Understanding app development processes and prices can save you a lot of time and headaches. In this blog we will explain from our perspective the prices of other firms and compare it with our own first hand experience.
Based on our last 20 apps, the average price for a high quality designed and developed app is $20,913 AUD. This includes an average amount of 7 Screens. 3 High fidelity mock ups for each screen, which on average takes 8.6 work days to produce, including revisions for the design.
A 7 screen application with average sort of functionalities like, login, register, search filters, profile setup, pricing, payment gateway, service setup, which is for Android and iOS, would take an average of 18.3 Work days, that's 146.6 hours, to develop after the design has been completed.
That's a total average of 26.9 Work days or, a bit over 5 weeks.
View below the pricing of popular apps.
A rich media platform and online community of users. Share, watch and upload videos, GIFs, memes and viral rich media.
Online eCommerce platform selling clothes and fashion items. Customer accounts come with device sync, AI sizing assistance and AR features.
A leading weather forecast application. It keeps its users up-to-date with a host of weather readings for any part of the world.
Connects property owners and hosts who want to rent their homes with travelers and tourists looking for a place to stay.
Global route planner and tracker for outdoor activities like running, walking and cycling. Content includes photos and reviews from millions of users.
Online retailer and marketplace with a huge variety of products. Features include barcode scanning, user reviews, save and compare and order tracking.
Artificial intelligence-powered virtual assistant using voice recognition for playing music, remembering dates, supplying news, setting alarms and other commands to linked devices.
Project management tool for users to assign tasks, keep track of deadlines, and help ensure projects are delivered on time.
Online marketplace for buying and selling new and used vehicles. Includes finance calculator, comparison tool, plus advanced search.
A platform to help people make new social and romantic connections.
Price comparison aggregator that allows users to search for the best deals for flights, hotels, and vehicle hire.
Provides access to news, weather and sport from CNN. Watch channels live and receive alerts.
Mobile app focused on reducing stress and anxiety among users. Works by encouraging and explaining meditation and mindfulness techniques.
Podcast player which enables users to download and listen to podcasts, FM radio and audiobooks.
Social media platform for recipe sharing and cooking tips. Users can upload and discuss ideas, recipes and photos.
A rich E-learning platform with an online community of users. Join, attend and download videos anytime from anywhere.
Online networking service for US healthcare professionals. Includes newsfeed, patient calling feature, secure fax sending, medical provider directory and case collaboration.
Platform for users to learn multiple languages using a mixture of courses, gamification, and exams.
Give users access to the latest sports news, live scores and statistics.
Marketplace platform that enables its community to buy, sell and exchange goods with secure bidding and payment systems.
All-in-one tool to create, advertise and manage events. Attendees can share their experiences on social media platforms.
Social media and networking platform. Includes photo and video sharing, group creation, events pages, fundraising campaigns, entertainment, video, a marketplace and more.
Help users keep fit and improve health by tracking their step count, cardiac readings and calorie burn.
A tool for teachers to keep classes organised and improve communication with students.
Cloud storage service enabling users to share files using URLs and secure invitations, plus collaboration and communication tools.
Find local businesses, view maps, and get navigational directions for vehicles, walking and public transport.
Connecting workers for the home (including cleaners and DIY), with customers who need their services. Highlight profiles, publish reviews and connect buyers and sellers of services.
Interior design and decorating app. Features include home interiors and exteriors image library, videos and articles, community discussion boards, in app shopping, ability to consult and hire architects, general contractors, interior decorators and repair professionals.
Photo and video sharing social networking service. Features include direct messaging and 'Stories' that allows some media to only remain accessible for 24 hours.
A platform that provides bug tracking, issue tracking, and project management functions.
Instant messaging mobile app that allows users to send and receive messages, photos, videos, sketches, mobile webpages and other content. Only requires usernames, not phone numbers or email addresses.
Video editor application. Features include multiple video layers, blending modes, voiceovers, chroma key, speed control, transitions, subtitles and special effects.
App to check credit score, assess financial health and make plans. Online lender marketplace enabling users to compare rates on financial products such as mortgages, loans and credit cards.
Professional networking platform for users to make connections and create an online CV/resume. Other features include messaging, job postings, job search and applications, plus industry news and content feeds.
Users can download and read comic books on their mobile devices. Animations with device controls help enhance the overall experience.
Uses automatic distance tracking to calculate mileage while driving for business purposes. Includes filtering for time, day, personalised logs, GPS, for accurate expenses and tax reporting.
Hyperlocal service for saving money through virtual coupons. Users can access nearby discounts from businesses, which cover a variety of products from food and retail to travel and services.
A content streaming and subscription service for watching TV episodes and movies.
Online Banking portal for retail and small to medium businesses. Fully featured with Web and Mobile Interfaces. Complete reporting with balance, transactions, and statements across all accounts. Payments including recurring check, ACH, and wire transfers. Automated collections and deposits. Electronic Check Deposits. Completely secure with delegated access.
