How much does it cost to develop a mobile app?

Here's some guidance on cost for anyone thinking about developing a mobile app. It's based on our own experience of building mobile apps for customers who want to capture data on the move and then sync it back to a database in the cloud.

The guidance is based on two assumptions. Firstly, we build cross platform apps with Apache Cordova. It's a great solution when a client doesn't want to build a separate native app for iOS, Android and Windows Mobile. We build one application that works across multiple platforms - this means lower development costs and significantly lower ongoing maintenance costs.

Secondly, we integrate the app with a client's existing web application and database. Costs are obviously lower if the web application and database already exists (even better if we developed it). Our focus then is just on designing a good mobile experience - forms, menus and branding.

So what could a typical mobile app cost? A fairly standard app that includes authentication (users login with their own accounts), caching data when there is no wifi signal, several forms for collecting data and a look and feel based on the client's own branding guidelines.

1. Initial design - some storyboarding of how the app will work, layouts of screens etc. Perhaps 5 days work.


2. Backend changes to the web application to support syncing data/updating the app. Another 5 days but longer if we need to work with a third party system.


3. Building the app - screens, functionality etc. Let's say one developer for a month - so 20 days. It depends on the size and complexity of the requirements but a month of development effort isn't unusual.


4. Testing (including working alongside the client during acceptance testing). Another 5 days.


5. Time and effort required to getting the app through the the different app stores - Apple App Store, Google Play, Windows store etc. Say 2 days in total.

So the total - for a straightforward multiple platform app is 37 days. Putting in another 3 days for contingency takes it to 40 days. That gives a cost of £22,000 + VAT at our standard developer day rate of £550/day.

There's a final point to make about costs. To keep ongoing support costs as low as possible we recommend that you try to get your users on one type of device wherever that is practical - so one brand/model of Android tablet for example. We find that while targeting iOS and one type of decent quality Android tablet is ok, supporting multiple types of cheap Android tablet (possibly running different versions of Android) generates more support headaches.