Nearly everyone has a smartphone nowadays. Mobiles usually come preloaded with some apps. Users can download free or paid apps from the Google and/or Apple play stores. There exists a huge market for different types of mobile apps. You may have a brilliant idea for an app. But you may not know the total cost of an app that fulfills your unique and specific requirements as well as preferences. In this blog we explore the cost of developing mobile apps in 2024.

The main mobile operating systems in the market are Android and iOS. Android accounts for around 70% of the market while iOS has 28% market share. Note that iOS is restricted to Apple smartphones. Android is adopted by several companies such as Nokia, Samsung, Google, and others. As per Business of Apps currently the Apple App Store has a collection of 2.2 million apps whereas the Google Play Store has 3.3 million apps.

Complexity of the App

Basic features such as login feature and dashboard are relatively cheap. It will cost you more for additional features such as payment gateway and social media integrations. Cutting-edge technology includes Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence which are relatively expensive and will drive up the overall app development cost.

• Type of Platform

The first step to develop an app is to decide on a platform. Available options are Android, iOS, Web, and cross-platform apps. If you have a limited budget, it is recommended to choose any one platform. Subsequently if you can afford it, you can aim for multiple platforms. Below is a table providing the rough cost of different types of apps.

Native apps work only on one platform either Android or iOS. They make maximum use of the device’s power, hardware, and features. The drawback of native apps is that they cannot be used by users of the alternative platform. Cross-platform apps work on both platforms. The drawback is that they do not have the high level of performance that native apps provide. The advantage is they can be used by all mobile users. Web apps run on web browsers and have the same look and feel provided by native apps. Cross-platform apps are cheaper and faster to develop compared to native apps. 

1. The length of the development process

You get an idea of how long the app development will take only when you are executing it. Attrition, inflation, mistakes, budget constraints can alter the estimated length drastically. So, if you are paying hourly to the development team members your cost will rise. An exception is when you have a fixed price contract in place. Below is the approximate cost of the different stages of the app development lifecycle. 

2. Location Matters

The cost of developing an app depends on the location of the developers. If you have developers from the US or Western Europe the cost will be on the higher side. On the other hand, if you have India based app developers, the app development cost will be less. The below table gives the developer rates as per geographical location.

3. Type of Technology Leveraged

Another cost factor is the programming language, frameworks and databases used. The technology stack varies in cost depending upon the performance offered, how new is the technology and how comfortable it is to use. It is advisable to use open-source technologies as far as possible as this step will bring down the app cost. 

4. Type of Personnel Required

If it is a very basic app, the development can be done by an individual. As the size and complexity of the app increases the number of team members and responsibilities change. Roles include project manager, technical architect, quality analyst, UI/UX designer, programmer, tester, and others. You will have to pay salaries if you have the team members as full-time employees. Salary depends on position, qualification, years of experience as well as the level of expertise. Freelancers can do the job but they may leave in between the project leaving you high and dry. If you opt for an in-house team you need to pay for office space, monthly salaries, hardware, software licenses, cloud provider if need be and perks of full-time employees such as paid leave, medical insurance, and others.

Why CoffeeBeans?

For your knowledge, we are based in India and have implemented diverse app development using different technology stacks. So, we have a pool of talented and skilled app developers and other personnel doing their job at an economical rate. Our outsourcing model has matured over time. So, constraints such as different time zones are kept minimal. Even though we are based in India, our clientele is global. Our staff communicate fluently in English, the world’s preferred language for business and commerce. Along with tech expertise, we have experts with different domain expertise. Reach out to us to know how best we can meet your expectations in terms of quality, performance, and speed of delivery.