How Much Does It Cost to Hire Someone to Build a Mobile App?

Many entrepreneurs and companies dream of developing a mobile app for their business. Nevertheless, the first question that pops into anyone’s mind is how much it will cost to have someone build it for them. The expenses required to create a mobile app range significantly due to its complexity, desired platform, design, and the developer’s physical location. This piece intends to delineate various components of mobile app development costs to provide you a perspective, especially if you’re looking to hire custom app development experts near me for tailored solutions.

1. Understanding Mobile App Development Costs

Prior to discussing the cost in detail, you need to understand basic concepts of mobile app development. Mobile app development consists of several phases, including planning, designing, actual development, testing, and deployment. Each of these steps has an associated cost, so in general terms, the more complex the application, the more expensive it becomes.

For starters, we need to determine whether you need a native mobile application or a hybrid one. In most cases, native applications tend to be pricier than hybrid ones since they are designed for specific platforms, like iOS or Android. The latter are built to operate on more than one platform simultaneously, so in some cases, these can be cheaper.

2. Elements that impact the price of mobile application development

The following list highlights the key elements that influence the cost of mobile app development: the type of mobile app, its complexity, the platform, its design, and finally, the mobile development location. Mobile applications with advanced functionalities like real-time streaming feeds, geolocation services, and interconnections with other systems are naturally higher in cost.

Now, let us analyse how the choice of platform influences mobile development pricing. The Android and iOS platforms have a direct influence in altering the price. iOS development generally tends to be a bit more expensive due to the design standards and development tools involved. Furthermore, if you wish to target both platforms, it is likely that you will require two different teams, thus increasing costs. These costs may rise further when incorporating API Integration Services in the US, which are essential for enhancing app functionality and ensuring seamless connectivity.

3. Kinds of Mobile Apps and Their Cost Implications

The categorisation of a mobile app to be developed influences the expenditure involved. Primarily, there are three categories: simple apps, medium complexity apps, and complex apps. Basic self-serving informational apps or static apps for all intents and purposes fall under the umbrella of simple apps and tend to be less expensive.

Custom user authentication, basic databases, and social media features contribute to medium complexity, making the applications more expensive. Complex applications such as those needing heavy backend integrations or real-time updates tend to be the most costly.

4. The Role of Mobile App Design in Development Costs

Alongside mobile app development, design is a key constituent. Mobile app design is divided into three levels of complexity: simple, intricate, and extraordinary. Increased sophistication in all three leads to more expensive custom mobile applications.

Template-based designs offer one of the cheapest, quickest options, but do not guarantee the best experience for users. Expect additional fees for one-of-a-kind polished styles, advanced animations, and more.

5. Development Team Size and Expertise

The size and depth of your development team directly impacts cost. Less experienced developers on a smaller team will save you money but will likely lack the required skills for more advanced work. A larger, more diverse team will drive your budget up, but ensure every part of your application is developed by professionals.

You can select freelancers, agencies, or in-house teams, all at different price points. While freelancers may be more economical, they do not have the same resources and support an agency or in-house team would have. Agencies charge more but provide complete service, including design, development, and post-launch support.

6. Team Development Location

The geographic location of the development team has a big influence on the total cost. Developers who live in lower-cost regions, such as Eastern Europe, India, or Southeast Asia, charge less than those from North America or Western Europe. While hiring developers from low-cost regions is good for the budget, there may be communication issues or time zone conflicts.

Conversely, North American and Western European developers will charge more for their higher quality work and faster communication. Cost becomes a balance against the quality of service needed.

7. Mobile App Development Pricing Models 

As with all services, mobile app development services are offered using a number of pricing models. Basing prices on fixed cost contracts and charging by the hour are the two most frequently encountered models. Fixed-price contracts are favoured when projects are already detailed since every piece of work is already scoped out from the outset. 

Pricing by the hour usually applies to work without a detailed scope or which undergoes perpetual changes. If the evolution of your app’s features or regular changes are destined to be the norm, the flexibility of an hourly rate can become very expensive in the long run. 

8. App Maintenance and Updates 

After building and launching your app, your work is only just beginning – or at least you have to put forth more cash further down the line. Ongoing maintenance, updates, or issues of functionality, security, or compatibility with the newest devices and operating systems are fundamental parts of the lifecycles of mobile apps. 

Approximately 15% to 20% of the original cost per year is the estimated figure for maintenance servicing. Upgrading functionality, features, or even fixing some troublesome bugs usually comes at an extra cost, on top of already expensive recurring charges. To them, this is essential expenditure for ongoing operational viability and user satisfaction.

9. Integrations with Other Services and Using Their APIs

Numerous mobile applications need an integration with social media, a payment system, or even an analytic tool. The price of the project will increase if such integrations require payment and are not available off-the-shelf.

Some APIs are available free of charge, some come at a price, while others charge on a subscription basis or per use. The cost of the development process will be higher with each added integration. Custom integrations will always require more middleware work, which inflates costs.

10. Quality Control and Testing

QA involves checking that the app performs fundamentally on a myriad of devices and platforms. Quality and control are essential processes in the development lifecycle, and for the area of testing, it can be tedious and require expertise if numerous platforms such as iOS and Android are in scope.

The expenditure for testing revolves around the underlying structure of the application and the extent of the checks being carried out to confirm all features are working. Corporations need to make a choice as to whether to implement exhaustive manual testing due to costs or use automated testing tools to reduce effort time costs.

11. Marketing and Launch Costs

In addition to building the app, the initial marketing cost is also critical to consider. Depending on the scale of the launch, costs from advertising campaigns, app store optimisation (ASO), and user acquisition can add up significantly. 

You can expect to spend anywhere from a few thousand to tens of thousands of pounds on marketing, although costs vary greatly with the audience. Nonetheless, some effective strategy needs to be put in place to gain and convert views to downloads.

12. Estimating Total Costs of Mobile App Development 

Based on the details discussed above, trying to put a ballpark figure for a mobile app without prior research is overly optimistic. A simple app ranges from £10,000 to £50,000, medium-complexity apps £50,000 to £150,000, and complex apps with advanced features typically start off from over £300,000.

It’s best to come with a particular quote in mind with a set list of features to get a clear estimate from respective development teams. As a note, investing in the right features that the user base would need will ensure high returns.

Conclusion

As mentioned previously, potential mobile app developers can charge you differently because of the mobile app’s complexity, targeted platform, and even the mobile app development company’s location. Make sure you carefully assess your app’s requirements so that you are not overspending or underspending in the budget for your business endeavours. Even though having a mobile app developed can be costly, it is still an investment that bears a lot of profit in the long run.