Apart from having a website for the online presence, many companies are now investing in mobile apps. It gives one a competitive edge against their competitors, reaches the younger demographic, and allows one to connect better with their customers. Many customers now prefer to use a mobile app to access services rather than use a website.
Among the many considerations that go into developing a mobile app, the development costs should be a key consideration. It’s essential to have great value for your money without compromising the quality of your mobile app.
Mobile app development involves many factors that will simultaneously influence the total cost of your new app. It’s pretty rigid to put the finger on the actual price of developing a mobile app. However, by considering the below factors, you can create a working budget for your startup’s mobile app.
Aspects That Determine Development Cost of a Mobile App
1. How You Intend To Approach the Work
What approach will you be taking in developing the app; will you be hiring a professional, or will you create the app by yourself?
Making your new mobile app will undoubtedly decrease the development cost. On the other hand, an app development company has substantial mobile app development experience for various industries. However, this will be on the very high end.
It’s important to know that you may experience some problems by choosing to develop the app yourself. In the long run, other costs due to bug fixing that may occur may catch up with a price tag from an app-developing mobile company.
Another route you might have to consider is hiring a freelancer. Freelancing sites, such as Fiverr and upwork.com, you can find a suitable person for your project at a relatively lower price.
Find a suitable developer skilled in both UX design and app development. Alternatively, you can hire different freelancers to cover all the critical roles in developing your mobile app.
2. The Platform Your App Will Available In
What device will your app be accessible on? The price of developing your app will vary on the platform you decide on. The typical options are either Android or iOS. On a reasonable budget, it’s imperative to go for both.
To develop an app for iOS, you will have to ensure it supports both the current and a past version of the operating system. The development cost will be high. However, iOS users pay for apps and make-in purchases.
A wide range of devices supports Android. By this, you will reach a broad audience, especially in Africa, Asia, and South America.
The costs of both are relatively close. Developing your app for both platforms can be your best bet. Development platforms such as build fire can somewhat cut your cost and time. Some frameworks use a single codebase for both platforms, which can do App releases and maintenance simultaneously across Android and iOS operating systems.
3. App Type And Features
The application type and what it will be capable of doing to its users is the most significant factor in its cost.
Your app will fall in either of the following categories: Simple app, complex app, or even game-based apps. The latter are the hardest and more costly to develop.
Simple apps will display a relatively simple collection of information. They are likely to cost low compared to others. These apps use standard components, and they include calendar apps, note-taking apps, photo gallery-based apps.
Complex apps can feature advanced functionalities with a well-developed user interface. They are likely to use visual objects, which will increase their cost.
Your new mobile app may also lie in between being complex and straightforward. A medium complexity app requires third-party apps that will be the source of information. Simple social media apps and meditation apps all fall under this category.
In addition to your app’s type, the additional features you include in your app will compound the total cost. In-app purchases, messaging, rating system, search functionality are features that you can incorporate into the app.
Additional features will require extra time and cost, and they do factor in the maintenance cost.
4. Maintenance Cost
Your new mobile app will need constant iterating and refining. It’s essential to make sure all your app features are working as intended. Don’t fall into the trap of forgetting the maintenance cost when estimating your app’s total development cost.
Part of the maintenances costs to keep in mind include hosting solutions, mobile app monitoring, marketing, app updates, and even licensing. Approximately, you will spend more than the initial price of developing your app to support it for two years.
Final Thought
What sits at the very bottom of your proposed new mobile budget app budget comes down to app complexity, features, the development person or team, and your intended platform.
Choose the perfect app development vendor keeping in mind that iOS and Android platforms have a high adoption rate. Develop your mobile app simultaneously on both platforms for a wide reach. All these factors will impact how to estimate the development cost of your new mobile app.
