How Much Does It Cost To Make An App For Your Business?

When it comes to anything, there is a cost attached. Similarly, when you want to develop an app for your business, the first thought that pops up in your mind is how much does it cost to make an app? It is true that developing an app is not a cup of tea for every […]

How to Estimate the Cost of Developing Your Mobile Application

When it comes to anything, there is a cost attached. Similarly, when you want to develop an app for your business, the first thought that pops up in your mind is how much does it cost to make an app?

It is true that developing an app is not a cup of tea for every business, but the real question is whether you should make an app or not. Before making any final decision, let’s have a look at the benefits of having your own mobile application.

Benefits Of Having Your Own Mobile App:

All businesses are aiming to reach their target customer base so that the messages can be circulated among them. The best way to expand your business is through mobile applications. When you have an app, you come in contact with millions of users throughout the world who are always on their phones.

Here, we will answer the question…how much does it cost to make an app? We hope that this can give you a better understanding of creating an app for your business.

So, let’s begin.

What features can vary the cost of your app?

The first essential point for your applications is obviously the functionalities, namely all the uses that you will offer in your application for your users.

The cost of these features may vary depending on:

  1. Volume: the higher the quantity, the more costly the application will be.
  2. Development complexity: certain functionalities may require more development time because they represent increased technical challenges.

The intervention of external elements can also cause costs to vary. By interference of foreign elements, we mean any integration, connection, or interfacing with existing solutions.

It may be :

  1. Synchronization of your application with your website or an existing database.
  2. Integration of an external service (mapping service, connection facilitator, integration of payment solution, push notification, etc.).

Among the most expensive features:

  1. Payment tunnel.
  2. Synchronization with third-party APIs or services.
  3. Social interaction features comment, like, manage friends.
  4. Innovative features: machine learning, augmented reality, etc.

Technology: The Nerve of War

The technology (or programming language) for which you will opt for the development of your application will significantly fluctuate the cost of the latter. 

how much does it cost to make an app

Depending on the technical strategy chosen and the targeted distribution platform (Android or iOS), the development days may vary from one to two.

For those who are not proficient in mobile, here is a summary of the four prime families of technologies used :

1. Native Language:

It is the traditional language of mobile application development that is pushed by Apple and Google. The native language is the most efficient because it has been thought and created to perfectly meet the needs of the devices (normal since it is created and pushed by the manufacturers). 

For some applications, you will have no choice but to use these technologies, which allow the creation of complex and platform-related functionalities. 

In case you want to create an application only on an iOS or Android platform, do not deprive yourself of the power of these technologies, which are often discarded, because of the cost of the “multiplatform”. 

Native technologies include Swift for Apple, Kotlin for Android.

2. Hybrid Web Language:

Introduced in 2009, hybrid web languages ​​make it possible to create mobile applications using integrated web views, while benefiting from bridges with certain native functionalities of the platforms: access to contacts or the calendar, push notification.

The interest of these technologies is to partially share the code between three platforms: iPhone, Android, and the website.

Before choosing this technology, you should check the feasibility of the features you want to integrate and the durability of the desired application. 

3. The Native Hybrid Language:

Introduced in 2013. The native hybrid languages ​​promise mobile applications closer to native possibilities, with interface possibilities very close to native technologies. 

The advantage of these technologies is that it directly uses part of the native components. Thus, the performances are better than for the web hybrid. 

We find as technologies: React Native, Xamarin, Flutter.

4. The PWA or Progressive Web App:

This new type of apps has been very famous lately. A progressive web app (or PWA) is a web application developed with web development languages ​​(HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript.) and executed from a web browser.

Its operation is very close to what a vintage application (downloaded from a store) could offer. 

Design: an aesthetic that comes at a cost

Regarding the design of your application, in terms of UX and UI, everything is possible! But just because your imagination is limitless doesn’t mean that the development behind it will also be crystal clear. 

The more precise design details you want (custom views, non-standard navigation, animation, transition, etc.), the longer the development time will be. 

So be careful with the templates and other attractive designs that you will find online (on Dribble or Pinterest, for example), which will often belong to develop and more expensive to produce.

Additional Costs to be Expected

Finally, in addition to development costs, it is significant to anticipate recurring costs, such as:

  1. Maintenance of your application. The more users you have, the more it will cost you and, depending on the technology used, it may cost you more (hybrid more costly than the native, for example). This maintenance is divided into two main types:
    • corrective maintenance: your service provider treats any anomalies that may occur during use or on minority versions of platforms (ex: iOS13.2 is a minority version of iOS13),
    • scalable maintenance: your service provider manages new features on the app over the long term.
  2. Upgrades of annual versions: for the application to always be compatible with the latest version of the OS of the various terminals, updates to your app must be necessary.
  3. Subscriptions to third-party solutions if you have integrated them (push, payment, mapping, etc.)
  4. The server
  5. Supervision and monitoring of your services

You will understand by reading this article, the cost of your app depends on an immense number of parameters. Price ranges can vary from 7,000 to 500,000 euros.

Only a clear and precise specification will allow you to have the most refined and realistic quote possible.

At Intelvue, we take very seriously to provide you with the most precise quote possible, transparently, and without hidden cost. Today, dozens of customers have trusted us and who prove their loyalty to us every year.

Contact Us To Budget Estimate For Your Application

Understood how to estimate the cost of your app? Do you need a budget estimate for your application? Contact us! We will be delighted to be able to accompany you.