Everyone uses software products. From toddlers to grandparents, in one way or the other, almost everyone has used a software product. The number of mobile devices operating worldwide stood at almost 15 million in 2021! Today, software development permeates the entire world. You are reading this blog on a device whose lifeblood is software. It is no surprise that businesses invest in software development. But what is the cost? That is probably the single most important question to businesses intent on making wise business decisions. This article discusses everything that may affect the cost of app development in 2024 to help you estimate the cost of your app development.

Is App Development Necessary for Your Business?

Adding to the Statista report that put the 15 million number on the number of mobile devices, did you know that the number of mobile app downloads surpassed 200 billion in 2019? And there is no slowing down.
Along with mobile devices, there are other devices like tabs, laptops, and desktops. And we know that all of these function by the operating system. The operating system is a piece of software with lots of integrated functions known as software.
Individuals and businesses across the world depend heavily on software and enjoy many benefits. In this digital age, the software is essential to run different operations in transportation, electrical grids, and many other functions that offer the basics of life.
To the question “Is App Development Important?”, the answer is a resounding YES. Now to the costs involved.

App Development Cost Estimates For 2024

It is important to remember that app development cost depends on various factors. Mobile app development costs will be different than web app costs. The cost could also depend on the complexity of the app.
A small app with core features can be developed at lower rates. However, a complex app with intricate features will be expensive. Building a minimum viable product may cost less than $10,000. On the other hand, if you want an app that is compatible with both android and iOS platforms you will need a bigger budget.
App development cost also depend on whether you develop the app in-house or outsource it. Before you choose to develop it in-house you must ask yourself if your team has the necessary experience to take an app from design to delivery.
If you do not have the expertise on your team, it may ultimately end up costing you more in terms of lost work and demoralized teams. Otherwise, the best option is to seek out an external partner who can develop an app for you.
Read more: Top Technologies Used to Develop Mobile App
mobile app
Keeping all this in mind, is there a formula to calculate app development costs?

Top Factors That Drive App Development Costs

1. Based on the complexity of the app

A simple app might take hundreds of hours while a complex app might take thousands. These hours also depend on how efficient the developing team is.
A simple app includes basic features like a login screen, user account, admin tools, and so on. It may have limited integration with other apps. Thus, it may take about 3 to 6 months to develop.
Along with all the features of a simple app, a complex app includes features such as integrations, profile feeds, enhanced admin tools, media streaming, and more. Such an app would take 6 to 12 months.
The most complex of all is an advanced app. This includes multi-language support, versioning, lots of user customization options, AI and AR, and more. This could take somewhere between 12 to 24 months.

2. Based on region

You will find potential developers around the world, over various time zones such as the US, India, and Europe. Each of these areas has expert developers but their rates vary depending on their location.

3. Based on development stages 

The budget of the project starts to become clearer during the research stage. In this stage, you will be able to clarify your requirements and finalize goals and deliverables. You will also be able to assess risks and threats.
The next stage would be designed where the development team needs a clearer idea of what the app should look like. This stage will take longer and will be more expensive depending on the complexity of the user interface and so on.
During the development stage, each feature will add to the cost. The next stage of testing may require human users to ensure the correct functionality, and this will add to the cost. The final stage is maintenance and support. Bugs and unexpected behavior will need to be addressed; hence, it is important to budget in the final phase.
Watch now: How To Choose The Right Mobile App Development Approach

Top Ways In Which One Can Initiate Cost-Effective App Development

Are you wondering how you can get the app that you wanted in your limited budget? Here are a few tips that help you initiate a cost-effect app development.
1. Use software development kits wherever you can: Software development kits could trim weeks or months off your development schedule. Thus, reducing thousands off your development budget.
2. Find a vendor that can design and develop: Finding a vendor that does both designing and development can help you deal with communication problems and optimize workflow.
3. Get the MVP made: Getting the MVP made and testing on your users will help you identify what needs to be added. Eventually, your full-featured app will be ready. Besides, you will also learn how to optimize your budget.
4. Cross-platform development: Opting for cross-platform development can heighten your potential to reach a wider audience.
5. Do not rely on older operating systems: Just a couple of years older can make a huge difference. It is worth the effort to focus on consumers who keep up to date.

How Can Fingent Help Develop Top-Notch Apps On A Budget?

