With the multitude of emerging technologies that lie ahead, there is no doubt that the innovations of 2023 will have a vast influence on how our day-to-day lives operate in the future. On top of this, the world of mobile apps proves to be even more promising this year! This life-changing technology is a manifestation of our creativity— the epitome of human ingenuity if you will.
With that said, apps have continued to evolve so much that they have become an integral part of a business’s success. In fact, the population of mobile phone users and penetration levels in Australia are continually rising, with a penetration level of 80.9 back in 2017 projected to increase to roughly 86.3% in 2023. Mobile app usage will mirror this upward trajectory, continuing to shape the digital landscape of Australia. For businesses, that means staying up to date with the ever-evolving demands of consumers. To do this, they must adapt their business offerings to mobile app platforms and ensure that they keep up with tech trends.
Here at Lateral, we monitor the tides of change to ensure we can continue to cater to the different target markets of different businesses across various industries. Check out our blog on the top tech trends to look out for in 2023 here.
Now, custom apps are an investment that is proving paramount to every business looking to expand and evolve with our modern world. The number one question of every business looking to join this new wave tends to be the cost of developing the app. There is a never-ending list of sources and estimates out there but fret not, we’ll save you the research time with a no-nonsense cost explainer.
Read on as we explore the price ranges of dierent apps, along with other factors that determine the overall cost of development, to help you understand your app development budget.
How Much Does it Cost? App Development Cost Breakdown
When it comes to determining a mobile application development cost estimate, it ultimately depends on the proposed app's size, complexity and app features. Though there are many variables to factor in, which we will get into, the figures below are simply an average benchmark of mobile app development costs.
Basic App Development Cost ($50,000 - $125,000)
This app development level will give you the basic 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 Cost ($125,000 - $200,000)
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 Cost ($200,000 +)
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 $200,000. This will also give you a fully customised UI, advanced animations and other features requiring complicated architecture and multiple integrations. Complex apps priced above this range will meet high performance and security needs.
What Are the Factors that Determine the Cost of Creating an App?
To build a more accurate estimate, here are some of the key factors to consider that will determine the overall cost of developing your app:
The app's functionality and purpose
These are the capabilities you want your app to have and how your users will interact with it.
Mobile devices
If your app needs to run on multiple operating systems such as iOS and Android or be optimised for various devices such as iPhone 12, Samsung Galaxy S10 or tablets, the price will increase. This is because the mobile app development process will need to be repeated for each of these operating systems' own native apps i.e. iOS and Android apps. However, at Lateral, we oer Cross-Platform App Development that enables you to create and deploy mobile assets that work on both iOS and Android without the hassle of recoding for each platform. Save your time and money, and learn more about building a cross-platform mobile app here.
Integration points
Your app may need to integrate with third-party systems to source content.
User Experience (UX) and app visuals
This focuses on 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).
Use of smartphone hardware features
Will your app harness a smartphone’s GPS navigation feature, or perhaps its NFC technology, or Augmented Reality tech?
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.
Hosting and maintenance plans
Much like a website, apps need long-term upkeep. You will most likely need ongoing technical support from your app developers, which will incur app maintenance costs.
Why Choose Lateral for App Development?
With over 30 years of enterprise-level development experience, we live and breathe technology. Our app development team create tailor-made mobile apps for businesses that require robust solutions and are seamlessly designed for iOS, Android, Windows, and Web applications. Our experience across these platforms means we can recommend the best approach for your specific needs.
We are focused on delivering the best quality on every app development project, and we thrive on combatting the most complex issues with simple and eective solutions. 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.
