It’s essentially impossible to put a fixed price on building apps. “Building an app” is in some ways similar to, say, “improving your home.” There are just too many variables. What is the primary goal? Painting? Interior Decorating? Construction? Landscape Design? Plumbing? Energy Efficiency? Some combination thereof? And who are you hiring? What is the house like? How quickly do you need the project completed?
From a perspective of extreme generality, there is really no way to pinpoint an app’s development price. The only way to get decent idea on what your app idea might cost is to talk to a developer and get a free project analysis and quote. If you’re tinkering with the idea of building an app then you’ll want to find some kind of cost estimate to orient yourself by. Ultimately you’ll need to ask an expert, and there is nothing stopping you from shopping around when the time comes, but until then some research will help you get started. Here’s a quick overview of app development pricing, as well as some tips to keep costs down.
What’s a General App Cost?
As for a basic range, app development can start as low as $1000 for a 2 week project. That would be for a very basic app, perhaps simply fetching from an existing database to produce a content display. For some developers, that same app would cost 10 times more, it just depends on the company and how efficiently they operate. On the other end of the scale, complex apps can run you a couple hundred grand in development costs. These would be things like massive enterprise apps that connect hundreds of employees, or games using 3D physics engines or major online components. These high-complexity apps are notably more expensive, but tend to bring significantly more ROI.
Between these extremes there is a lot of variety. A “typical” app might run between 10 and 40 thousand, but it’s very difficult to say what a “typical” app involves. If you are generally utilizing established concepts (i.e. GPS tracking, social media, e-commerce) then the app might be called “typical” in that you won’t accrue major costs from developing brand new technologies. If you cram tons of features in, app cost will rise accordingly. If you trim off as much as possible, the price drops. The trick is to determine exactly what the app needs in order to succeed.
Getting an App Development Estimate:
Understanding potential app costs requires looking into a lot of technical questions. Which platform(s) is the app being built for? What kind of information will it need from the user or the device? If the app requires databases, do those databases already exist? Or is creating those backend resources part of the development requirements? What SDKs will allow the features you want? How much of the code will need to be entirely custom? Without answers to these and a hundred other questions, it is difficult to make even a basic cost estimate.
By talking with you and getting a precise understanding of what the project entails, SDI’s app strategists can give a fixed price for many projects. Keep in mind that this is still only an estimate for a final cost, since apps, like any other software, can be subject to various redesigns and added features. along the way which carry additional costs. Still, this is the best way to get a concrete number to plan around.
Another thing to keep in mind is that you don’t necessarily have to fund your project out of pocket. If you have an entrepreneurial idea with significant monetization potential you can can limit your initial spending to around $10,000 to create the resources you need to pitch the idea to investors (or perhaps even try a crowdfunding resource).
Going App Development:
When you decide to start the app development project, the first service required is design. This includes basic wireframes, screen designs, icon graphics, splash screen, color palettes, and more. Minimalistic designs are very popular, so you don’t necessarily need to spend months and millions on design, but it’s fairly normal to take a week or more even on relatively simple projects. The price of design will vary based on who you hire and how many screens and icons the app will have. If your developer also offers design services, you can save some time and money by keeping the project all under one roof.
You’ll have a lot of discussions during this time to finalize the app concept (features, design, monetization strategies, etc.). If your budget is tight, you’ll need to be able to decide what stays and what goes as early as possible. If a certain feature turns out to be a little too challenging to implement, you may want to hold off and add it in a later update.
While it’s certainly possible to introduce a new feature part-way through development, it is not at all recommended. The disruption it can cause to the programming process can end up costing you considerably more than those features would normally be worth and it can create setbacks that delay your project. Figure out your core features ASAP, ensure that you have feasible ways to implement them and the process will go smoothly with minimal hiccups and added costs.
The Important Extras.
Development itself is not the only investment you’ll want to make in launching a mobile app. Licensing fees or service subscriptions may apply depending on what your app offers, and there is always marketing to do. Even once an app is launched, you’ll likely want to continue investing money into it. Apps can produce revenue over long periods of time, and app updates are important to ensure your app’s longevity. You’ll want to make sure you have some backend support services as well, for managing any problems that arise.
In the end its hard to predict the cost of app development and the ongoing costs of owning an app. Once it gets launched, your app can start to produce significant profits, and I hope this post helps reveal how complex the cost of reaching that point can be. The good news is: apps work. Thousands of success stories confirm it, and the right developer can produce the app you’ve been imagining at a price that fits your budget. With dedication and some expert help you can have a profitable, quality app that won’t break the bank to make.
Author’s Bio
Sakshi Sharma is a mobility strategist at SDI. She spends most of her time working with businesses and entrepreneurs to build mobile strategies which help them take full advantage of a stellar app development partnership. She also blogs regularly here at Software Developers India to give you a peek inside the minds of app developers. Sakshi would love to hear your thoughts, comments, and struggles related to your experiences with apps and mobile app development. You can also connect with Software Developers on Google Plus, Twitter, Facebook orYouTube