and Work Scope
The more features that need to be implemented, the more time and resources development will require. Different project types have typical functionalities. For instance, an eCommerce platform will need a product catalog, cart and checkout screens, payment service integrations, and more.
If the application requires integration with third-party services like payment gateways, geolocation, social networks, or APIs of other platforms, this increases development complexity and necessitates additional time.
In custom development, functionality is determined by the client's specific needs, scale of operations, and long-term development plans. An iterative approach is often used: key functionalities are released in the first version, with secondary features added in future updates.
Developer Hours and Rates
The cost of creating an application is also influenced by market factors such as demand, talent availability, and market competition. These factors determine the hourly rates of specialists. To roughly estimate how much it costs to create a mobile application, multiply the estimated development hours by the current rates of the required specialists.
In practice, each team member's rate depends on their skills and experience. Naturally, a senior developer leading the project will have a higher hourly rate than junior developers.
Team Size and Expertise
How many developers are needed to create a mobile application? For the simplest cross-platform solution, one or two programmers might suffice. Larger projects may require a team of 3-7 people. It also depends on development technologies and project type; some technologies and industries require developers with specialized expertise.
Saving on Rates
While businesses might consider hiring freelancers to save on rates, this comes with risks. Freelancers may offer lower rates, but they don't provide the same quality guarantees as established IT companies. Verifying their expertise can be challenging, and supporting the product over time may become problematic if the freelancer becomes unavailable.
Choosing a Contractor: Company vs. Freelancer
Businesses have two main options for creating a mobile application:
- IT Company: Offers a professional team with diverse expertise, quality guarantees, and long-term support.
- Freelancer: May offer lower costs but comes with risks like limited capabilities, lack of guarantees, and potential support issues.
While hiring a freelancer might save money initially, it could lead to higher costs and risks in the long run due to potential project limitations and lack of ongoing support.
The Cost of Developing a Mobile Application: Numbers
So, how much does it cost to make a mobile application?
In 2024 - 2025, developing a mobile application with a single user role starts at approximately $27,500. However, this is a very rough estimate. For an accurate cost calculation, you need to discuss your specific project with an IT team. Specialists will determine your requirements, the product's purpose, and the necessary functionality. They will estimate this functionality in hours, allowing for a precise price range.
Time Required for Application Development
Creating a reliable business solution requires substantial time. The necessary hours depend on the product's complexity, architecture, technologies, and required functionality.
- Simple Applications: Usually require at least three months. These apps provide specific information or simple functionality, like service requests or work shift logs. They likely lack complex integrations or analytics tools.
- Medium Complexity Applications: Require four to seven months. Businesses can get a basic but full-fledged eCommerce solution with a catalog, user accounts, payment integrations, and more.
- Complex Applications: Need at least a year of development. These include solutions with special security and performance requirements, advanced functionalities based on cutting-edge technologies (AI, AR/VR, blockchain), or large-scale products like social networks.
The only way to accurately predict development time is to discuss your project with a development team. Experienced specialists can provide preliminary cost estimates and, after initial project planning, offer detailed timeframes in hours and sprints.
Is It Possible to Develop a Mobile Application for Free?
While numerous online tools claim to help you create mobile applications from scratch, developing a quality mobile application for business free of charge is unrealistic. Even if you're technically savvy and use free no-code or zero-code platforms, you're likely to encounter limitations that prevent you from delivering a robust, reliable product.
Even experienced developers rarely create high-quality business applications on their own due to the extensive workload and the need for specialized expertise in various areas.
How to Save on Application Development
Creating a quality mobile application is costly, but there are ways to save:
- Compare Contractor Prices: Research and compare service prices from different companies. However, be cautious of unusually low prices, which might indicate inexperience.
- Prepare a Clear Project Brief: Formulate a high-level technical assignment outlining your project vision and requirements. This helps potential contractors provide accurate estimates and ensures productive communication.
Additional Tips:
- Develop an MVP: Start with a Minimum Viable Product featuring key functionalities to test your business hypothesis. If successful, you can fund further development with initial profits.
- Opt for Minimalist Design: Choose a simple yet high-quality design. Minimalism can be cost-effective and appeals to a broad audience.
- Focus on Core Features: Keep the application simple and user-friendly. Avoid unnecessary features that complicate the app and increase costs. Prioritize essential functionalities and plan additional features for future updates.
- Thorough Testing: Regularly test each development stage. Early detection of errors saves money and keeps the project on the right track.
- Choose Cross-Platform Development: Unless your audience exclusively uses one platform, cross-platform development covers both iOS and Android with a single codebase, saving time and resources.
- Consult Experts: Engage with professionals who can suggest cost-saving measures at each development stage. Developers can provide insights on current rates, realistic timelines, and optimal development strategies.
Conclusion
The relevance of mobile application development continues to grow. In the era of smartphones and ubiquitous mobile networks, nearly every business needs an application to shorten the distance with users and reach new audiences.
Creating such a solution from scratch involves several considerations. While the development of a mobile business application starts at around $27,500 to $33,000, this is a rough estimate. The project's cost is influenced by many factors: functionality complexity, development technologies, work scope, current specialist rates, and more.
The only way to get an accurate estimate of your project's timeline and cost is to consult with a professional and experienced development team. They can provide a precise quote based on your specific needs, assess product complexity, select appropriate technologies, and account for potential risks.
FAQ
What Determines the Cost of Mobile Application Development?
The cost is influenced by several key factors:
- Type and Scale of the Product: Simple apps cost less than complex, feature-rich ones.
- Functionality Complexity: More features require more development time and resources.
- Development Technologies: Native development is typically more expensive than cross-platform solutions.
- Developer Rates: Rates vary based on expertise, location, and market demand.
Each project's cost is determined individually, considering the client's specific needs and requests.
How Much Does It Cost to Make an App for a Phone?
The cost can range from $27,500 for a simple application to $110,000 or more for a complex project. These figures are approximate. The exact price depends on:
- Functionality Complexity
- Chosen Technologies
- Work Scope
- Specialist Rates
Discuss your project's specifics with a development team to get an accurate estimate.
Is There a Difference in Cost Between Developing for iOS and Android?
Yes, there can be differences:
- Development Tools and Technologies: Each platform requires different technologies.
- Developer Rates: iOS developers may have higher rates due to market demand.
- Complexity and Features: Specific platform features can affect cost.
However, with cross-platform development options like Flutter and React Native, you can develop for both platforms simultaneously, potentially reducing costs.
By understanding these factors and carefully planning your project, you can develop a mobile application that meets your business needs while managing costs effectively.