We at Fingent custom software development experts understand considering how much it costs to develop an app can be an overwhelming experience. How about a consultation with our expert to get a quote?
We assure you that we have the specialized skill and experience to build a successful and budget-friendly app. Don’t take our word for it. Have a look at some of our case studies.
As your technology partner, Fingent can bring your brilliant ideas into digital reality!
We have helped many businesses grow their business with our innovative, modern mobile app solutions. Take a look at our most success stories here!
We can help you too. Connect with our experts today!

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    About the Author

    ...
    Sreejith

    I have been programming since 2000, and professionally since 2007. I currently lead the Open Source team at Fingent as we work on different technology stacks, ranging from the "boring"(read tried and trusted) to the bleeding edge. I like building, tinkering with and breaking things, not necessarily in that order.

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      Mobile App Development – Complete Guide for 2025

      Introduction

      Mobile applications aren’t anymore a luxury or simply a channel to tout your business. More than 70% of our digital media time is consumed by smartphones today. Mobile apps claim 93% of the total time spent on a smartphone, while the remaining 7% of mobile time is consumed by web browsers. This proves why the demand for mobile application development services is intensifying year over year.
      A well-structured native iOS, native Android, hybrid, or cross-platform mobile app boosts your digital engagement, leading to long-term bottom lines such as unswerving customer loyalty and recurring sales. Though an astounding number of small and large businesses are experiencing the benefit of mobility, some are yet to build the right strategy. If you are planning to build a mobile app for your business or want to enhance your existing application, you’ve come to the right place.
      This blog covers the key aspects of mobile app development, including the development process, approaches, platforms, cost of development, and the tips to avoid failures and attain success with mobile app development. Let’s get started without further ado.

      What is Mobile Application Development?

      Mobile application development is the process of creating specific software applications that run on a mobile device (such as applications for smartphones and digital assistants), and utilize a network connection to work with remote computing resources. The development process involves creating installable software bundles, implementing backend services, and testing the application on target devices. In short, mobile app development is the strategic process of designing, building, and launching a mobile app successfully.
      The importance of building a business mobile app is growing rapidly as businesses across industries aim to meet user expectations and seek real-time, convenient ways to conduct transactions and access information. By the end of 2023, it is estimated that the total number of mobile app downloads will amount to 299 billion, worldwide.
      Data Source: Sensor Tower
      A well-structured mobile app helps you leverage all the benefits offered by the mobile device and the OS for which it is developed. The development process takes into account the limitations of mobile devices and allows you to balance cost with functionality.

      Top Mobile Application Development Platforms

      Mobile application development platforms bring together all the tools you would require to build your app from start to finish under a single umbrella, as a unified software offering. A mobile development platform saves your developer from juggling different software to complete various tasks involved in the development lifecycle. This prevents data loss and eliminates the risks caused by the wrong classification of data. Using a single software package to carry out the development process – from planning to UI/UX design and testing – saves your cost and time.
      Mobile application development platforms differ according to the operating system (OS) they cater to. Here is a list of the top mobile app development platforms:

      1. Android

      Sponsored by Google, the Android mobile OS is designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. As of July 2022, Android holds 44.46% of the mobile OS market share in the United States. The biggest advantage of Android OS is that its source code can be downloaded, customized, and distributed by anyone at no cost. The Android OS supports running multiple apps simultaneously on a single mobile device and offers immense flexibility to customize the UI during development to get the desired outcomes.

      2. iOS

      Unlike the Android OS that can run on numerous hardware brands, the iOS operating system is a proprietary software that runs only on Apple’s devices, such as iPhone or iPad. Developers can leverage the iOS Software Development Kit (SDK) to create mobile apps for Apple devices and distribute the apps through the App Store maintained by Apple Inc. As of July 2022, Apple’s iOS holds 55.22% of the mobile OS market share in the United States.

      3. Hybrid

      As the name suggests, a hybrid mobile application blends both native and web programming capabilities within a single application. It allows developers to build applications for multiple operating systems on a single platform. A hybrid application is written using the web technologies – HTML, CSS, and JavaScript – and then the code is embedded into a native application wrapper, which gives it the power of a true native application that can work efficiently on any native platform. Hybrid mobile development platforms are used by organizations that wish to reach a large audience base within a short time, so they don’t have to build two or more separate but similar applications for each OS type.

