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What Does it Cost to Develop a Mobile App?

By August 5, 2014Article

Every business would like to be available to its customers in the easiest and fastest way possible. The use of mobile phones is growing so fast it is now necessary for companies to go beyond desktops and stationary gadgets and hit the market with desirable mobile apps. The world of mobile apps looks quite posh and pricey. Is it? Let’s look at the factors figuring into the cost of building a mobile app.

Top cost factor: strategy

Mobile apps can transform basic, humble ideas into big phenomena and transform large and small businesses. The straight answer to what it costs to build a mobile app is that it largely depends on how much you have planned to invest in the mobile app development. And that depends on your strategy.

If you just want to present your already existing idea on a mobile platform, it will cost you less. But if it will be your bread and butter, the app must be built with that thinking in mind, and it will cost you more. 

Further, if you already have the complete idea on what you actually need, the cost will be based on just the technological help that you need in support.

However, if you require comprehensive concept architecture to be built based on detailed analysis and research on your basic idea, you need to hire a mobile app consultant and get your product conceived first with complete assortments and arrangements done for you. A reputed consultant will charge you anywhere between US$ 1,000 and $10,000 for developing your idea based on your requirements.

Cost impact of functionalities

In many cases, the number of functionalities in the mobile app will determine the cost to a large extent.

Deciding on the functionalities you want in your app is the very first consideration. The mobile app developer’s questionnaire generally asks how many platforms you want your app to be on. Features like push notification, in-app purchase, geofencing, Google Map and many other functional entities attached to them for each screen allows the developer to measure the cost to develop a mobile app.

If you want to quantify all the effort in cost, this could be measured along with the complete back-end development cost, which could range from as low as $3,000 to $30,000 depending on the length of the project and the number of functionalities used.

The UI cost

If the application’s UI is based on some original concept and you want to keep it unique, it takes a series of trials and those efforts count as cost factors. If you already have a design in mind and you just ask your developer to refer to some app that already exists to help him with the navigation flow, object modules, design elements and the screens and overall design pattern, it takes less time and of course costs less — at least somewhere around 30 percent less.

Going live

Once you are done with all that, going live is another cost factor. For Apple devices, for instance, you’ll need to establish an iTunes Connect account, which costs $99 for a year.

Bottom line

In the end, the cost increases based on the level of quality you desire. While a bare-bones app can cost you just $1,500 to $5,000, you could pay around $5,000 to $10,000 for a decent app. On the other hand, if you are serious with the app and have a farsighted vision associated with it, the cost can reach anywhere from $30,000 to $150,000.

As in other aspects of your business, there are many factors that add to the total cost. It’s important to keep in mind that the more you invest now the more you’ll get in return from the right mobile app built for you. Consider everything that comes in with the development offer and your strategy requirements.

Sumit Garg is project manager at mobile app development company MobilePhoneApps4u. He has over 10 years of experience in Web and mobile application development. He also provides hybrid mobile app development solutions to help clients in endorsing the best mobile strategy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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