One of the most significant factors in determining mobile app development cost is what type of app you want to create and the functionality that you would like it to have. After all, developing an iOS app will cost more than developing an Android app and will take longer too, while a standalone application will cost more than an app with in-app purchases or subscriptions attached to it.
There are many reasons you might want to develop an app. You could want it to promote your business, to make things easier for your customers or even to make yourself more efficient in your daily life. When you do decide to create an app, there are many different factors that can affect the cost of the end product and how long it takes to complete.
In this article, we’ll discuss eight key factors that can impact the mobile app development cost and length of time to completion.
Why Should You Develop Mobile App?
It is important to build a mobile app for your business because it can help you increase traffic, improve customer service, and offer new features. However, developing an app can be expensive. If you’re on a tight budget, there are steps you can take to lower the cost of your development project. One of these steps is hire dedicated app developers who will only work on your project and not take up time with other clients.
Developing a mobile app is an excellent way to leverage technology to solve business problems. Mobile apps can help you increase your customer base and engagement, provide additional services, and streamline your operations. Plus, when a mobile app becomes popular, it’s often more profitable than any other type of software.
Top Factors That Affect Mobile App Development Cost
The cost of developing an app, also known as mobile app development cost, is a major factor that influences the success or failure of an app. As well as the app development time and hourly rates, the price is influenced by many other factors, including product complexity and post-launch maintenance costs.
A mobile app development team
The cost will depend on a number of factors including the complexity of your app’s functionality, the number of screens or modules you need, and other aspects that can affect development time such as localization or translation.
Of course, all of these details depend on your budget, but here are some basic considerations that you should keep in mind when pricing out your mobile app development.
Features and functionality
One of the most important factors that will affect mobile app development cost is the features and functionality you want to include. The more features and functionality you want your app to have, the more expensive it will be to develop. Other factors that will affect your mobile app development cost are listed below.
Additional features and functionality will also require additional development time, which can increase mobile app development cost. If you think that you’ll want more features and functionality in your app down the road, be sure to include that when estimating your mobile app development cost.
Customization of UI/UX design
One factor that affects mobile app development cost is the customization of UI/UX design. It is important to consider what the app will be used for and how it will function before choosing a design. For example, an app that needs to display data in an easily digestible way should have a user interface with minimal detail.
A lot of mobile app development projects will require a custom design or customization of a pre-existing template, so your development cost will vary depending on how much work needs to be done. The style and complexity of your app is affected by both its purpose and what users expect from apps within that category. For example, if you’re developing an app for use by teenagers, you’ll need a design that’s trendy but also functional.
Platforms
The cost of an app depends on a number of factors, including the platform you choose. Android and iOS have their own libraries and frameworks that need to be paid for in order to use them in your app. If your app is only available on one platform, then the cost will be lower than if it’s available on both. The design also plays a huge role in how much it will cost to develop your mobile application. The more complex the design, the more expensive it will be to create.
Assembling backend infrastructure
Developers need to assemble backend infrastructure, which includes the database, APIs and other functions that will support the mobile app. The backend is often built with a third-party solution like Parse or Firebase. This can be costly depending on the developer’s expertise, as well as what services they use.
The backend can account for 10 percent to 20 percent of mobile app development costs. For example, a startup that builds a chat app may have initial development costs between $10,000 and $20,000. A chat app with more extensive features could cost as much as $150,000 to develop. In addition to software licenses and developer time, startup expenses will include database setup and maintenance fees from third-party service providers. The monthly costs are typically based on usage level.
In-app purchase support and location-based apps
In-app purchase support is an important decision for app developers. It can provide another way for consumers to pay for the app and can be a potential source of revenue if done correctly. Location-based apps are also becoming more popular because they give the developer a lot of data that they can use to make better decisions and improve their app.
With in-app purchase support, consumers can pay for additional features within an app or to remove ads. It is a great way to earn money from your app even if you aren’t using it as a main source of revenue. Location-based apps allow you to know where users are located, which allows you to push out new content and features based on user trends.
Third-party integration
- Integration with existing systems, such as CRM or ERP, may require the integration to be customised.
- Integrating third-party software will generally increase the cost of developing an app.
- Third party integrations are essential in creating a truly mobile app that has a user experience that is consistent across all devices and functionalities.
App maintenance costs
The scope of an app’s features and the complexity of its design is one major factor that affects mobile app development cost. For example, games apps have a higher mobile app development cost because they’re designed to entertain people for a longer period of time.
The cost of maintaining an app can be unpredictable, but it will typically have a higher cost than the development itself. One way to calculate the maintenance costs is to estimate how much time you expect your team to spend on maintenance and multiplying that by the going rate for an hour of work. Remember that if you’re outsourcing app maintenance, you’ll need to take into account any expenses incurred during this process such as translation or research time.
Conclusion
The factors that affect the cost of mobile app development range from complexity and features to the company’s location. The best way to figure out your total cost is by reaching out to a few different developers and asking them for quotes, but these are some of the key factors you should consider when figuring out an estimate.