Online community for sharing, posting and commenting on images and galleries. Can be grouped by category for searching, and linked to online ecommerce stores for purchasing.
Create home interior and exterior 2D and 3D designs. For non-professionals, features enable floor plan creation with furniture layouts, colour, size and pattern editing, and image generation.
Accounting software for businesses and entrepreneurs. Includes tools for balance sheets, expenses, payments, payroll and tax deductions.
Property and real estate portal for buyers, sellers and renters. Includes options to apply for finance and data to display valuations.
Users submit news, video clips, funny jokes and memes. These are upvoted/downvoted based on preferences. The most upvoted appear on the homepage, with options to login and comment.
Your customers can book tables or collect takeaway orders, safely. Offer virtual queuing, with contact-free orders and payments. Social media features, offers and push notifications – all help you build loyalty.
Let your customers book beauty treatments, safely. Contact-free appointment booking and payments. Social media features, push notifications and easy review features – all help your salon to grow.
Real-time video and voice chat between users and to landlines. Includes messaging for sharing text, files and documents.
Instant messaging and file-sharing platform, focused on improving communication and collaboration between teams and individuals.
Offer multimedia sharing and messaging between users. These interactions are only available for a short time, making it ideal for fast and instant communication.
An audio and music platform for creators and fans. Upload, record, share and get feedback on original creations, mixes, broadcasts and works-in-progress.
Offer on-demand streaming and download options for audio content. Feature artists, profiles and categories, offer advertising and premium services.
Marketplace and network for beauty, hair & wellness professionals. Users can search for appointments by theme, location and time.
Messaging app offering encryption, self-destruct (messages disappear after a set time), syncing across devices. Includes photo/video sharing and editing options, plus options to broadcast to large groups.
Train and bus app for planning travel. Get live train times, price alerts, tickets (including seat selection).
Tourism, travel and entertainment platform for users and businesses. Carries user-generated reviews, photos, and ratings. Can feature listings such as hotels, restaurants and flights.
A mobile application using GPS and location-based services to connect drivers and passengers who want to use taxi services. Offers in-app payment and tracking abilities.
A personalised beauty and makeup recommendations app.
Navigation and sat-nav service for drivers and travellers. Maps offer directions and destinations, while users add real-time updates relating to traffic, road closures, hazards and other road-related issues.
Enable users to order and pay for their food and drinks using their device. Their location is recorded, so staff can bring the order to their table.
Directory of local businesses and restaurants with content including reviews and photos. These can be added by business owners and users, who can also filter and search listings, check in to locations, and advertise on the platform.
Upload, share and view video content. Offer user profiles to create channels and understand interests and preferences, add include commenting to build online communities.
Ecommerce store primarily focused on clothing, fashion and shoes. Users can sign in to get personalised recommendations, loyalty bonuses and discount codes.
Real estate and property marketplace. Offer listings with prices and valuations, for rent or purchase. Includes advertising options and add-on services such as loans.
There are several factor which will determine the price of your app development project.
The type of app determines the the price most of the time. We look at it with amount of screens which need to be designed along with users that will be using the app. For apps which cost more, generally there will be lots of users, and user types which require better servers, and security, and much more testing.
Generally start-up, digital business sort of apps have more users, same as mobile games, whereas in house business apps which are used between teams have less opportunity to have security threats.
If you are creating a innovative digital business, and require a mobile app, it's a good idea to get a free consultation over a 1-on-1 call from one of our experts to get an idea of the process and pricing.
Features is another critical point which determines the overall pricing of an app. Not every feature is the same, there are features like social logins for example, which allows users to login through social media accounts, that are easy every day sort of features which only take a day or so to develop. While there is other features which require machine learning, that can be really complex and time consuming to develop because developers need to figure out the how, first before even beginning to write code.
Android and iOS apps are written in different programming languages, which means that having an app which supports both system requires the developers to write out the code twice for the front end of the web app, while the back end will usually be written ones. The difference between the front end and the back end, is the the back end is generally the server/database which holds the information while the front end is the visual side of things which you can see on your phone.
In some cases it is better to create a progressive web app which is developed with frameworks like react native. Which works cross browser on all browsers and devices. However most people choose to build mobile apps, because with mobile apps you generally have more control as a developer on the appearance and functionality of the app.
This depends both on the team/people you decide to use for your app design and development as well as the design requirements.
There will be both freelance designers and developers who will generally cost less then an agency to design and develop a an app. However, in this scenarios you must consider whether the freelancers is safe/trusted enough to deliver the app on time.
Whereas, usually agencies will have well organised teams and more people available, so that if there is any hiccups, they can always organise more people to work on the project to still get it delivered on time.
By working with freelancers you may find that you will save a lot of money, however you may end up losing more time throughout the process by having to test a lot of elements yourself.
Sometimes you just need a basic design to be able to launch your startup idea, to be able to validate the idea and see if it is a viable business. So avoiding a complex design which may have lots of micro interactions and animations would definitely save you a lot of money in app development.
According to Payscale, most median senior developer salaries in Australia is $116,00 per year. Which works out to be to be $72.5 per hour on average.
