It is one of the hottest questions surfacing on the internet right now. The presence in the online world is so crucial that everyone, whether they run a big enterprise or a small local business, needs to keep up with the ever-evolving digital industry, even though their area of interest can be something else.
Now arise the question that if someone wants to take their business digital, either by having a website or a mobile application, what is the smartest route to take? And most importantly, how much would it cost? Today, we are going to cover the mobile application realm, specifically customized mobile applications.
What is Custom Software?
Custom software, also known as customized software or bespoke software, is a program developed for a particular user, group of users, or organization. Unlike commercial off-the-shelf software, custom software developers provide exclusive and fast services to their clients.
But this software comes with a price tag higher than ready-made software available in the market. We now shall look into how much it will cost to develop a custom mobile application.
Quite a few companies offer experienced and savvy app developers in California; one of the best amongst them is Cubix.
How Much Will It Cost?
There is no standard amount of money you have to spend for mobile application development. Instead, it depends upon various factors. According to one survey, the estimated cost can vary from $40,000 to 500,000 or even more.
Moving forward, let’s have a deeper look into the cost-related aspects of app development.
Type of App
You have to make a decision whether you want to go with the native or hybrid. The native application will be developed on one platform, using a specific programming language and framework. If the goal is to launch the application on multiple platforms, it will affect the budget as you have to rewrite the code again for different platforms. Whereas hybrid apps get built using technologies that ease the development process and are cost-effective. Hybrid-development techniques do not require developing an application from scratch again if you want to launch the application on multiple platforms.
The difference between both app types is the robustness and efficiency of the application. Native apps are more compact as compare to hybrid apps. Most companies build their apps on native technologies due to a better user experience, smoother performances, and higher technical advantage, even though it is more expensive than hybrid app development.
Staff Experience and Location
Different types of developers with different experiences are required to develop an app. The developing team can include coders, testers, user interface/user experience developers, etc. If it is a small project, then few developers are hired with less experience. But if the project is complex, then a more experienced team will be required for the job. It is desirable to hire developers with the cheapest rate. But when building complex apps, experienced developers are needed, which means they will charge more money. The number of employees hired affects the budget significantly, so the least but necessary number of developers need to work on the project.
Another angle that we may have to look into is the location from where the team is working. Most companies outsource the software development as it gives flexibility in negotiating the cost of the app development. So most of the cheapest developers get hired from territories like Ukraine, Russia, UK, India, Australia, Singapore, etc.
App Complexity
The bigger and intricate an application is, the more time and resources are required to complete the project. It can take few weeks to months to get the final product. Another aspect that should be considered is the technical side like, technologies, languages, and frameworks used to build the app. These resources are not cheap, and not everyone can handle these advanced features. Consequently, experienced professionals are required, and they charge hefty fees for their services.
According to an article from medium, these are rates for different complexities in apps:
Simple apps (Per Hour Avg Cost): $20 – $55
Medium apps (Per Hour Avg Cost): $20 – $75
Large apps (Per Hour Avg Cost): $20 – $120
Above mentioned stats are for the Android operating system.
Other factors for increment in cost regarding app complexity can be:
- Receiving the user’s content and storing as well as processing it.
- The service of online payments via mobile phone.
- Implementation of business logic in the backend programming to make the real-world rules operate in the application.
- Integration of other services, frameworks, and third-party plugins.
Nature of the Application
The cost of an application also depends on the kind of app you are developing. If it is a simple app, then it will cost less money. But if it is a complex application like a business app, the development will be heavier on your pockets. Below are some stats from Think Mobiles covering the price range and hours range it takes to develop on the different types of app development:
| Type of application | Hours (iOS) | Hours (Android) | Rates (avg.) |
| Simple app | 70 – 150 | 80 – 160 | $50 – 100 |
| Database app | 150 – 200 | 170 – 220 | $50 – 100 |
| Messaging app | 500+ | 600+ | $70 – 120 |
| Enterprise app | 200+ | 250+ | $100 – 150 |
| Social networking app | 300 | 300+ | $70 – 120 |
| Gaming app | 400+ | 500+ | $70 – 120 |
According to the stats above, it is evident that iOS-based applications take less time to develop. The reason is that the iOS platform is more organized, polished, and sophisticated than other platforms. In contrast, Android-based applications are more costly as they take more time to develop.
Application Maintenance
Anyone with experience in application development knows that the budget is divided into two phases: expenditure on app development and app maintenance cost.
As the digital world is ever-evolving, the requirement to update the software time and time again is inevitable. Reasons to update an application can be:
- New launch of the latest operating system.
- The demand for new features.
- The latest release of the supporting libraries and frameworks.
- Bug fixes and quality surety.
Conclusion
Mobile app development is not an easy task, especially if you are new to this domain. There are many variables you have to look into. Even if you have experience, you can still get rattled in this complex process, which can cause you trouble financially and increase the amount of time it takes to complete the development process.
After covering the crucial pointers regarding custom mobile application development, you must now know what steps you can take to develop a smart plan for your mobile app that will be cost-effective.
