One of the most common questions we get asked is “How much does it cost to make an app?”
In this article we explain different factors which influence app development cost, including features, platforms, external services and server costs. There are two kinds of ambitious entrepreneurs–there are those who decide whether to execute their idea depending on the cost of development of the product; and then there are those that put the product ahead of everything else. For those that must have their ideas executed and are as desperate to build their business as much as they want to breathe, they will always find a way to build their product irrespective of the current resources available to them.
Having said that, it helps to know your costs of building the mobile app right at the beginning so that you can make an informed decision of defining your Version One or your go-to-market strategy.
Pricing can be quite complex when outsourcing the development of your mobile app, thus making it important for you to understand the factors that influence the overall costs of development.
1.Features and Functionality
What functionality does the app have? What does it need to do, and what services does it need to achieve this?
There is a whole spectrum of potential features an app can have, for example:
- Social logins – e.g. Log in with Facebook/LinkedIn
- Camera/video/photo gallery integration
- User registration – users register their own accounts, by entering an email and password
- Augmented reality
- Calculator – your app performs calculations based on user inputs
- Payment for goods or services
- Loyalty programs
- Online reservations
- Calendar integration – e.g. saving events to the calendar
- Integration with wearable devices – for example integration with Apple Watch
- Social features – commenting, liking, sharing, reviews
- Game Centre Integration
- Health Kit integration
- Location based services
- Chat/instant messaging
Clearly, the more features an app has, the more costly it will be to develop. Also, all features are not created equal – some are more complex to develop than others. However some features can be provided by 3rd party APIs/service providers, which means they don’t have to be coded from scratch, which will save development time and cost.
2.Content Management System
Going one step further to the backend is to build a content management system or CMS. If your mobile app requires frequent update of content that has to be managed by you or the admin, it would require a content management system to be built in addition to the backend.
The CMS enables different stakeholders to add their content from the backend. For example, being able to add/update product information, pricing and product categories on an e-commerce mobile app, control algorithm parameters, etc.
3.Platforms
If you’re developing for Android, you’ll need to bear in mind that Android apps generally require more testing time. That’s because Android as a platform, is much more “fragmented” than iOS. There are many different handsets, handset manufacturers, screen sizes, and operating systems. For example, in 2015, there were over 18,000 different Android devices in the market!
Devices have various different screen sizes and resolutions. When making an app that has to work on devices with varying screen sizes, re-sizing of graphics and extra testing may be needed to ensure the app “looks” right on larger screen sizes.
With Android, the different manufacturers also have their own variants of the Android operating system. Google develop the operating system, but the large manufacturers then customise it so it works on their handsets. This means that the app needs to be tested on as many different devices as possible, to ensure that there are no operating system peculiarities.
Also, with Android, there is no “forced updating” of the device’s operating system. This means there are a lot of devices still running old versions of the operating system.
4.Maintenance
In short, every mobile app has an ongoing maintenance cost once it’s published – no matter who builds it. Our monthly pricing plans make it easier for you to predict how much your app will cost over time.
Once your app is published, you still have to create new content, track how your app is performing, and let your users know what’s new. If your app relies on a server to store information like user records, or payment history, you’ll also have to pay to manage this information.
Every app requires ongoing maintenance and content updates to keep users happy, engaged, and coming back for more. Depending on the complexity of your app, you can also incur additional costs for servers, emergency maintenance, push notifications, payment processing, and more.
So, how much does it cost to maintain an app, anyway?
The most accurate answer to how much your app will cost to maintain depends a lot on how it was built. You can save on upfront developments costs by going with a cheaper developer, but if your app isn’t designed to scale, you’ll run into much higher costs down the road as your app attracts more users.
When you’re using App Press to build, publish, and manage your app, most of your ongoing maintenance cost is covered with your monthly payment. Our mobile app software makes it simple to keep your app up to date, and we’re a less expensive option than similar app building companies and platforms.
Your ongoing monthly payment covers your app’s server costs, push notifications, and instant content updates. Here’s some more detail about App Press makes it easy to manage your app after publication.
5.Visual Design
The cost of mobile app design depends on what we mean by the term “app design.” Designing an app requires a broad range of tasks: user research, competitive audit, user experience design, interaction design, mobile app interface design, graphic design, app icon and logo design – and this is not even a complete list.
Any design is about problem-solving. Whether you’re creating a brand-new product or improving an existing app, to design an app means to solve a problem.
A lot of our clients look at what their competitors are doing and try to do something similar. They don’t even consider the possibility that the features they see might not even be effective. Blindly chasing competitors is a poor strategy. But trying to reinvent the wheel isn’t the best practice either.
Are You Looking For a Mobile App For Your Business in a Reasonable Cost?
Of the 5 factors covered in this article, the most important determinant of an app’s cost is the functionality and features required. The more features the app has, the longer the development time required. However, there are a number of other factors which need to be considered. If your app doesn’t have many features, but is heavily reliant on external services, storage and bandwidth, then the running costs of your app once live may soon exceed the development cost.
Do you have an app idea that you’d like a quote for?
Paying close attention to these 5 factors will help you get a better idea of what your app development budget should look like.
You want to assess all of your potential development partners based on these five factors. Some will score better in one area than others. Finally, remember that the sticker price can be misleading, especially with the cheaper, low-end development partners. The right app development partner won’t be cheap, but it’ll be well worth the cost.
We, Fusion Informatics in Bangalore, India are one of the top innovator of Mobile App Development Company with adequate investment in skills and technological resources. Contact us today to explore how we can help you with finding the right mobile app and implementing it.
Our other services are Mobile App developments includes iPhone and Android, and Cross platforms, and BlockChain development, Enterprise Mobility, Cloud solutions, Internet of Things and Machine Learning etc.
Our services also spanned over to other major cities of India such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Ahmedabad and other part of the globe such as UAE and USA. Contact us today and entitle a best deal!
Then this is the right time to contact us . You can reach out to us at [email protected] or you can call us +91 63610 54076. We’re sure we can take to the next level
