“Everything has an app for it” is one phrase anyone has heard at least once. That’s true! Whichever the reason, for social networking, e-commerce, health and fitness activities, whichever the application, they are part of life now.

An application is not just an idea, but an idea that allows it to consume some built matters. The cost of creating an app might vary greatly depending on several factors.

So, how much does it cost to develop an app? For the most straightforward app that contains a login screen, a user profile, and a limited dashboard, you must be prepared to fork out between $5,000 and $50,000. The cost goes up as the complexity increases. A mid-level app should cost between $50,000 and $120,000. 

That’s not all. We have something more in store for you. Let’s get right into it!

How Much Does It Cost To Develop An App: Cost Breakdown

For customers, especially those who do not have an in-depth understanding of the industry, application development may seem like a lot of money. However, the picture is not so straightforward with the first figure agencies give as a quote. Now, let’s strip it down to its core parts and examine how that contributes to the total cost.

App Features

The features of the app being developed will be valuable to users. You can also refer to them as functional concepts or approaches to satisfying users’ demands.

For instance, a healthcare application that enables users to video call and manage their medicine orders has more functions than a simple clock application. The lower end of the app development cost is where you get a rough simulated predictive design for the software, ranging from $30000 to $50000, but with higher functionality, apps may cost more than this.

App’s Functionalities

The difficulty of the features placed on the app will dictate the cost incurred in app development. Developing a simple to-do ‘bill’, namely a basic list app, will be much less complicated than developing an e-commerce app complete with all the shopping cart, payment, and customer review features.

The cost of making middle-level or moderately complex apps will range between $50,000 and $200,000. Some complex apps with several features, such as logistics management apps and games, can cost between $80,000 and $350,000.

Intended Platforms And Devices

The cost can also vary depending on if you decide to choose iOS and Android, respectively, or the two. While building apps designed for a given OS offers better outcomes and more customization, it may cost more.

Proprietary applications are expensive, especially if you know the number of devices you will create them for. At the other extreme, you can avoid this expense by developing one such application that works around both mediums, which could be anywhere from $20,000 to $60,000 for very basic apps.

More advanced applications may begin at $80000 and reach up to $350000, while middle-tier applications supporting a few devices may fall between $50000 and $200000.

Prepare For Preventive Measures

However, the development process is not completed once your app is ready. Patching bugs, improving the software, and maintaining compatibility with new OS releases are other concerns that must be addressed.

This yearly cost, which will be incurred as normally plannable maintenance, may increase the recovery rate of new development expenses by about 15-20%. Furthermore, beyond the $100,000 in development costs you are already expected to bear, the additional annual maintenance cost will range from $15,000 to $20,000.

If any investment is made in a maintenance plan, the application continues to function normally and has users. Many often overlook this when making the budgets of the development lifecycle, which is very similar to the one that affects project metrics.

How Much Does It Cost To Build An App Based On Development Stages?

Knowing the potential budget for app development at every instant appoints you on how best to manage the resources at hand. Time and cash are needed at every point in the process, such as planning and research and then moving on to designing, developing, testing, and deploying. If you want to have a clearer understanding of the cost that one incurs in the development of an app, below is the detailed cost breakdown by design and platform.