App Development Budget and How Much Does it Cost?

Whenever we set out to have an app developed for our brand or business, the first thing that comes to mind is the cost that would be incurred. Rarely is there a business that does not have a finite and tight budget in which they have to adjust all their expenses. Spending too much on one of the necessary aspects may mean having to forgo one or more others, which might not be the best way forward when starting or revamping a business. 

Now we don’t recommend just dropping the plan to develop an app just because you find out that the type of app you were going to have developed, was not fitting your budget. Knowing that over three and a half billion people use mobile apps of different kinds, having an app now is the need for your business, as that is the best way to reach potential customers in a way that cannot be done by other platforms or sources. 

But cost is not universal across the board for app development purposes. Different types of apps vary in cost according to the scenario and the requirements. So we need to know the cost associated with each of these different types of mobile apps. Let’s find out how all these different types of app development projects cost.

Various Mobile App Development Costs by Type:

As we discussed before, there is no one-cost-fits-all solution when developing a mobile app for your business needs, but is in fact dependent on a whole host of factors that can affect the cost by a large margin. These factors include but are not limited to the features you want implemented, different functions that can be performed using the app, the UI design, and the UX or the user experience. But the cost can also be affected by the skill level of the developers, the location the development team is based out of, and much more. It is just like buying anything else. If you want to buy a pair of headphones, you cannot get an exact price until you select the exact type of headphones as well as the features and functions you want from your choice. 

To that end, we have compiled this article which will help you get an idea of the different costs associated with them. This will help you get a ballpark estimate of what it might cost you to develop an app for your business, so that you can efficiently manage your budget accordingly. 

Let us now look at some of the most common types of apps that any business, startup or brand might need to get developed to improve their business. 

Basic Utility App

These apps are just tools or utilities designed for one specific purpose each. These apps are designed to work without network access and high storage needs. While not so high in demand nowadays due to their small amounts of functions. 

The best these apps offer is the capability of working without the internet, and using very small amounts of storage. Examples of such apps include the inbuilt tools included with our mobile devices, such as calculator apps, settings app, camera apps and much more.

These apps usually start at the low price of $5000, and are generally developed within this price bracket, as there is not so much that can be changed or personalized in such apps beyond the basic functionality. 

Secure App

These apps might not be so complicated to develop themselves, but what drives up the costs is the implementation of the advanced security and authentication features which are to be present in the app itself for it to work properly. Such types of features might be required for apps that are used to store and access data, as well as allow for any changes made across different devices using the same account.

Having a proper signup process, as well as keeping secure the authentication details for each user is imperative, especially when the storage of data is involved. Especially now since the popularity of cloud-based storage services, having such apps developed is very important so that people can safely store and access their data without worrying about having their information compromised. 

Such apps generally start at $10000-$12000, but the price doesn’t change as drastically, unless the app is linked with another service that is richly featured, because these apps themselves do not require many extraneous functions.

Examples of such apps include Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Dropbox, where users can create accounts and are allotted secure storage space in the cloud, which can only be accessed by logging into their specific accounts. 

Custom App with Different Variants

If you look at apps such as Uber, you will see that it has two different versions and experiences of the app depending on the type of customer using them. These kinds of custom, on-demand, situation specific apps are in high demand nowadays for big enterprises which are acting as the middleman between the service provider and the customer. This allows them to have a proprietary app experience for each segment of their user, so that each version can be independently updated and modified according to the needs of the business. 

In the scenario of Uber, they have two different apps, one for the customers of the ride-sharing app, and the other for the drivers or the service providers. That means that each version can be modified according to the needs of that version and that user segment.

Not only that, the same type of custom app will need to be developed for different mobile operating systems, especially if your target audience uses a healthy mix of android and iOS devices, and you cannot ignore either segment.

These apps usually start at $15000-$17000, and can go up quite dramatically in price depending on the features you want integrated into the app themselves. Not only that, these kinds of apps require that you hire reliably experienced development teams to be sure of getting a quality product.

Well, this article just covers the base costs that are related to these specific types of apps, but even in these types the cost can vary quite drastically depending on the features you might want implemented in it. Not only that, choosing the right app development services provider means choosing the firm that will do the work you require reliably within your specified budget, and that is one important factor that can have a large impact on the overall cost.

Our recommendation is to hire a proper firm or a company that can help you develop the proper and exact app that your brand requires. By helping you improve your business and take it to new heights, the right mobile app developed by the right app development company can have a huge impact on your overall expenses and budget, especially if they develop the properly tested and fully functional app within the agreed upon timeframe, which can help you recover your costs as early as possible. 

If you are looking for a reliable app developer, look no further than Sky Potential. They have teams of expert and experienced developers that provide top-notch custom app and software development services for their customers that are designed to maximize the impact of their business or brand, whether its sales, reach, or their customer engagement. Contact them now and start on your way to a new future with the perfect app to get you there.

Also Read: 5 Benefits of using Mobile Apps in Business World