In short: the price of a mobile app is set by its features, not by the platform. A focused app with accounts, a few core screens and a simple backend costs far less than one with payments, real-time chat or AI. Building for iOS and Android at once with React Native avoids paying for two apps. Plan for running costs too: app store accounts, hosting and updates.
"How much does an app cost?" gets answers from a few hundred dollars to several hundred thousand. Both ends are real. A template app with your logo is cheap. A product like a banking or ride-hailing app takes large teams years. Most business apps sit between, and their price comes down to a handful of decisions you control.
What drives the price
Every feature has to be designed, built, connected to a backend and tested on both platforms. These usually matter most:
- Number of screens and user types. An app for customers only is simpler than one with customers, staff and admins who each see different things.
- Accounts and data. Sign-up, profiles and saved data need a secure backend and database.
- Payments. Card payments, subscriptions or in-app purchases add work and careful testing.
- Real-time features. Chat, live tracking and live updates need more engineering.
- Device features. Camera, location, offline mode, push notifications and Bluetooth each add effort.
- Integrations. Connecting to your CRM, booking system, accounting or AI models.
- Design ambition. A clean, standard interface costs less than custom animation and illustration.
Native, cross-platform or web app?
A native app is built separately for iOS (Swift) and Android (Kotlin). It suits apps that push the hardware, such as games or heavy video, but means two codebases to build and maintain.
A cross-platform app, built with React Native or Flutter, uses one codebase for both platforms. For most business apps users cannot tell the difference, and it costs much less to build and run. This is how we build mobile apps.
A web app runs in the browser and can be added to the home screen. It is the cheapest option and works well for tools people use occasionally, but it has limited access to device features and is not listed in the app stores.
Typical price levels
| Type of app | Examples | What it usually includes |
|---|---|---|
| Focused app | Booking, loyalty, simple tracker | Accounts, a few core screens, a simple backend and admin panel |
| Business app | Marketplace MVP, client portal, fitness or health app | Several user types, payments, notifications, integrations |
| Complex product | Real-time, AI-heavy or regulated apps | Live features, AI, compliance work, larger backend |
For reference, our mobile apps start from $3,000 for iOS and Android together, including the backend, an admin panel and app store submission. Each app gets a fixed quote after a free call, because two "simple" apps can differ a lot.
The running costs to plan for
- App store accounts: Apple's Developer Program costs $99 a year, and a Google Play developer account a one-time $25.
- Store commission: if you sell digital goods or subscriptions inside the app, Apple and Google take a commission. Physical goods and services, such as bookings or deliveries, can usually use your own card payments instead.
- Hosting and services: the backend, database, file storage, email and push notifications. Small at first, growing with users.
- Updates: iOS and Android change every year. Apps need regular updates to keep working and stay in the stores.
How to launch for less, without cutting corners
- Start with the core journey. Launch the one thing users must be able to do, then add features based on real use.
- Build once for both platforms with React Native, rather than two native apps.
- Use proven services for logins, payments and notifications instead of building them from scratch.
- Reuse what you have. If you already have a website or web app, its backend can often power the app too.
- Agree a fixed price for a written scope, so you know the cost before work starts.
Why some quotes are much cheaper
When one quote is a fraction of the others, check what is missing. Common gaps:
- No backend. The quote covers the screens, but not the server, database and admin panel the app needs to work.
- One platform only. iOS is quoted, and Android is "phase two" at the same price again.
- No store submission. Preparing listings, privacy details and passing Apple's review takes real work.
- No testing on real devices. Apps that work in a simulator can still crash on older phones.
- The code stays with the developer. Without the source code and store accounts in your name, every future change depends on them.
A higher quote that includes all of these is often the cheaper app.
How long it takes
Time and cost go together. A focused app usually takes a few weeks from agreed design to store submission. Business apps with payments and several user types take longer and are best released in milestones you can test on your own phone. Allow a few days for Apple and Google to review the app before it goes live. Our guide to how long a web app takes explains the stages, which are much the same for mobile.
Questions to ask before you get quotes
Write down who will use the app, the three to five things they must be able to do, which systems it must connect to, and whether you need iOS, Android or both. Quotes based on that will be comparable, and you will see quickly who has understood your idea. If you are weighing who to hire, our comparison of marketplace freelancers and dedicated teams may help.
Planning a mobile app?
Mobile apps for iOS and Android start from $3,000 with us, including the backend and app store launch. Tell us your idea and we will send a fixed quote with milestones.
Get an app quote →