"How much does an app cost?" is the first question most founders ask, and the honest answer is: it depends on what you're building. This guide explains the main factors so you can plan with confidence.
Typical budgets by app type
| App type | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Simple MVP with core features | $15,000 – $40,000 |
| Mid-complexity app with payments and an admin panel | $40,000 – $90,000 |
| Complex platform (marketplace, on-demand, real-time) | $90,000 – $200,000+ |
What affects the cost?
- Features. Each screen and workflow adds design, development and testing time.
- Platforms. iOS, Android and web each add effort; cross-platform frameworks like Flutter or React Native can reduce it.
- Integrations. Payments, maps, CRMs and third-party APIs add complexity.
- Design. Custom animations and illustrations cost more than clean, standard UI.
- Back end. Real-time features, admin dashboards and analytics need solid server-side work.
Native vs cross-platform
Native apps (Swift for iOS, Kotlin for Android) give the best performance and access to every device feature. Cross-platform apps share one codebase across both platforms, which usually lowers cost and speeds up launch. For most business apps, cross-platform is a strong starting point.
Don't forget ongoing costs
Plan roughly 15–20% of the initial build cost per year for maintenance: OS updates, bug fixes, hosting, monitoring and small improvements.
How to get an accurate estimate
Write down your core user journeys, list must-have versus nice-to-have features, and share any designs or competitor examples. With that, a good development partner can give you a reliable, itemized estimate.
