Krati SharmaSo, you have a stunning app idea and are eager to bring it to reality, right? But, you might be having several doubts regarding the custom app development that are leading to delays. And cost remains one of the biggest concerns when investing in any app idea.
Will developing an app be within my budget?
Will app development cost me a fortune?
What affects the cost of developing an app from scratch?
A lot of such monetary-related questions might be bombarding you. We recognize this well. Therefore, we have come up with a detailed post on the custom app development cost. This blog post will explain all the crucial factors influencing the app development cost and will help you plan your budget precisely.
Selection of the App Developers (Freelancer or App Development Company)
It is a fact that the success of your app, regardless of the idea, will hugely rely on the development partner you choose. You have to choose the most reliable partner who can provide you with end-to-end assistance for developing and launching top-notch applications. For this, you have two major options that are hiring freelance app developers or an app development company. Both the options are excellent in their own way, having some pros and cons.
Hiring freelance developers might seem an affordable choice, but there is a downside as well. Developing an app doesn’t only limit writing code. It involves much more work, including UI/UX designing, testing, wireframing, and more. One person can’t work on all the aspects of the project, as it requires having a different skill set and knowledge. Therefore, you will need to hire different freelance professionals for every job, which will definitely cost you more than expected. Besides this, security and project confidentiality can be a concern when working with freelance professionals.
On the other hand, if you opt for a renowned custom app development company, you will have a complete team of professionals working on your project. From project management to design to development and testing, there will be a dedicated person handling different aspects of the project. Moreover, you will have full assurance of confidentiality by signing a non-disclosure agreement. A reliable app development company also provides support and maintenance after app deployment.
Considering all the above facts, hiring an app development company will prove to be a cost-effective solution. A company may cost you over $1,50,000 to build a fully customized app whereas hiring a freelancer may cost you around $90,000. You may have to spend a bit more on hiring a company, but you will witness the top quality and faster outcomes.
Developers’ Location
The country or geographical region of the app development company or developer has a significant impact on the overall cost. Developers in different geographical regions will have varying hourly rates. For instance, developers in countries like the UK, South America, or Australia, may cost between $50 to $110 per hour, while developers in India and other Asian countries cost somewhere between $30 to $40 per hour. Therefore, you need to be careful with the location when hiring a development partner.
Platform or OS
Another most important factor influencing the app development cost is the choice of operating system or platform. You can consider creating a native app either for iOS or Android or choose to build a cross-platform app. The cost varies drastically for both options. A native app is specifically developed for a single platform, which means an Android native app won’t work on the iPhone, it will only run on Android devices. Conversely, cross-platform applications are developed to run on all the major platforms, including iOS, Android, and the web.
Usually, Native apps come with sharper UI/UX but it is a bit expensive and time-consuming compared to cross-platform. To develop a native app, you must be prepared to spend somewhere between $20,000 to $25,000 or more. On the other hand, cross-platform apps require a single codebase and can run on different platforms. Therefore, they are easier and quicker to build. The cost of creating a cross-platform app can be $15,000 to $20,000.
Features and Functionality
Features are what make an app engaging and worthwhile for users. Therefore, they are a key consideration when deciding the overall app development cost. Of course, an app with a basic set of features will cost less compared to an app with complex features. Also, the more features your app has, the more development hourly it will take, which eventually increases the costs. Apart from features, the functionality of your app will also affect the development time and cost. There are different types of apps such as game apps, dynamic, enterprise apps, and more, each one having different functionality.
App Complexity
The complexity of your app idea will also affect the overall development cost. The app complexity can be divided into simple, mid-level, moderate, and high. A simple app like MVP may cost from $10,000 to $ 40,000, while a highly complex application may cost you over $100000. The complexity of the design, backend, third-party integrations, and more varies the development time, which eventually varies the cost structure.
Support and Maintenance
The app development expenses are not limited to programming and designing only. Even after the development and launch of your app, you have to pour enough money to ensure its success. You have to ensure the smooth functioning of the application after it is made available to the users. Also, your app should evolve along with the growing user needs and market trends. All this is possible with proper maintenance and post-release support, which you need to include in your overall budget.
The app maintenance may include several tasks such as code optimization, continuous bug fixing, the addition of new features, enhancing scalability, performance, and stability, ensuring support for new OS visions and third-party services, and many more. The overall maintenance cost will vary depending on the particular tasks required for your application. However, you can consider the app maintenance expenses to be 10-20% of the development cost.
Looking for a Cost-effective Custom App Development Solution?
When developing an app from scratch, you must consider all the above factors for proper budget planning. However, make sure you don’t choose cost over quality when selecting a development partner. Betfoc provides you with the most cost-effective app development solutions so that you don’t compromise either on cost or quality. We are one of the leading mobile app development companies with vast industry experience. We have an in-house team of developers, designers, project managers, QA engineers, and more professionals having hands-on experience in developing custom apps for iOS, Android, and the web. We build top-grade custom applications for a range of industries, including iGaming, games, entertainment, and more.
