How Much Does It Cost to Make a Mobile App?
How Much Does It Cost to Develop an App In 2025 | Cost to Make a Mobile App?
In today’s rapidly growing digitalized world, every business owner needs to have a mobile app. Coming up with a great idea for developing an app is simple, but getting answers for queries like ‘how much does it cost to make an app’ and ‘how much does it cost to maintain an app’ is tough.
Is it the US $1000 or $10,000 or even more than this? To be honest, it’s impossible to find out the exact app development cost. There are several factors, which influences the development cost to make a mobile app. And, those factors vary from one application to another application.
To just give you an example, a Camera with several advanced features such as advanced editing options, cloud storage, social media integration, etc.
cost very high than a simple Camera which has customized filters. Likewise, the e-commerce app creation cost will be high compared to the simple file manager.
Business owners always wonder how to create an app and how much does it cost to build an app. or Cost to develop mobile app or how much does it cost to make an app or Mobile App Development Cost or app development cost breakdown or average cost of app development. Be Cool! Here is a fantastic formula to estimate the cost of app development.
Let’s discuss
Formula to Estimate App Development Cost
The formula for mobile app development cost estimate lies simply in calculating the total number of hours that takes to the development process and multiplying it to the hourly cost of development team.
Also Read: 7 Reasons Why Your Business Needs a Mobile App
6 Main Factors that Influence the Development Cost of Application
1) Platform Selection
Selecting a platform for an application is the initial step in determining development costs. For example, clients select for a hybrid app or native app. Hybrid apps can work on several platforms. However, native apps can work only on a particular platform.
Most business owners like to invest in Android app development as it is widely used across the world. But, the development of an android app is higher than an iOS app. Java needs many lines of coding which eventually takes much time to develop an app. In addition, it takes much time in the testing phase.
iOS application built by using the programming languages, like Swift and Objective C, which required fewer lines of code than Java. As a result, the cost and development time would eventually decrease.
- Hybrid Apps (Cross-Platform Apps)
One of the best ways to reduce app development costs is by using hybrid apps. Wonder about this app is that just a single set of coding is enough for different platforms. Though they don’t have a few functionalities and features, it’s a good option for entrepreneurs with a limited budget.
2) App Complexity
The complexity of the app obviously influences the cost of developing an application. Top-rated app development companies have divided app complexity into three categories, i.e. simple applications with basic features, moderate applications with some advanced features like payment options, UI, UX, etc. and complex application with highly advanced features like AR, VR, API Integration, etc.
As the name tells, the simple app development cost is less, the average cost for moderate applications, and typical app development cost is high.
3) App Features
Choosing features that you want to include in your mobile application is also a necessary step to estimate the cost for building an app. There are hundreds of features available in the market, which makes an app more useful.
The most commonly used features in mobile apps are User Login, creative UI/UX designs, Screen orientation, Navigation, Geolocation, Google map integration, App security, Chat/messaging, In-App purchases, Database connectivity, AR/VR support, Push alerts, Ads,
multi-language support, and payment gateway app integration like Paypal, Sagepay, MasterCard, eWay, World pay, etc. So, make sure to select features which match and have a vital role as per your business needs as with all the include features, you should invest extra cost.
4) Application Hosting
Application hosting is a very important stage, which makes apps live for the users to download through the Play Store and App Store. It is also part of the app development cost, which is very tough for business owners to invest.
It is necessary to select the perfect platform that satisfies various parameters like Backend API request, Bandwidth per MAU, and Bandwidth per user. It also facilitates in receiving good traffic.
5) App Maintenance
Application update is essential as it reminds the general user that the application has constant changes as per the users’ requirement. This app upgrade leads to new features that need to invest much amount.
In addition, App Bug Fixes is also one of the major factors that increase the cost. No application would function without bugs. In most of the cases, bugs will appear after publishing the application. So, you should keep checking for bug fixes.
6) App Development Team
The cost of developing an app also depends on whom you are hiring to develop and cost to make a mobile app whether it is a renowned app development agency or a Freelancer.
Large-cap firms charge a high amount as they have thousands of employees to build and app know very well how to create an app from scratch, whereas a freelancer or an agency of around 10 team members will charge a less amount as they will take little more time than large-cap companies. if you would like to know more about Cost to develop mobile application or App Development Cost USA or How much does it cost to make an app or How Much Does It Cost To Develop an App or Mobile App Development Cost or Mobile app development cost estimate or How much does an app cost to build app or development cost breakdown or average cost of app development or android App Development Cost or ios App Development Cost or how much does an app development cost, then reach our one of mobile expert to guide you to know more.
Conclusion – How Much Does It Cost To Create A Mobile Application?
After reading the above factors, I hope you got clarity that there no exact figure to describe the cost of developing an app. However, you can hire the mobile app development team as per your business requirements by analyzing the aforementioned factors and can calculate the estimated cost for developing your app.
High quality, relatively low prices and on-time delivery are what every business owner is looking for when hiring a mobile application developing agency.
Developing a mobile app involves varying costs depending on the app’s complexity, platform, and other influencing factors. Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect when budgeting for app development:
Cost Estimates by Complexity
- Simple Apps: $10,000–$50,000
Features: Basic functionality, minimal user interface, and no backend. - Average Complexity Apps: $50,000–$120,000
Features: Moderate design, integrations, and backend infrastructure. - Highly Advanced Apps: $200,000+
Features: Complex designs, multiple integrations, AI, AR/VR, or real-time processing.
Platform-Based Costs
- iOS Apps: $65,000–$400,000
Factors: App complexity, tools used, and team expertise. - Android Apps: $50,000–$300,000
Factors: Complexity, compliance regulations, and user requirements. - Cross-Platform Apps: $50,000–$500,000
Factors: Cost-effective but depends on functionality and tools used for shared codebases.
Key Cost Drivers
- App Complexity: Features like AI, AR/VR, or custom APIs significantly increase costs.
- Development Team Location: Rates vary widely, with North America typically higher than Eastern Europe or Asia.
- Design and UI/UX: Unique and interactive designs raise costs.
- Backend Infrastructure: Data-heavy apps require robust backends, influencing costs.
- Ongoing Maintenance: Post-launch updates and bug fixes are essential for app longevity.
USM Business Systems have an expert AI app development team to give you a correct estimate as well as build an app in your budget. We know this well, as we develop iOS apps, Android apps, AI apps and Web apps, for established firms and even startups across the world.
Please reach us! We are ready to make your vision into reality.
Let’s discuss