      Mobile Application Development Approaches

      Here are the top four mobile application development approaches adopted by businesses worldwide:

      1. Native Mobile Applications

      Native mobile apps are platform-specific applications developed using the programming languages, SDKs, tools, and frameworks provided by the platform itself. These apps are designed to run natively on the operating system (OS) of the device such as iOS or Android. As they are built to work on a specific OS or platform, native mobile apps are faster, more reliable, and offer offline capabilities.

      2. Hybrid Mobile Applications

      Hybrid mobile applications are built using standard web technologies such as JavaScript, CSS or HTML5. These apps combine the elements of both native as well as web applications. Some of the world’s leading apps such as Gmail, Twitter, Amazon, etc. are examples of hybrid apps. Developers can leverage plugins and APIs to integrate web technology with native app features. Hybrid mobile apps are faster to develop and easier to maintain.

      3. Cross-platform Mobile Applications

      A cross-platform mobile application works across platforms using a single code base which makes it compatible to run on different operating systems like Android, iOS, and Windows. A cross-platform app can be written using different programming languages and frameworks, but it’s compiled to run like a true native application running directly on the device’s OS. It’s easy to build and maintain cross-platform apps.

      4. Progressive Web Applications

      Progressive Web Applications (PWAs) present an alternative approach to traditional mobile app development by avoiding the need for app store delivery and installations. PWAs are cheaper, more secure, faster, and easier to develop. They operate via a browser, but act like native apps. PWAs provide users an “app-like” experience by leveraging a set of browser capabilities such as performing a background process, adding a link to the device home screen, and working offline.
      Each mobile application development approach has its own advantages and disadvantages. So, choose a method that matches your business purposes and strategy. Right choice helps you achieve the desired user experience and build the native features needed for your application.

      Top Mobile App Development Technologies

      Mobile app development technology refers to the various tools, frameworks, programming languages, components, libraries, and other technologies used to create applications that work on smartphones and portable connected mobile devices. Let it be native Android or native iOS, or a cross-platform app, you need to familiarize yourself with the leading technologies and frameworks that power your app.
      Here are some of the top mobile app development technologies that dominate the market in 2022:
      React Native

      React Native offers a best-in-class JavaScript library for building native user interfaces for your iOS and Android apps, using a single code base that can be shared across all platforms. It allows developers to iterate at lightning speed and create truly native apps without compromising your user experiences.

      Flutter

      This software is distributed freely to the users on a trial basis, usually with a limited-time offer. After that, the users are expected to pay if they want to continue to use this application software. Some examples of shareware are WinZip, SnapTouch, and Adobe Acrobat.

      Xamarin

      Xamarin is an open-source mobile app platform for the .NET which offers tools and libraries specifically for building apps for Android, iOS, tvOS, watchOS, macOS, and Windows.

      Swift

      If you are building something specific to Apple OS (native to Apple), Swift is the language to seek. Swift is a popular iOS application development language that offers advanced features with minimal coding that can be easily maintained. Swift is a powerful and intuitive language loved by Apple developers who use it for macOS, iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and so on.

      Ionic

      Ionic is a modern, open-source mobile development framework that offers seamless app UX across iOS, Android, and the Web from a single shared codebase. Ionic is built on top of Angular JS and Apache Cordova. Ionic is the easiest way for web developers to build, grow, and scale cross-platform mobile apps.

      Apache Cordova

      Apache Cordova is a free and open-source mobile development framework that leverages HTML, CSS, and JS to target multiple platforms with one code base. The framework is an ideal choice if you want to extend your application across more than one platform, without having to re-implement it with each platform's language and tool set.

      Sencha Ext JS

      Sencha Ext JS is a highly comprehensive JS framework for building data-intensive, cross-platform web and mobile applications for any modern device. It offers numerous enterprise-ready tools, components, and libraries to create stunning mobile and web applications.

      The list of mobile app development frameworks and tools is expanding day by day. To choose the right development technology for your mobile app, you need to consider factors such as platform feature support, speed considerations, cost of development, security risk, efficiency of the app, and after launch updates.

