The role of mobile apps has greatly increased over the years and more people are now accessing the internet using their smartphones. This has led to the boost of the app development industry. With the mobile app market generating millions as revenue, the importance of the right mobile app development services has increased drastically over the years. With mobile apps turning out to be an effective medium for businesses to connect with their audience, investing in app development has turned out to be all the more important today. Here we have explained how to estimate app development cost to build an app for your business and examine all the factors that influence the cost in detail.

The Cost of Getting Mobile App Developed

The cost of developing a mobile app cannot be decided on the go. To calculate the cost of developing a mobile app you will have to consider a few things and we have done that work for you.

Cost of Mobile App Development According to Its Types

  • Hybrid Apps

Hybrid apps are the right solution for businesses looking for ways to reach a larger audience base. As a single codebase works across different platforms, the cost to develop and maintain such codes is low.

  • Database Driven Apps

These are complex apps and have large volumes of data for operations. To make things work, such apps may also require access to a camera, internet connection, or even to a phone in case it is needed.

  • Basic Functionality App

Such apps have no or very few features and require less development time. These apps are not generally found on the app store for the public to download and are for personal use only.

  • Firmware/Hardware Dependent Apps

Such apps are developed to improve the functionalities of the device. Now, these functionalities can include alarms, cameras, flashlights, etc.

  • Gaming Apps

Gaming apps can be simple or advanced and the kind of features will decide the cost to develop the app. Some of such advanced features can be AR support, social media integration, etc.

Also, read our post on Technology Trends That Will Revolutionize The Mobile App Industry

What Factors Affect the Cost of Mobile App Development?

  • Features and Complexity of Apps

So we have already seen that app features play a major role in deciding the cost to develop the app. Now including some simple features may be easy, while it can be difficult for others. Based on the complexity of the app features, the developer may decide to either write the code from scratch or include a ready-to-use solution.

  • Team Setup

The structure of your team will also decide the cost of developing your app. The specific needs of the app will decide the size of your app development team and it will be up to you to decide who will be working on what.

  • Number of Used Platforms

Another thing you need to consider when calculating the app development costs is its platform. Again, the number of platforms you are considering for the app will also decide the expense. If you wish to go for both Android and iOS, you will have to face increased costs but with the right mobile app development services, you will be able to get the app developed without any hidden charges.

  • Native or Cross-platform App Development

In case you plan to develop the app for Android and iOS platforms, you will have to decide the platform for which you wish to develop the app first. You will have to choose a cross-platform solution here. Now such an app will get developed quickly and that means less time to market. So the app development cost will be low as compared to a native one individually for each platform.

  • Cost of App Maintenance

Many forget about the costs associated with maintaining the app once it has been developed. Trends keep changing and so does technology. This means it becomes important to update the app to keep it competitive in the market. So with app development costs, you need to consider the costs of maintenance and updates too.

Related: Top 5 Things You Should Know Before Developing an App

How to Reduce the Costs of App Development?

  • Prioritize Features Right From Beginning

Before you start with your app development process, you need to prioritize the app features properly. If you are not able to decide things from the very beginning, you will not be able to reach your goals. In case you decide to have some features right from the beginning, integrating them later will be easy.

  • Plan for the Future

The end of app development is not the end of your expenses. So you need to be ready to spend more once the app has been developed and is functioning. This can be taken care of by choosing a mobile app development company with the right team to offer you after-development support.

  • Involve Quality Assurance Early On

Right from the app design phase, your app may start to get bugs and so it would be wise to start resolving them at the earliest. If you fail to address them at the earliest, you will end up risking everything. You will be able to easily identify serious problems and start rectifying them by including a QA team into your project right from the beginning. Such a step will save you from the changes required in the middle of the project.

  • Hire an Outsourced Development Team

You will be able to experience many cost-cutting opportunities by outsourcing your app development. You will not have to take care of salaries or even go through the pain of hiring and training developers when you outsource your app development needs. Moreover, outsourcing also saves you from the cost of maintaining the infrastructure of the place and the expense of taking care of your staff.

More on Topic: Know How Mobile Apps Help Your Business to Grow

How Much Time Does it Take to Develop an App?

When considering the cost of developing an app, how can you forget the most critical factor – time! Having an understanding of the time to develop the app will help you determine the cost to develop one. The time you will need for app development depends on the kind of app you want to have and the tools you will be using to get it done. It can take around 2-3 weeks with an MVP while a full-fledged app can take 4 months to get completed.

Conclusion

To sum it up, the cost of developing an app for your needs can depend on many factors. Now this includes the features you want to include in the platform you want to choose. You also get to control the expenses by taking the right steps and this includes choosing the best mobile app development company for all your app development needs.