On average, development agencies in Australia charge roughly about $150-250 AUD per hour to cover their costs. These costs including marketing costs, staff costs, office costs, and other fees, + adding in a profit for the business owners.
The deal is that with an agency, you can almost always get what you're after, you're guaranteed an outcome. Because an agency is standing behind the work, many managers and owners are standing behind the work and pricing they are giving and always look to have a happy client in the end and not damage their reputation. An agency will have many different types of developers with different types of skill sets. Which is the reason they can ensure to get the job done correctly and on time.
Whereas, you may not get that guarantee from freelancers as they can easily avoid a client and a project that didn't quite go as they planned if mid way through the project you required additional features which that particular freelancer does not have the skill set to develop.
A proof of concept is usually required when you want to do something which isn't your every day sort of app development which can be grouped into a app type.
Let's say for example you need a app which has lots of AI requirements, which integrate with many other services and machine learning in order to work, with millions of users world wide. In this scenario the app design and development may take several months to design and build, potentially even over a year.
If the budget required for this type of app design and development was $100,000+ or over. It would be advisable to build a proof of concept first. Which would be the very basics of the app, with the most basic template sort of design, just to see that the main features or the most complex elements of the app can be produced and easily integrated into a more complex app.
The proof of concept would therefore help by being able to produce a working version quicker, and be able to test and figure out what all the major issue may be prior to spending lots of money and time developing a more complex version of the app. Only to potentially reach a point where there is a major flaw in the development by mixing too many services and features together which make the app unusable for the user.
Based on your time limitations, the price of an app can increase. An agency may have more developers then a single freelancer, however different projects have different types of developers working on it. Usually its all based on seniority.
A senior developer will definitely have more experience and know how to write the same code out more efficiently. So having a time limitation may require your project to need several senior developers working on it at the same time, or even several developers.
The reason this can change the price is because for most simple applications, junior/mid weight developers will be working on the application in order to gain the experience, while having a senior guide them. If there is a time limit it may force the company to have to re-adjust their teams to be able to fit your project within their time schedules.
Another impact of pricing is the developers location. Living standards definitely affect the pricing of development. As mentioned previously, office costs, and just basic living costs which will usually determine the hourly pricing will definitely be higher in Australia compared to somewhere else like India.
However, trust goes hand in hand with price especially when it comes to location.
The method of getting a free app development usually involve reaching out to resources like Crowd funding, Crunchbase, and Angelslist.
If you have a have an innovative idea, which can help the world in one way or another, it may be a good idea to see if you can get funded on Angels list if you don't have the funding yourself.
One of the main reasons why an app development costs so much is because of the process. In which an app is created.
Even for experienced teams, app development can take a long time to do to because it's not as simple as it may look on the front end.
Where you may have a button which does one function on the front end, on the back end you may have multiple functions tied into that button where it hides/removes features or info for another user, during a specific time of the day, during a specific day of the week and so on.
Sometimes you may request functionality like shaking the phone in order to turn on functionality.
The development process is made up of multiple stages:
By having a chat with one of our experts we can determine the type of programming languages we need to use in order to achieve your required functionalities. Which can sometimes determine the cost of development because different frame works will have different methods of writing out code.
We will create basic wireframes of your project which we will use to make sure that our communication is on point. Through this step we can also consult you on services you may need to use. For example, using google maps on a live app will usually cost you a monthly fee depending on how many users used the feature.
Some large companies pay over $100,00 per month to use google maps, like Uber for example. While there is usually open source alternatives, sometimes for some features it may be cheaper for you to develop the third party tool then to use existing plugins.
Depending on how much time you want spend on design can result in different prices. We have options for 1 mockup, 2 or 3, the more mockups you require, the more time needs to be spent doing the design which can increase the total cost of the project.
The development may require more then one developer working on the project, with large projects we may have 5 or more developers working on the project at the same time. Which requires highly skilled team leaders to be able to run the project without any issues.
Throughout the development, good developers will also leave very neath and well written code, which will have comments for any other developer who is reading the code to understand what each area of the code does.
Writing the code out well and using correct naming and comments takes a little bit more time then if you are writing a simple 100-200 lines of code. Most apps have 10,000+ lines of code, and therefore really need to be well written so they can be modular. Modular development means that at any time other developer teams can understand the code and remove elements or add new elements to create new features without much problem.
Which means that in the future if you want to edit your app, it won't cost a lot to get that done.
Having a large team, allows us to be able to test a lot faster, but also be able to find a lot more bugs. Testing can be a really time consuming stage of the development as you may run into issues which are one of a kind sort of bug, which are not easy or have any sort of guides you can follow to fix the issue.
Testing is a critical part of development which ensures that once it is complete, you will have a mobile app which is reliable and trustworthy to use for your business and for your users.
Based on all these factors, we believe the best way to find out how much it costs to develop an app is by speaking to either a freelance app developer or an agency. We have 1 on 1 live calls available with one of our experts to help you make the right choice.