      Mobile Application Development Process

      With all the facts and trends substantiating the significance of business mobile apps in 2022, it is important to look at the mobile application development process step-by-step.
      Here is an overview of the mobile app development lifecycle:

      Mobile Application Front-End and Back-End

      Front-end and back-end are two interconnected core components of a mobile application.
      The mobile front-end (client-side rendering) is the visual and interactive part of the mobile application that a user interacts with, while the back-end (server-side rendering) stores, secures, and processes the data.
      Some of the key front-end jobs include web designing, UI designing, UX designing, and front-end development. Back-end developers create the services to process the business logic and access the database, cloud services, and file servers to render the app on the server-side.
      For applications where there is no interaction with a server, front-end and back-end developer roles can be performed by one person. For applications that require internet connection and interaction with a server, you need to hire separate developers for developing each component.

      End-to-end Mobile Application Testing

      To stay on top of competition in the mobile application market, you must test your application before starting the actual sprint. Here are nine steps to ensure the success of your mobile application:
      These steps of mobile application testing ensure efficient performance of the entire software system.

      White Paper

      Have you selected the right mobile app development approach? If not yet, download our white paper to learn more about native, hybrid, cross-platform, and progressive apps.

      How Custom Mobile Apps Help Grow Your Business

      Custom mobile apps are tailor-made applications created to address the requirements of a specific audience rather than a massive group of people. Custom mobile app development provides the functionality and features that plain off-the-shelf solutions cannot. Compared to pre-packaged, canned solutions, customized applications offer the following benefits:
      Custom mobile app development reduces your TCO by automating repetitive manual tasks, increasing employee productivity, lowering integration costs, and quickly accommodating new changes or processes. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), one of our prominent customers, reported an 80% increase in productivity and a 67% faster ticket resolution rate after Fingent helped them implement a mobile-based smart ticketing system.
      If you are looking for a tailor-made mobile app that can simplify your business operations and enhance your customer experience,
      take a look at our case studies.

      The Cost to Develop a Mobile App

      Mobile app development cost hinges on several factors. Arriving at a ballpark figure depends on whether you want to develop the app in-house or outsource your project to an external app development agency, or if you want to modernize your existing legacy system. Building an in-house team incurs additional costs, such as renting an office space, hiring new employees, and meeting hardware and software requirements.
      The cost of developing a mobile app largely depends on its features and functionalities. The price also hinges on various other factors such as the development team’s size, number of devices and platforms supported by the app, and more. Here are a few aspects that decide the cost of your mobile application.

      1. Features of The App

      Before starting the development project, find out what you expect the application to do. What type of features do you like to include? What are the different functionalities that you are planning to cover? Having more features and functionalities means paying a higher price to your developer. Make a precise list of features and functionalities you would like to include as it influences your app development cost.

      2. Different Devices and Platforms

      Regardless of the type of application you develop, ensure that your app is compatible with the latest and earlier versions of the device’s OS you are opting for. If your app has more screens, you will need better design and user experience to make your app easily navigable. So the development cost also depends on the device OS and platform selection.

      3. Native or Cross-platform Development

      Both native and cross-platform development methods have their own pros and cons, specifically with respect to the development cost. Cross-platform gives your mobile app a uniform look and feel across all the OS that you target and is highly reusable through multiple OS. A native app, on the other hand, offers 100% hardware support and allows you to access the inbuilt capabilities of a user’s device, without sacrificing on the design elements unique to the native platform.
      Native mobile app development cost is higher than cross-platform or hybrid due to its exceptional personalization features, speed, performance, and platform-specific advantages. However, if you want to launch a mobile app quickly at minimal development cost, a cross-platform approach is the right choice. In simple words, the cost of developing a mobile app differs on a case-to-case basis.

      4. In-house Development or Outsourcing

      Arriving at a ballpark estimate also depends on whether you want to develop your mobile app in-house or outsource your project to an external app development agency. Building an in-house team incurs additional costs such as renting an office space, hiring new employees, and meeting hardware and software requirements.
      When you choose to outsource your work to a mobile app development company, you can enjoy cost efficacy and competitive advantage. Consider the agency’s location, technical and industry expertise, previous projects, size, turnaround speed, and references from their clients before engaging them. You should also define the scope and complexity of your app and back-end scalability requirements before employing a third-party developer.

      More insights on mobile app development cost:

      Are you planning to develop a mobile application for your business? Explore our template and share your requirements with us. Our team will get back to you with a ballpark estimate.

