Every entrepreneur first thinks about the app development cost. It is essential to know the estimated app development cost. It helps in estimating an adequate budget and planning to spend. According to business and its need, mobile app development costs vary from $20,000 to $500,000. It completely depends on the business’s functionality. But still, functionality is not the only factor that can affect cost.
The article will explain app development cost and what lies behind the estimation of app development cost.
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How much does it cost to make an app in 2021?
There are many wrong perceptions about app development costs. Some people think that the cost of app development depends upon the hours spend on coding. This approach is far from reality.
Besides coding, many important aspects are important in the development of a project. And to accomplish that, project development needs the following specialists:
- Business analysts and project managers are proffessional individuals in the firm of app development. They create the project backlog with tasks.
- Solution architects are also required while app development. They plan and design the project’s backend components.
- Quality assurance managers are also needed in the app development project. They check the app functionality to ensure that the app is working properly. They highlight the issues that decrease the app functionality. It helps to make the app more functional and useful for a better user experience.
- Designers are an important need as they create the app. It includes project layout, prototype, UI and UX design, and furthermore. They are the one that brings entrepreneurs dream into life. They know all the latest tools and techniques to establish a successful app. App developers have certain skills that make them experts in their field, such as:
- HTML/CSS skills.
- Analytical skills.
- Responsive design skills.
- JavaScript skills.
- Interpersonal skills.
- Testing and debugging skills.
- Back-end basics.
- Search engine optimization.
All roles mentioned above need qualified experts in their field to create a robust app. But they charge a reasonable price for their time and work. App development is a time-taking process that needs more than one developer, according to Custom Website Design Services In USA. That’s the reason work hours comprise a big part of app development costs.
App development is not an easy task. It requires time, patience, and, more importantly, money. Many factors can affect the app development cost. And the total cost to create an app. Therefore, please read this article to find out about factors that affect the cost of app development.
Factor Affecting Mobile App Development Cost
1. The Cooperation model
The cooperation model defines the client’s and team’s responsibility. Three kinds of services are provided to the customer they can select based on their needs.
- Extended team: in this, extended teams of experts are provided to the customer. They work for you, and you manage all the processes. This works in the situation where the project is already managed and processes.
- Dedicated team: a dedicated team shares responsibilities between the client and the development team. In this method, project management deals with the system development life cycle (SDLC) methodology and process. It works best for outsourcing projects. Moreover, the facilities a dedicated team with integration with an in-house team.
- Managed services: in this model, all the work is handled by the managed services. It gives you the freedom to handle the business and marketing freely. Managed services are responsible for hiring specialists for project development. Moreover, they offer support even after the launch of the project.
But the question is how they affect mobile app development costs?
The more responsibility you give to your app developer, the more it will affect the app development cost. Suppose he is working day and night for your project so that he will demand a valuable price. But he manages fewer aspects of your project then he will ask less amount.
2. Project Management Triangle
The project management triangle is the model of project management constraints that are scope, time, and cost. At the same time, scope refers to an action that needs to be taken to attain the project’s results. Time refers to the amount of time needs to complete the project. Cost represents the money needs to complete the project.
But the question arises how these constraints affect app development costs?
They are interlinked to each other. If one aspect increases, that increase the cost of app development. For example, if the working hours increase, it will affect the app development cost simultaneously.
3. Core Features
The mobile app offers different unique and amazing features to the user. But implementation of single features can take up more than 5 hours for an app developer. It affects app development costs. Such as:
- User login
Usually, mobile apps offer registration through email or phone numbers to identify the user. But the easiest way to access an app is by creating a user profile and collecting public data through sign-in social media accounts—it an automatic but time-consuming process. For example, login with Twitter takes more than 8 to develop the app backend server using NodeJS. Similarly, Instagram Basic Display API takes more than 9 hours for feature integration per platform (IOS, Android).
- Geolocation
Geolocation is an app feature that comes in handy for navigation app or food delivery mobile applications. But implementing this feature in an app takes several hours for an app developer and can affect app development costs.
4. App Complexity
Mobile app features affect the app complexity, and that impacts app development cost. We have categorized the mobile apps according to their functionality. It will help you understand the concept clearly. Besides, we have included the time in hours to check how it affects app development cost.
| Type | Simple apps | Moderate apps | Complex apps |
| Description | ● No API integration
● No backend ● Basic UI components ● Simple features (email subscription, social login, calendar, etc.) |
● Custom UI/UX features
● Build-in payment gateway ● API integration ● Backend server |
● Multi-language support
● Third-party integrations ● Custom animations ● Complex backend ● Custom UI/UX design ● Real-time features via database integration |
| Time | 300+ hours | 400-700+ hours | 700-1400+ hours |
Its shows that app complexity includes many different and advanced features. They enhance the quality of the app to serve a better experience to the user. But it takes more working hours. If the working hours will increase, the app development cost increases simultaneously.
What is not included in app development services?
App development is the process of establishing an app. It doesn’t mean that it will get famous among the target audience. To make it successful, you need an excellent marketing plan. Moreover, you will need a financial model and pitch deck.
- A marketing plan is an activity to achieve your goals. It will you to promote your app to the audience effectively.
- The financial model is the process of creating a summary of the company’s expenses and earnings. It is done to evaluate the impact of a decision.
- A Pitch Deck is a presentation you use to show your partners or investors about your business plan.
How much does app development cost in total?
It’s impossible to provide you a total amount in digits. Therefore, in plain words, we can say that it depends upon you what you choose from the above factors. For example, if you select managed services that will work entirely on your project, that can cost more than an extended team.
Conclusion
Make your decision wisely! It will impact your business and revenue. I hope you like the article and found it useful.