Apps run the world! They have revolutionised the way we live and work. From tracking the food we eat, right down to its macronutrients, to easily entering and analysing a variety of different data types. It’s no surprise more companies are sourcing app developers to create a competitive edge, improve customer experience and most importantly, streamline their workflow through app development.
With highly increasing demands, mobile application development has proven over time that it is truly worth the investment. Whether you’re looking to improve your customers’ experience or upgrade your internal processes, turning to an app developer for help is a smart business idea.
As many business owners look to digitise their offerings in the most cost-effective way, pricing is often the first consideration for mobile app development. That’s why we’re delving into everything you need to know about the cost of building an app, from the initial hiring of a development team to app maintenance.
Factors that determine your app development costs
Not all apps are built the same! Because the functionality of every app is completely different, there are so many factors that need to be factored in when you consider the price of app development.
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The app functionality and purpose - These are the capabilities you want your app to have and how your users will interact with it.
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Mobile devices - If your app needs to run on multiple operating systems such as iOS and Android or optimised for various devices such as iPhone 12, Samsung Galaxy S10 or tablets, the price will increase. This is because often a completely new app needs to be developed for each of these.
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Integration points - Your app may need to integrate with third-party systems to source content.
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User Experience (UX) and app visuals - This simplifies how your users interact with the app and determines the complexity of the visual experience. You should consider if you will be able to train users (internal) or if they need to intuitively understand it (external).
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Use of smartphone hardware features - Will your app harness a smartphone’s GPS navigation feature, or perhaps its NFC technology or Augment Reality tech?
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Security and privacy - Consider what type of data your app will collect and store. The more secure your app needs to be, the more expensive it is to develop, test and maintain.
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Hosting and maintenance plans - Much like a website, apps need long-term upkeeping. You will most likely need ongoing technical support from your developers. We’ll discuss this in more detail further in the blog.
Have an app idea you want us to quote? Get in touch with our app development team here.
Now that you better understand which factors impact the price of creating an app, we can get down to the numbers.
How much does it cost to build an app?
The price range of an app development differs based on the level of its complexity. Keep in mind we’re talking about industrial strength apps built with the latest technology. They include a reasonable amount of UX, security and performance-enhancing features.
The average benchmark for app development projects are:
Basic App Development ($40,000 - $60,000)
This app development level will give you the base features with elementary business logic and a simple User Interface (UI) without any custom elements. The app may also have a cloud database to store and retrieve information.
Medium Complexity App Development ($60,000 - $120,000)
Apps in this price range will include a few complex features, with intermediate business logic, custom UI elements and animations. It will also have cloud-hosted components and a few integrations.
Complex App Development ($120,000+)
If you’re looking for an app with an array of complex features and advanced business logic, your app will most likely cost more than $120,000. This will also give you a fully customised UI, advanced animations and other features requiring complicated architecture and multiple integrations. Apps priced above this range will meet high performance and security needs.
App Hosting and Maintenance Costs
The costs of your custom app do not stop after its development. You will need fixes for bugs, glitches and errors as well as regular updates. Business owners often forget this, but as consumer and market trends change, your app must also evolve and cater to their needs. If you’re unable to keep up with the constant change and growing needs of your customers, you risk falling behind your competition. That’s why maintenance and updates are such crucial aspects of the app development process and an important factor in its costs.
The cost for maintenance varies from business to business and depends on the size of updates needed. In general, though, app maintenance costs around 20% of the original app development price.
Mobile App Development at Lateral
With over 30 years of enterprise-level development experience, we live and breathe technology. We develop tailor-made mobile apps for businesses that require a robust solution and are seamlessly designed for iOS, Android, Windows, and Web applications. Our experience across these platforms means we can recommend the best one for your specific needs.
We are focused on delivering the best quality in every app development project, and we thrive off turning the most complex issues into a simple and effective solution. Because we are a local team of experts, you can easily reach us to communicate your business needs!
Reach a wider mobile audience and elevate your business with a custom mobile app. Get in touch with us today to find out how we can help turn your app idea into a reality.