      Five Reasons Why Mobile Apps Fail and How to Prevent the Letdown

      Though mobile application development technologies advance year over year, failure of mobile applications is a major concern for entrepreneurs. Only poorly-executed and ill-planned apps are subject to fail in the market. Here are five pitfalls you should avoid to prevent your app from losing out:

      1. Lack of Market Research

      If your mobile app does not address the needs of your target market, it will not enjoy sufficient downloads. Data shows that 80 to 90% of mobile apps downloaded are abandoned after the first use.
      The solution?
      First, do not rush into creating a mobile app just because your business needs it. Conduct a detailed market study to understand what your users actually need. Ask yourself, “Which solution should my app provide that my target audience needs?”
      To answer that question, you must define your target audience and analyze their buying patterns, online behavior, and overall customer habits. This will help you create a mobile app tailored to your goals and customer needs.
      Second, know who your competitor is. Do a competitor analysis to improve your mobile strategy and connect your idea with your target audience.

      2. Absence of a Robust Mobile Strategy

      A poor strategy can fail your app. It takes a bit of creativity and thoughtfulness to incorporate customer needs into a mobile app that can accomplish a specific task quickly and effectively. Proper goal setting improves your mobile app strategy. Here are some questions you can ask yourself:
      Clearly defined goals are crucial in mapping out a robust mobile app strategy.

      3. Poor App Design

      Users will ditch your app in the first eight seconds if they find your app’s design and usability unappealing. Substandard coding and outdated technology can cause epic failures.
      What can you do?
      Remember, great designs bring happy customers. Nearly 58% of iOS apps failed in 2021 due to insufficient testing. Smart mobile app developers take time to conduct several QA tests throughout the different phases of app creation. End-to-end testing ensures that your app is bug-free, user-friendly, and intuitive.

      4. Failure to Execute the Plan Precisely

      It’s common for new business owners to encounter aggressive competition, manage conflicting priorities, or run out of cash. How can you resolve these predicaments and launch your mobile app?

      5. Failure to Market Your App

      After all the hard work, it might still fail if you do not market your app rigorously. Here are a few tips to boost your marketing efforts:

      Tips to Build Successful Mobile Apps

      billion
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      According to a report from data.ai, the global app downloads reached 37 billion in the first quarter of 2022, with the biggest ever consumer spending on apps hitting a whopping $33 billion. The message is clear. There is hope for every mobile app. Here are three important tips to help you approach app building with confidence.

      Staying agile and responding quickly to the ever-changing customer needs take you to success, but it comes with a price. It is important to know when to be agile. So pursue realistic goals.
      It is good to be enthusiastic and optimistic about your product, but be wary of the risks and problems. Identifying the risks early will help you react faster and more accurately.
      Make your users feel unique and appreciated. Transparency and trust boosts genuine interactions between your application and its users. To achieve this, you can create a trustworthy rating or review system and a functional service system.

      Develop Your Mobile Application with Fingent

      As we enter the second half of 2022, it’s evident that mobile is the key to success. Investing in a mobile app is the most effective way to match your business model to your key audience’s behavior. If you are an influential enterprise with an active mobile app in the market, your mobile app growth strategy should focus on improving your existing product and deliver more value to customers.
      Fingent specializes in mobile app development and our experts can position your app for success, right from idea to launch. Leveraging insights from the above mobile app development tips and guidelines can help you get a leg up on the competition, cut costs, improve your brand’s visibility, and engage your customers in incredible ways. Contact us to know more.

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        About the Author

        ...
        Girish R

        Girish R, Programmer for 17 yrs, Blogger at Techathlon.com, LifeHacker, DIYer. He loves to write about technology, Open source & gadgets. He currently leads the mobile app development team at Fingent.

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          Concerned about app development costs? Here’s all you need to know!

          There will be more people with access to smartphones in coming years than with access to running water! Well, then there’s no questioning the fact that app development has become the need of the hour to capture the huge rapidly growing market. Investing in app development is valuable to establish yourself as an authority in your industry. As much as you would like to build an app, you might have many queries. One most pertinent question is: How much does it cost to create an app? This will be answered in detail in this blog. 

          How much does it cost to create an app?

          Some people think that creating an app requires a gigantic investment and that the cost of app development is an expensive affair. The truth is, not all types of apps require a princely budget. There is a lot of thought and work that goes into building an app from scratch, so the cost may vary. But looking into what is involved will help us make a fair estimate.

