In short: the cost of a mobile app depends less on its number of screens than on what runs behind them. User accounts, payments, an admin panel and third-party integrations push the quote up much faster than design does. A focused, cross-platform first version lets you launch on a controlled budget, then fund what comes next with your first users.
How much does a mobile app cost?
There is no list price for an app, because an app isn’t a finished product but an assembly of building blocks. An offline quiz app and an ordering app connected to a restaurant’s kitchen can have the same number of screens. Yet the second one needs accounts, a server, notifications, an admin panel and a ticket printer.
What gets priced, then, is the list of building blocks. That’s also why a serious quote starts with questions rather than a number. Our estimate form follows exactly this logic: project type, starting point, features, timeline, then budget.
The line items that set the price of an app
Six line items account for most of a quote. Design is one of them, but it rarely weighs the most.
1. Screens and user flows
A flow is a sequence of screens that leads to an outcome: placing an order, booking, studying for an exam. We price flows more than screens, because a list screen is quick to adapt while a checkout flow with all its error cases takes time.
2. User accounts
As soon as a user logs in, you need a server, a database, password management, often Sign in with Apple or Google, and the account deletion the stores require. An app without accounts is much cheaper to build and maintain.
3. Payments and subscriptions
Paying for an order, subscribing, unlocking a premium version: each case has its own rules. Purchases of digital content go through Apple’s and Google’s systems, while a meal order goes through a payment provider. On RideLuv, for example, ride payments and driver payouts were a full project of their own.
4. The admin panel
This is where you manage the app without a developer: products, orders, content, users, analytics. Your customers never see it, yet it becomes essential as soon as the app runs day to day. The GoodFood admin panel lets the owner open service, edit the menu and track deliveries on his own.
5. Third-party integrations
A bank, a printer, a map, an AI, a point-of-sale system: every external service adds documentation to read, tests to run and error cases to plan for. The automatic printing of kitchen tickets at Brive Food, over Bluetooth or the local network, is a good example.
6. Platforms and languages
iOS only, iOS and Android, one app for customers and another for professionals, one language or ten: every platform and every language has to be tested and published. The technology choice matters directly here, as we explain in React Native or native: which to choose.
What kind of app for what budget?
The ranges below are the ones in our estimate form. They give a rough idea of what can be built in each, not a rate: every project is priced after a conversation about your actual needs.
| Planned budget | What this range usually covers |
|---|---|
| €500 to €2,000 | A targeted service rather than a full app: a clickable prototype to test the idea, App Store and Google Play listings, a small update to an existing app. |
| €2,000 to €5,000 | A very focused first version: a few flows, few or no accounts, no payments or admin panel. |
| €5,000 to €15,000 | An iOS and Android app with accounts, online data, notifications and a simple admin panel. |
| €15,000 to €40,000 | Payments, several user roles (customer, manager, driver), third-party integrations and a full admin panel. |
| Over €40,000 | Several connected apps, AI, banking data, many languages or strict security requirements. |
If you don’t know yet which range you fall into, that’s normal. The “I don’t know yet” answer is in the form for exactly that reason, and we help you set a budget that matches what you want to launch. And if a website is enough to get started, the details are in how much a showcase website costs.
How to lower the cost without compromising the launch?
The most effective lever isn’t negotiating the day rate, it’s narrowing the first version down to what proves the idea works. Everything else gets built afterwards, based on feedback from your first users rather than assumptions.
- Go cross-platform when nothing requires native: a single codebase for iOS and Android.
- Postpone the full admin panel: at first, a minimal dashboard or an existing tool is sometimes enough.
- Limit user roles: a customer app first, the driver or manager app later.
- Start from an existing brand identity if it holds up, rather than recreating everything.
- Prepare the content yourself (copy, photos, catalog) when you already have it.
The costs that come after launch
A live app keeps costing a little every month, and you should plan for it from the start. Developer accounts aren’t free: Apple charges for its Developer Program yearly, and Google asks for a one-time registration fee to publish on Google Play.
On top of that come server and database hosting, which scales with your number of users, any third-party services (maps, text messages, AI) and updates. Apple and Google update their systems every year, and an app that is never updated eventually breaks down.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum cost of a mobile app?
It depends on what the app needs to do. A very focused first version, without accounts or payments, costs much less than an ordering app with an admin panel. In our benchmarks, a first app version starts in the €2,000 to €5,000 range, the lower ranges being used for targeted services instead.
Does an iOS and Android app cost twice as much?
Not with a cross-platform technology like React Native, which shares most of the code between both systems. There are still platform-specific tests and adjustments, but it’s far from double. With native development, using Swift for iOS and Kotlin for Android, you do build two apps.
How long does it take to build an app?
The timeline follows the scope: a few weeks for a focused first version, several months for a platform with payments, an admin panel and several user roles. Store review adds a few days at the end. The steps are detailed in our guide to building a mobile app.
Do you have to pay every year to keep your app?
Yes, in part. The Apple developer account is a yearly subscription, server hosting is paid monthly, and updates are needed to keep up with new versions of iOS and Android. Google Play only asks for a one-time registration fee.
Does the online estimate commit me to anything?
No. It helps define your needs and prepare our conversation. We then get back to you with a detailed quote and a timeline, with no commitment on your part.
The budget benchmarks in this article are indicative. They are not a quote: every project is priced after a conversation about its actual scope.
Further reading
- How much does a visual identity cost? Logo, guidelines and design system
- Build a ride-hailing app like Uber
- Build a booking app
- Build a budgeting app
- Agency or freelancer to build your app
- How to build a mobile app: the steps from idea to App Store
- React Native or native: which to choose for your app
- Our iOS and Android mobile app development services