The Costs of Developing an App

From the moment an idea ‘cracks’ to the launch of the application, there are several costs that can be incurred. This article will walk you through some of them so that you have a better understanding of what to expect.

How much does it cost to develop an app? It’s a question that has no one answer.

An app is a complex, multifaceted product that can require years of planning and work to design and develop, not to mention the costs of maintenance and updates over time.

If you’re considering developing an app, it’s important to have a general idea of what you’ll need in terms of money you’d like to spend.

This article will look at some of these costs, as well as ways that your company can save money on these expenses.

Let’s get started!

How much does it cost to develop a Mobile app?

To be honest: it depends.

Because of the vast number of variables that go into creating an app, there’s no way to put an exact number on how much it will cost to make an app.

However, if you’re looking to ballpark an approximate estimate for designing and developing your app, the following costs are a few of the many variables that go into making an app:

Design and Development:

The biggest expense is usually going to be the design and development of your app. You have basically two options here: go at it alone or hire a mobile app development company. Doing it yourself means you can save some money by doing it this way, but it does require some programming knowledge. Hiring a mobile app development company means you’ll get the help of experienced professionals, but it’s going to cost you. The average cost of reliable app developers in Australia is $70-$100 an hour.

Maintenance and Updates:

Once your app is live, you’ll need to pay for updates as well as maintenance costs in order to keep your software running smoothly; this can mean server fees, bug fixes, etc. The amount you’ll need to budget for these expenses depends on the scale of your app and how many users you have. For example, server fees can range from $10-$10,000 every month.

Marketing Costs:

Your marketing costs are going to depend on the type of app you’re looking to develop – a free or inexpensive app? A paid version? If you’re looking to do any kind of advertising, this is going to factor into your marketing costs. App owners should be prepared to spend around $500-$1000 per month on marketing campaigns at the very least.

Third Party Services/Tools:

The costs of developing an app don’t end when your software goes live. There are also going to be costs associated with third party services and tools that your app will need. Features like push notifications, system email, chat and some APIs can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars.

Putting it all together:

A simple app -with minimal features – will likely cost between $45,000 – $80,000 to make;

A mid-range app, with more features and capabilities will likely cost between $80,000-$120,000

And an app with a lot of complex features and capabilities will cost over $120,000.

Factors that Influence App Development Costs

The platform you’re using

There are a lot of different platforms that range from inexpensive to quite expensive. You’ll need to spend more to develop for Android than you will for iOS.

The Type of App

If your company is interested in developing a feature rich product like a game or entertainment app, this is going to cost you quite a bit more because these types of apps require specialized programming and design skills (and spending time on the fun stuff like graphics).

According to this blog post app development cost depends on the complexity of the app. Developing simple apps can be done relatively inexpensively while the most complex software requires extensive planning and development before any coding even begins. It also depends on how many features/functions you want your app to have.

 The size of your Development Team

Your budget is going to be influenced by the number and skill level of developers you hire, as well as how many hours they work each day.

Location

The cost of hiring app developers will vary depending on where you’re located – for example, the average hourly rate in Australia is $70-100 while it tends to be cheaper when you hire abroad from Eastern Europe or Africa for example.

Tips on Reducing Costs of App Development

• If you’d like to develop an app but don’t necessarily need a fully functional version all at once, some features can actually be developed over time based on user feedback or preferences. This means that instead of paying for everything up front, it’s cheaper in the long run because these costs are staggered out over time – which gives your company more flexibility when it comes to financing this type of project. Plus, there will always be some features that are more important than others.
  
• Put together a solid business plan: This doesn’t have to be anything complicated, but it should include some financial statements so you can figure out how much money your company will need for app development costs as well as the amount of time you anticipate the project taking before everything is ready to launch. You’ll also want an idea of what kind of budget you’re working with – this way, there’s no surprises down the line if new expenses pop up or additional funds are required.
  
• Get started on your marketing campaign early: If you know which platform(s) and target market(s) that your app is aimed at, start creating social media posts about it now (even if they’re just simple graphics). This will get the word out there and establish a strong following so you have an audience to launch it with.
  
• Hire only the best: You don’t want your app project to go over budget or fall apart because one of your developers isn’t experienced enough (or doesn’t work well within your team). There are plenty of great, reputable companies that specialize in creating apps – make sure they’re on board before signing any contracts and talk about their experience developing similar software/apps if possible.

Conclusion:

The costs associated with developing an app can vary greatly depending on what platform(s) you plan on using as well as how complex your project is going to be. Additionally marketing expenses play a huge role in how much it will cost to launch an app successfully.