          It is important to understand that the cost to build an app depends on various factors like the type of app, the platform you choose, the design, and the number of pages required. For instance, an app that doesn’t require back-end features like an email subscription, calendar, or social login, and API integration will not need a huge budget. On the other hand, multi-lingual support, custom features, and real-time updates will need resources in terms of the development budget. Each app is unique and the cost of making an app is based on the time and effort required to build an app. 

          HackerNoon rates Fingent in the Top 20 when it comes to Mobile App Development Services. Our mobile team has years of experience working with a range of cost-effective mobile application projects. We’ve helped some of the world’s biggest companies create applications to enhance user experience and integrate new-age technologies. 

          What Are Some Major Factors That Affect the Cost to Build an App?

          Let’s look at some of the specifics that we need to consider, that may affect the cost of building an app. 

          1. Functionalities, Scope, And Features of the App

          The cost of building an app is going to depend on what you are trying to accomplish. Determining that will give a measure of clarity to the scope of the project. If the business is looking forward to a broader scope and returns from the app, it will have to be extensively developed with many functionalities. However, if the purpose of an app is to just establish a mobile presence and develop another channel to connect with end-users, then a limited feature app would suffice. When the goal and overall business purpose is clear to the development team, they will be able to accurately estimate the cost of developing an app.

          Read more: Mobile App Development: 4 Tips To Consider

          2. Number of In-App Pages

          Another vital factor that determines the cost of building an app is the number of screens in the app. The more the number of screens, the more extensive the work required from the designers and UX experts. More screens would also mean higher interlinking of pages through the app, which requires adjustment of conditions so that users can easily access any particular in-app page. Such complex apps demand more time and effort from app designers and developers.

          3. Platforms and Devices

          The complete cost of developing a native app for a specific platform is different from developing a hybrid app that runs on multiple platforms and devices. Further, the app development cost also depends on the type of device the app is developed for. 

          Making an app for devices running on Android, iOS, Windows, or Blackberry needs different sets of integration for each type of device. Additionally, supporting different generations of the same device can be another factor that increases the cost of building an app. iOS apps will need to be built to support the latest as well as previous iOS versions. The complexity of the Android market adds to the difficulty in determining a single standard cost of developing an Android app.

          Read more: White Paper- Choosing The Right Mobile App Development Approach For Your Business

          4. Type of App Development Team

          Based on the complexity of the project, the app development team may comprise a project manager, designer(s), developer(s), and quality assurance engineer(s). You also have the choice of opting for a basic team with a backend developer, admin panel designer, Android or iOS developer.

          5. Elements of App features

          • Third-party integrations: Mobile apps require third-party libraries, frameworks, and services. 
          • Backend development: Backend implements the app’s business logic enabling the exchange of data between the mobile and database.
          • Hardware components: Identifying the right approach for communication between hardware and software components will make a difference in the cost of building an app

          6. Database

          Apps that allow end-users to upload videos, photos, and submit comments or reviews take more time in development. This would increase the complexity of an app because the user’s information must be stored and made available for future use. Obviously then, the app development cost and time for database-driven apps would be more.

          7. Post-launch Expenses

          The total cost of creating an app includes the money spent on actual programming as well as post-launch maintenance and updates like cloud hosting, backend server maintenance, and app marketing.

          8. App Type

          Choosing the right type of application for the project will have a massive impact on the overall cost to create an app. Apps can be categorized as:

          • Web Apps: Web apps use a responsive design for smooth user experience across various screen sizes and operating systems.
          • Native Apps: Native apps could be more expensive because they are optimized for high performance on a specific platform.
          • Hybrid/Cross-platform Apps: This approach is best suited for the needs of a large audience across different platforms. The development and maintenance costs of this approach are lower when compared to the other approaches.

          Read more: Hybrid Mobile App Development: When and Why To Choose For Your Business?

          9. License and Legalities

          Businesses that want to protect app features that could be knocked off by competitors may want to obtain a Patent, Copyright, or Trademark which increases the cost of building an app.

          10. Support and Maintenance

          Adding new features and refining existing features of the app will cost you. This is unavoidable because technology is constantly changing, and new updates will have to be made for your app to function seamlessly. 

          Are you ready?

