Mobile App Development

App budgets are kind of wild. Depending on what you're building, you could spend $10k or $400k.

Simple stuff—like a calculator app or basic to-do list—costs $10-50k and takes a few months.

Need user accounts, some API work, and actual database stuff? Now you're talking $30-150k. Fitness apps, online stores, that kind of thing. Half a year of work.

A full-on social platform or anything with payments and real-time features? Yeah, that's a $150k minimum; it could easily hit $400k. It takes close to a year, sometimes more.

Here's the kicker - after launch, you're not done paying. Maintenance, updates, bug fixes, server costs... figure another 15-20% yearly. So that $100k app? You're dropping $10-20k annually to keep the lights on.

Why is it so expensive? Usually, it's feature creep, or the need for both iPhone and Android versions, heavy backend infrastructure, payment gateways, and custom animations and design work.

Honestly, don't build everything at once. Launch an MVP - the bare minimum to test if anyone cares. Then, add features based on what people actually use. I've seen too many companies blow $200k building stuff nobody wants.

What are you thinking of building? We can ballpark it for you.

How long does it take? Well, it's not a simple answer.

A basic app - nothing fancy, just some screens and simple functionality- takes 2-4 months to develop. There is not much backend stuff going on.

Once you start adding real features, though, like user logins and integrations with other services, you're looking at more like 4-6 months. At that point, there's actual database work.

Big, complex apps can easily take a year - sometimes more. Think real-time messaging, heavy security requirements, and tons of moving parts. The timeline keeps growing.

The process usually goes like this: spend a few weeks figuring out what you need and planning it out. The design phase is a month and a half, consisting of wireframes, visual stuff, and user experience. Then you hit development, and that's where most of the time goes. It could be 3 months, or it could be 6, depending on complexity. After that, you test everything for a few weeks, fix bugs, and ensure it works on different devices. Then, getting it into the app stores and launching it takes another week or two.

What makes projects drag on? Building for both iPhone and Android adds a huge chunk of time, like 30-50% more. Changing your mind about features halfway through. Dealing with regulations like HIPAA. Complicated integrations. Or just having a small team that can't move as fast.

One thing that helps is that if you need both platforms, use React Native or Flutter. This will save you from building two separate apps.

Want us to map out a realistic timeline for your project? Let's talk.

Running costs? Yeah, people always forget about those.

Simple apps run about $500-2k monthly. Medium complexity bumps to $2 - 5k. Big apps with serious traffic? $5 - 15k+, sometimes more.

What are you paying for? Hosting is the big one - scales with how many users you have. App store fees (Apple charges $79/year, Google is $20 once). Then all the services - payment processing, push notifications, analytics, maps, email stuff. Security patches and SSL certificates. Bug fixes and updates. Customer support if you need it.

Here's what catches people off guard: costs go up as you grow. More users means higher hosting bills, more support tickets, more everything.

General rule: budget 15-20% of your development cost every year for keeping things running.

Want to know what your app would actually cost monthly? Let's talk through what you're building

Freelancers charge anywhere from $25/hour for junior devs to $150+ for senior specialists. Mid-level is the sweet spot - around $40-75/hour. They know what they're doing but won't drain your budget.

Agencies are pricier. Small ones start at $40-80/hour, and bigger, established shops can hit $150/hour. However, you're paying for the full team and project management.

Full-time salaries range from $24k for juniors to $85k+ for senior developers. The average is around $40-42k.

iOS devs typically charge 10-15% more than Android devs. Cross-platform specialists (React Native, Flutter) are somewhere in between.

For most projects, you don't need the most expensive senior dev. A good mid-level developer works independently and costs way less. Senior devs make sense for really complex stuff or when you need it done fast.

Are you unsure what level you need? Tell us about your project, and we'll point you in the right direction.