How to Develop a Business App at a Reasonable Price? (And How Long Does It Take?)

One of the most frequently asked questions is ‘How much does it cost to make an app?’ If you ask this of an app developer, they are very likely to answer with annoying and quite a vague response. Some websites offer to ‘guesstimate’ the cost of developing your app. But they are just using marketing tools to hook you. In fact, the price of a business application varies enormously – anything between $25,000 to $300,000. But they are just ballpark figures that may change during the app development process.

If you’ve decided to create an application to boost your business opportunities or take your current entrepreneurial venture to the next level, you’re on the right track. But there are many pitfalls and challenges on this track that you want to be aware before embarking on your app development quest. In today’s article, we’re going to discuss app development costs, the topic that interests the majority of business owners.

Basic costs

Having established that the main cost of an app is based upon the time it takes to develop it, we need to consider its scope and complexity. The features and option you want to implement, will dictate the development time. Note that complex and feature-rich apps may require bespoke coding and/or third-party API’s. Simple apps usually come with basic functionality that don’t require developers to create tons of code from scratch and thus are less time consuming. If you want to add more platforms, be prepared to fork out and wait longer. Normally, making your app suitable for multiple platforms means twice the work usually undertaken by separate teams working in parallel. This also adds complexity and incurs further project management costs. A cross-platform or hybrid app development program may be your best option. At least it’s held within one team. (To learn more about cross-platform solutions, visit LITSLINK’s website.)

How long does it actually take?

Let’s review some examples. If you want to integrate features that will allow you to communicate with your audience and provide them with an opportunity to engage with your app in a number of different ways, you’ll need to wait for another 50+ hours. Adding in-app purchases and payment support will app 70 hours to your time list. If you want your users to be able to synchronize your app across multiple devices, throw in an additional 60+ hours. Location-based services will postpone the delivery of the final product for another 30+ hours. If you want a customized visual design, that can set you back 170+ hours. The wireframing of screens, plus UI and UX design – all adds time and therefore cost.

The cheapest option would be to use OS-supplied items and standard screen elements. An average app consisting of seven screens requires approximately 56 hours for wireframing, 88 hours of visual design, and a further 28 hours for the user experience design.

Any robust and efficient application can’t do without backend infrastructure and administration, which normally generates about 170 hours. The number of parameters and amount of detail, in their turn, determine the volume of work required. Third-party APIs demand on average an extra 50 hours. Implementing basic controls, on the other hand, shouldn’t take longer than 20 hours.

An administration panel is one of the most effective tools for managing app content, users, and stats. Adapting an existing panel template is possible, but finding a good one can be problematic. Creating the one that matches your business needs may add an additional 100 hours.

Where to find value-for-money app developers?

Finally, you need to consider post-release services, such as app promotion, ongoing maintenance, upgrades, and future-proofing. The cost of that time may vary within the geographic location of your development company. Using a US or Canadian company, for example, can set you back up to $300 per hour, while most Asian countries seem to be happy with about $30. A good example of a median price band is Eastern Europe, at about $60 per hour. For your hard-earned money, you’ll get a qualified and highly motivated team of experts, whose expertise and experience are no inferior to their US or Canadian counterparts. Other factors that may influence the development costs include a chosen company’s reputation, the number of successfully completed projects, on-time delivery, and the ability to tailor your app’s features to your business and customers’ needs.

It’s a rare business owner who doesn’t want to reduce their app development costs. But every seasoned entrepreneur knows how tricky and unreliable cheap offers can be. You would be well-advised to research the company you aim to hire and make sure they possess the skills and expertise required to put your idea into practice.