How Much Does It Cost to Build a Mobile App In 2023?

Written by Scott Craig|Posted on August 25, 2023

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Smartphones are used by over half the world’s population, representing a market of billions of people that are looking for the most convenient way to do their shopping, banking, chatting, studying, work, dating, and more via apps. It’s no surprise, then, that businesses across all industries are investing in mobile app development. But how much should this investment be, exactly?

Mobile application development is a complex and layered process. Organizations will often contract a dedicated mobile app development services company to handle the project of creating, deploying, and maintaining an app. The experience and standards of the chosen company will influence the price, but we can make some generalizations.

  • The average cost of developing a mobile app ranges from $30,000 to $150,000.
  • Apps with more features and demanding requirements cost more and may necessitate a team with certain technical specialists. Very complex projects can even pass the $300,000 mark.
  • The location of the app development company can affect the price–consider nearshore outsourcing to lower costs but keep time zone alignment.
  • Post-development costs, such as app store hosting fees, SEO optimization, and updates, should be planned for.

One popular way to save on app development costs is to start with developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). This is a prototype version with the essential functions that can be used to get feedback from users early on. This is cheaper than having to do whole development stages over because of something discovered in testing near the end of the project.

If you’re considering whether to invest in mobile application development, follow these steps to help determine your app’s viability:

  1. Planning – Decide on your objectives and think of a value proposition. What will your app offer users that competitors don’t?
  2. Target Market – Who is the app for? When, where, and why will they use it?
  3. Product Outline – List the minimum requirements for your app, and sort priority features from what is just ‘‘nice to have”.

Finally, it’s time to shop around for a development team that can demonstrate they have the skills required to create the best version of your app within your budget.

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Scott Craig

Scott Craig

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Kirkland, WA, USA

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