          As of August 2020, there are 3.50 billion smartphone users in the world. As mentioned in the outset, Cisco Visual Networking Index Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast says that there will be more people with access to smartphones in coming years than with access to running water. Additionally, App Annie forecasts that consumers will be willing to spend a staggering $157 billion on mobile apps by 2022, an increase of 92% from 2017. Now, these numbers should leave you with no doubt that you must make full advantage of this trend by building an app for your business. 

          However, having a great idea for an app is one thing but making it available to end-users is another. This guide detailed the cost of making an app, with varying features, technologies, platforms, and more for you to make an informed decision, but if you have any questions or you want to get started on building that app, give us a call

           

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            About the Author

            ...
            Tony Joseph

            Tony believes in building technology around processes, rather than building processes around technology. He specializes in custom software development, especially in analyzing processes, refining it and then building technology around it.He works with clients on a daily basis to understand and analyze their operational structure, discover (and not invent) key improvement areas and come up with technology solutions to deliver an efficient process.

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              If you are reading this blog article, chances are that you are either contemplating to have a mobile app built for your business or you are a developer wanting to know how much to charge for mobile application development. Either way, you must know the criteria behind the costing of the task.

              So what goes into arriving at a cost figure for developing a mobile application? Let us delve a bit into the details and find out.

              Project Priorities

              Every software has priorities in its objectives– High, Low and Medium. In the same way, you need to consider your priorities for mobile apps in the form of 3 criteria: Quality, Speed, and Budget. Behavior analysis has shown that only two of the three can be chosen to achieve a great result. Software firms or freelance developers claiming to design, develop a great mobile app for you in a very low turnaround time, at a low cost as well as with quality, sound too good to be true and hence, as a client, you need to be careful before accepting a proposal.

              Basis of Charging
              Mobile apps, just like any other software, need to be estimated in terms of effort required. For this, your requirements must be clearly defined and communicated to the developer. Always document your requirements because the cost of mobile app development depends on the number of requirements. A mobile app requirements doc comes in handy during mobile app development. Have a clear idea about what is required by your company, Before opting out for mobile development solution.

              After this, you need to strike an agreement as to the costing of the development effort – whether a fixed cost will be charged by the developer, irrespective of time spent by the developer. As against this, some developers charge on an hourly basis, in which case the final cost is determined by the number of hours spent by the developer on delivering the mobile app.

              Agile Development normally involves an hourly charge, whereas Waterfall model follows a Fixed Cost basis.

              Platform Specific Development vs. Cross-Platform/Hybrid Development

              native apps vs. web apps
              If you need your mobile app to be specifically developed for platforms, it might prove to be less expensive as compared to developing mobile apps for all platforms. For example, Android-specific development requires expertise in Java, whereas Windows and IoS require expertise in Microsoft Dot Net and Swift programming code respectively. Needless to say, if you need your app to be on all platforms, costs will escalate.

              Hybrid apps dramatically reduce development time and cost and combine the best of both worlds, using a common code base to deploy native-like apps to a wide range of platforms. It involves the “coding once and deploying everywhere (all platforms)”– but these still require expertise in the above programming languages in case of issues with deployment.

              Complexity in Design
              App Design
              If it is a general mobile app with no back-end server integration, hard-hitting features and has a simplistic design, you might end up getting it developed for a lower price. For example, apps with typical server components and API integration are more challenging and hence would spike up the cost, as against those not involving them.
              In short, the more features to be had in the mobile app, the more will it cost and vice-versa.

              Engaging the Right Expert

              This is necessarily a choice to be made if you do not intend to create the app yourself using popular online mobile app builders or programming it yourself. Services of a software development firm are going to be expensive, but you can assure yourself of an exhaustive app since most of such firms are professional in their development process and consider every nook and cranny for the targeted application.

              Getting freelancers to do the job is another option; this will bring down your development cost considerably, albeit with some disadvantages.

              To Round up….
              Mobile apps are a rage in today’s times. People are more inclined to open a website or an app on their mobile devices rather than on laptops or desktops. Over the last decade, we have been one of the pioneers in developing mobile apps which offer a rich user experience and user interface, by way of our high-quality standards in software development. Get in touch with us for a quote, now!

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                About the Author

                ...
                Vinod Saratchandran

                Vinod has conceptualized and delivered niche mobility products that cater to various domains including logistics, media & non-profits. He leads, mentors & coaches a team of Project Coordinators & Analysts at Fingent.

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