The cost of an app depends on what it has to do, where it runs and what it connects to. Two apps with the same number of screens can differ several times in cost: one works on its own, the other syncs with your ERP, takes payments and keeps working without signal.
This article goes through the nine things that decide the budget, what you pay after launch, and how we turn an idea into a written estimate. It is written for companies that need an app for their customers or their staff, not for a weekend experiment.
The short answer. Cost follows scope, not screens. Fix the scope first, build the smallest version that does one job well, and ask for an estimate by stage. A free 30-minute consultation is enough for us to tell you what a realistic first version looks like. Book the free consultation.
How much does it cost to build an app? Nine factors
1. Platforms. One codebase or two
Most business apps need to run on iPhone and Android. With Flutter, one codebase covers both stores, so there is less to build, test and maintain. Native apps, in Swift for iOS and Kotlin for Android, mean two codebases and a higher cost. They pay off when the app depends on device features, the watch or widgets. We build with Flutter by default and go native when the app needs it. See iOS and Android apps.
2. Features and screens
Each feature adds design, building and testing. A customer account, orders, bookings, a catalogue, notifications and a profile are each a piece of work. A good first version holds only what users need in their first week.
3. Backend and admin panel
Most apps need a server side: a database, an API and an admin panel where your staff change content, products or users without a new store release. It is often as much work as the app itself, and it is the part that gets forgotten in first budgets.
4. Integrations
Connecting the app to your ERP, CRM, accounting software or website is usually where the unknowns sit. The cost depends on whether the other system has a documented API or has to be reached in other ways. This is the factor that most often moves an estimate, so we ask about it first.
5. Offline use and sync
An app that has to work without signal, in a warehouse, a vehicle or on a building site, needs a local database and a sync that resolves conflicts. It costs more than an app that is always online, and it is worth it when the work cannot wait for a connection. See internal apps for teams.
6. Payments, subscriptions and sign-in
In-app purchases and subscriptions through the App Store and Google Play, card payments through a provider, sign-in with Google or Apple. Each one comes with its own store rules and its own tests.
7. Design
A design built on standard components costs less than a custom visual identity on every screen. If the app is the product you sell, a distinct design is part of what customers pay for.
8. Store release
Preparing the store listings, the privacy declarations and the builds, then going through Apple’s and Google’s review. A rejection means a fix and a new submission, so the work is planned in, not added at the end.
9. Taking over an existing app
If an app already exists, the cost starts with a review of the code and of the developer accounts. Old dependencies and missing documentation add work before any new feature. See maintenance and app rescue.
What usually moves the estimate. By kind of app
| Kind of app | What usually moves the cost | What we ask in the first call |
|---|---|---|
| A simple app on both stores | The number of screens, sign-in, notifications | What the app must do in the first week, and for whom |
| An app with a backend and an admin panel | Accounts, catalogue or bookings, the admin panel, payments | Who changes content and prices, and how often |
| An internal or field app | Offline use, roles, photos and signatures, reports | Where people work, and what happens when there is no signal |
| An app integrated with your systems | ERP or CRM sync, data volumes, security | Which systems it connects to, and whether they have a documented API |
We do not publish a price for an app, because the same request can mean very different apps. After a free 30-minute consultation you get a written estimate, by stage, before you commit.
What other agencies publish. Ranges from the market
These figures are published by other companies, quoted as they wrote them and read on 23 October 2026. They are not our prices and they are not comparable with each other: what is included, the country of the agency and the size of the app all differ.
- Cleveroad: simple apps $40,000-$120,000, medium $120,000-$200,000, complex $200,000-$300,000+.
- Gojilabs: from $10,000 for a basic app to over $300,000 for a highly complex one.
- Studio Liddell (UK): simple £15,000-£35,000, moderate £35,000-£80,000, complex £80,000+.
- Gojilabs on upkeep: 15-20% of the initial development cost per year.
Read these as a map of how wide the range is. Your own figure depends on the nine factors above, and on a much smaller first version than most of these guides assume.
What you pay after launch
An app is not finished at the store release. Four costs continue:
- Developer accounts. Apple charges an annual fee for its developer programme and Google a one-time registration fee. The accounts are opened in your company’s name.
- Hosting and services. The server, the database, notifications, maps or AI services the app uses, billed by their providers to you.
- Updates. Every year Apple and Google release new operating system versions and change store rules. An app that is not updated can stop working or be removed from the store.
- Maintenance. Monitoring, updates, small fixes and hours for new requests, under monthly support. See maintenance and support.
Put these in the budget from the start. They are the difference between an app that works for a year and one that works for five.
How we estimate. Before you commit
- A free 30-minute consultation. You tell us what the app should do, for whom and what it has to connect to. We ask the questions in the table above.
- A short specification. What gets built, in what order, with the architecture and an estimate for each stage. We build in versions, so the first one is small and usable.
- A written quote. A fixed cost per stage. You approve stage by stage, so the budget does not rest on one number given on day one.
The cost is agreed after the consultation, and you see it before you commit. If an app is not the right answer, for example when software you can buy off the shelf already does the job, we tell you in the first call.
How to keep the cost down. Without cutting corners
- Start with a first version that does one job well. Add the rest after you see how people use it.
- Choose Flutter unless the app needs native features.
- Use the systems you already have, through their APIs, instead of rebuilding them.
- Write down who changes what in the admin panel. A missing admin panel is the most common late surprise.
- Decide early who holds the developer accounts and who pays for the services.
Custom software development cost. The same logic
Web applications, customer portals and integrations follow the same drivers: what the system has to do, what it connects to and how much of the current process has to move with it. We estimate them the same way, by stage. See custom software and our work.
Questions. Short answers
How much does it cost to build an app?
It depends on the platforms, the features, the backend and the integrations. A standalone app on both stores costs far less than one synced with your ERP and usable offline. After a free consultation we write a specification with an estimate by stage, and you see the estimate before you commit.
Is Flutter cheaper than native development?
Usually, yes, for business apps: one codebase covers iOS and Android, so there is less to build and to maintain. Native development costs more and pays off when the app depends on device features, the watch or widgets.
What does an app cost to maintain after launch?
Developer account fees, hosting and third-party services, plus maintenance: operating system updates, monitoring and fixes. We offer monthly support in three tiers, with the hours and terms set in the contract.
Can you give us a fixed cost?
Yes, per stage, once the scope is written in a specification. Changes outside the scope are estimated separately and start only after you approve them.
How long does it take to get an estimate?
You start with a free 30-minute consultation. After it we write the specification and the estimate by stage.
Why do you not publish prices on the website?
Because the same request can mean very different apps. The cost is agreed after the consultation, in a written quote.