How Much Does It Cost To Make An App?

How much does it cost to make an app?

At howmuchcostanapp.co.uk you can find an app cost calculator created by Yeeply. It is a digital tool that you can use for free to calculate how much it would cost to develop an app that you have in mind.

It’s very easy to use! You just have to click on the “Start” button and answer the quick questions posed to you by the calculator. You can obtain the approximate cost for your app’s development in less than a minute.

However, bear in mind that your app’s final price depends on many different factors. Developing a mobile application for Android is not the same as creating an app for iOS, for example. Many of the decisions that you will have to make during the app’s development process will have a direct impact on its final cost.

We want to help you make the best decision, so let’s have a look at some of these factors to be able to do so. Please, read on! 👇

Factors affecting an app’s price

You must take several factors into account when it comes to calculating how much making an app will cost. The following are some of these general factors:

• Time: Depending on the deadlines, the cost may or may not increase. If you need the app to be ready before a specific date and the developer has to work overtime the price will go up a bit. On the other hand, if you’re more flexible and are not in a hurry at all, the deadline can be readjusted and the development cost will be more restrained.
• Quality: The more features the app contains, the more development work it will need. All the details will end up the way you wanted but the cost will obviously go up if the design requires extra effort.
• Features: Your app’s features are, in other words, what it can do. Some examples of features are: having a signing-up process (entering with an email and password is not the same as logging in through a social network such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.), or having a messaging service (a real-time chat, a service for sending simple messages, or a service that can include multimedia content don’t come at the same cost).
• Release costs: If your application follows a B2C model (i.e. it’s not an internal corporate app), you will have to make sure that your potential users find it. This usually involves making an initial investment in digital marketing to give your app visibility and position it well in the app stores by using ASO techniques. This aspect is not directly related to your app’s development but is, nevertheless, something essential to take into account.
• Additional costs: Did you know that uploading an application to the app stores entails a cost? It’s a single payment in the case of Android’s Play Store and in the iOS App Store, you must pay an annual fee to register as a developer and be able to upload your app.
• Upkeep: Your application cannot afford to get frozen in time. Mobile technologies advance very fast and continuously yield new devices, screen sizes, hardware functionalities… You will have to keep on collaborating with an app development team to ensure that your app remains up-to-date with oncoming technological innovations and to resolve any bugs that may arise. Establishing an hours bank dedicated to your app’s maintenance can prove a good approach towards this matter.

The cost of creating an app according to the kind of app development

There are several options available regarding your app’s development and not all of them will have the same cost. These are the three main options available:

• Web apps. These apps are accessed through a web browser and therefore can work on different kinds of devices. Users don’t have to download these apps to be able to use them. They are usually the fastest and least expensive to develop, although, as a drawback, they may experience limitations regarding being able to access mobile phone hardware (such as its camera or positioning system).
• Native apps. A native app is an application that has been developed specifically for a given operating system (Android, iOS, Windows, etc.). Being tailored for a specific operating system, it usually works better than its non-native counterparts. Their main disadvantage is that you will have to work on a parallel development process for each of these operating systems if you want your application to be present in these different markets, and this will consequently increase the budget.
• Cross-platform apps. These apps have a single code that can adapt to different operating systems. The same development process can yield an application that works on iOS and Android alike, for instance. They are usually less expensive than native apps although, as a drawback, they are slower and also suffer from having limited access to the device’s hardware.

As you can see, the kind of app development greatly influences your app’s final cost. None of these options is intrinsically better than the other ones, as each of them has its advantages and disadvantages.

A cross-platform app, for example, can be a good option if your application is aimed at a limited number of users, as would be the case of an internal corporate app. On the other hand, opting for a native app would be better if you are targeting the general public, even if this option is more expensive.

Read this step by step guide on our blog, where we explain to you what you need to know about how to create an app.

The cost of developing an app according to the operating system

When you think about creating an app to improve your business, you should be aware of the different operating systems available and choose the kind of devices you want your app to run on.

It is not the same to create an application for Android than for iOS or Windows Phone because its cost will be different. The price will also vary if you consider having an app that works on several operating systems. However, we can give you some advice on the cost differences to make it easier for you to make a final decision.

If you decide to create an application for your company, we suggest developing one that can run on any operating system. In the end, the price may be a little higher, but you will avoid future expenses.

For example, it will cost you less to develop an app that can run on Android and iOS rather than creating one for Android first and a second one for iOS later on.

How much does an app developer charge depending on the app’s operating system? You should be aware that the cost of developing a native app for iOS is not the same as that of a native app for Android. iOS developers charge more per hour than their Android counterparts. And in both cases, the price will increase if you hire an app development company instead of freelance developers for creating your app.

How long does it take to build an app?

Developing an application takes time. First, you must choose the kind of development, the type of app, the technology it will make use of, etc. Once you have all this sorted, you’ll enter your app’s design stage, in which wireframes and mock-ups will be defined. All this will be handled afterwards to an expert developer who will begin to programme your app’s code. And you still have the testing and bug-fixing stage ahead of you.

Each app requires a specific development time that will depend heavily on its level of complexity. However, as guidance, we can say that the average time employed for this whole process is about 18 weeks.

If there’s a deadline for your application to be ready, it’s essential that you share it with your development team and that they send you back a work calendar conceived to meet such a deadline that covers all the project’s stages. By doing so, you will be able to monitor the project’s progress and check that it is evolving at a good pace stage by stage.

Is offering your application for free a viable option?

This is a common question that concerns almost all companies wanting to launch an app. If you create a tool that’s similar to an existing free one, it is not advisable to charge for downloading your application.

A free app can open many doors for you. You can finance it with advertising. Look for ads that are interesting to your target audience.

If you decide to go for a paid-for app, you’ll have to explain why users have to pay for it in its description in the online store where the app is available. They need to know what sets you apart from the rest so that they get to pay for your app instead of downloading the free one from your competitor.

Advantages of developing an app for your company

The reasons for doing so can be manifold, and you may have already considered one of the following:

• If your company has internal management processes that use different digital tools or that may even be in paper format, you could think of an app that helps to coordinate your business processes in an easy and centralised way.
• If your customers have to make an appointment to be attended, an app is also a good solution. It will make your job easier while saving you time without having to always keep an eye out for answering the phone.
• A third reason could be that you may want to develop an application simply to give added value to your company and customers.

Can an app be the solution to a problem?

Yes, for a few years now, applications have become a solution to many day-to-day issues. Besides, apps are a very direct communication channel between companies and potential customers. You can take great advantage of this aspect.

How do I find out if my business needs an application?

For your business to be successful, the first thing you need to do is to detect problems. An app could be a useful way to solve an existing issue.

Regardless of the app’s cost, you should study your industry rivals. Look, for example, if they have applications to manage different services that you are still managing offline.

Nowadays, there are plenty of management apps and a personalised one may add value to your company. This stage of analysis will help you define your project better and thus your app’s development budget will be more realistic.

Depending on the problem, you will look for one solution or another. These are some of the solutions that could work well for a series of issues that may be detected:

Options available for my app’s development

Are you a little clearer on how much can your application cost and on what kind of development will suit you best? If so, you may be considering the next step: setting your app project in motion.

There are some free app creation tools whose use is simple and intuitive, but the truth is that their results are not entirely professional. Nevertheless, they can be used to make a prototype of the app.

If you take your mobile application project seriously and aim at getting the most out of your time and budget, it is best to rely on professionals. We propose three options, although you must get first well acquainted with the different professionals who take part in an app’s creation process.

We have already discussed to a great extent the importance of being able to rely on a good developer, but the developer is by no means the only technical profile involved in an app’s development.

Before reaching its development stage, the app goes through a design team. This team will be in charge of the app’s visual appearance. However, this work goes far beyond the app’s graphical aspects. The team is also in charge of ensuring that the app’s user-friendliness (UX) and user interface (UI) will run smoothly on the app’s final version. You can find highly qualified professionals who specialise specifically in these two areas.

This design will then be handled to an app development team. Please, discard the idea that any kind of app can be created by the very same developer. Each programming language or kind of development is a whole world unto itself. Therefore, seek a developer with technical experience in the specific kind of app that you are going to create.

Finally, as we have mentioned before, you must have a plan to get your users to download your application if it’s a B2C app. To achieve this, it can come in handy to rely on a marketing team with ASO, SEO, and advertising campaigns experts, among other professionals.

Where can you find these profiles? We provide you here with three alternatives that, as you can imagine, will require substantially different budgets.

Option number 1: Freelancers

This option may be appropriate if the scale of your app project is not very large. You can hire freelancers on some platforms. It’s advisable to take a look at the references given to them on such platforms by their latest customers.

An app developed by a freelancer can be less expensive, although this option also involves many drawbacks. On the one hand, there is a high competition among the developers for hire in these platforms. This makes the quotes offered prone to be downsized to be more attractive but, on the other hand, this trend also has sometimes a negative impact on the app’s final quality.

Also, how will you coordinate several professionals if you need to hire a bunch of them? How can you be sure that they will know how to collaborate effectively with each other? Will you be able to cope painlessly with the management of several independent providers? If you are not sure about these issues, just remember that you still have two other options.

Option number 2: An app development company

This kind of partner specialises in the technological product you want to create and, therefore, will normally have all the profiles required. Hiring an app development company or agency is more expensive than working with a freelancer but it entails several advantages.

On the one hand, working with a single provider will be more convenient for you and allow you more time to monitor the project’s progress and focus on its subsequent phases. Besides, it may also be easier for you to validate their experience (ask them about some of the applications that they have already developed!).

As a drawback, this kind of companies tend to ask for a high budget and are not very flexible, so any unforeseen issues or possible improvements that may arise during the development process can be very expensive to fix or to implement.

Option number 3: Marketplaces

A technology marketplace is a platform where you can outsource your project’s development to one or several tech-specialist teams. Yeeply is an example of such a marketplace. This is how it works:

• You publish your project on our platform, giving as much detail as possible.
• The platform then puts you in touch with the appropriate team, based on your needs, deadlines, and budget.
• The team will then contact you and send you a quote. If you agree with the quote, you can start working together right away. If this is not the case, you can request a quote from a different team through the platform.

The advantage of using a marketplace like Yeeply is that you don’t have to waste your time validating the team: all of our professionals have passed a strict certification process and our algorithm will match you with those professionals who suit your needs best.

With Yeeply you can work with professionals from any discipline through a single provider. The diversity of our talent and its wide geographical distribution allows us to be able to always offer you a budget that fits your needs.

How to get your project started with Yeeply

If you’re ready to get started, please click on this link and tell us a little more about your project. You’ll just have to answer a few questions on the form provided there.

We will contact you to answer your question and/or give you the necessary advice. Thanks to the experience and knowledge we have gathered through the years, we have become app development industry experts.

We have helped more than 750 companies to carry out over 1,000 projects, many of them related to the development of apps of all kinds. Don’t hesitate to have a look at some of the companies we have worked with by clicking on this link. Thanks to this experience we are certain that we can help you make any kind of application a reality. Shall we get started?