All about app development and associated costs

ALL ABOUT APP DEVELOPMENT AND ASSOCIATED COSTS

Wherever you see it today, you'll find new apps popping up on different social networks every day. The market for app development is large and everyone wants to realize his idea and test how it arrives at the users. Not only almost every company now has an app, many people who have never had anything to do with apps before, try to realize their idea in addition to the profession.

But how do you do that? It seems easy, or is not it? Which questions do you have to ask yourself? What does it take to develop an app? Where should one start? Is the subject of app development really that complicated?

That can be frustrating, right?

In the meantime, there is almost no way for companies to bypass their own app, and average consumers also only think of apps when it comes to new ideas.

But first‌.

Why does your company or startup need a mobile app and what are the costs?

You've probably already heard about the benefits of a mobile app. If you do not know the benefits yet, I will briefly explain them.

A mobile app makes you available to customers around the clock .

Today's consumers spend an average of about 200 minutes a day on their smartphones. An app gives you the ability to communicate with your company around the clock and view content without having to change the device. Other companies offer this too, not to offer it is now a real competitive disadvantage, so the topic of app development should be discussed in every company.

A mobile app helps to address customers live and bind them to the company.

Real-time communication makes the customer feel connected to the business, resulting in strong customer loyalty. In addition, customers can be supported and advised faster and easier via chat and support functions.

A mobile app also helps to strengthen brand identity.

The more customers use or see your app, the more likely they are to purchase products from your company. If you use strong icons that point to the brand, it is quite understandable that they burn into the heads of consumers after 200 minutes a day.

Mobile apps convey a certain value to the customer.

An app can be used in different ways to reach the customer. Through coupon promotions, through information on the range, etc. An app is also a great way to provide live support, without the customer having to look complicated on your website for a solution. In addition, an own app suggests a certain quality. An app is almost as important today as the company's website.

And last but not least, a mobile app is like another sales platform.

An app provides the ability to do everything a client would normally do on your website. However, in today's world, using the smartphone is far more

common and convenient, which makes many consumers enjoy shopping on their smartphone.

Now that we've got that sorted out, we'll deal with anything that affects the cost of app development.

BONUS: What does it cost to develop a mobile app? Ask a question now

Factors that affect the app development

cost

of

Mobile applications can be varied in size, appearance, colors, and features.

There are a variety of elements that can be integrated into a mobile application and each of them affects the cost of app development. An app is basically like a car. You can buy a very cheap car, without much equipment.

But you can also buy a car from the premium segment, with leather seats, sports steering wheel, etc.

Primary factors that influence the cost of development are: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Business Model of the app Platform which is used features design developer

Let's take a closer look at each of these elements.

1. Business Model: What is needed?

The challenge of building a mobile app starts with the way you want to generate income from it.

If you want to develop an app, you always have to ask yourself how it has to be designed to suit your business model.

• • • • • • • • •

Where does your target group spend their time?

Which devices and platforms do you use?

How do you want to earn money with the app?

Will it be available for free?

Will it be offered for a fix price?

Do you want to earn money via in-app sales?

Will your app earn money through advertising on your own products or through third-party advertising?

Is your target group more interested in a beautiful design or pure functionality?

Is the app the result of a specific learning that you have done in the past?

Each of these factors (and a host of others) will affect how your mobile app has to be built, and how much you need to invest in the design, functionality, and development of such a mobile app.

Sure, it's easier to just develop an app that is offered at a fixed price. For example, in-app purchases are often more lucrative, but require more development time and are therefore more expensive again. And if you want to provide a full-fledged e-commerce user experience, you'll have to reckon with higher costs.

The means to properly connect with your customer to generate sales will be the lion's share of the cost.

2. Platform: Android vs Apple?

Once you've determined what your app needs and whom it should reach, you need to think about which platforms it should be available on.

You can develop the app for a variety of platforms: iOS (iPhone and iPad), Android, Windows Phone, Web or all together. And depending on which platforms the app should be available on, the price for the app development will change.

When we talk about mobile apps, for many it's mostly Android or iOS, or both.

As a general rule, iOS is faster and easier to develop than Android. On average, say leading developers, an Android app takes 2-3 times longer than an iOS app. Apple users are generally more committed than User Base, which is why many decide to develop only on iOS and then follow up Android, if it has been shown that the iOS version has arrived at the user's positive.

However, Android has caught up in recent years and many developers find that there are no major differences between the two platforms. From the market perspective, Android has a higher penetration rate than iOS and also a higher range, especially in developing countries.

At this point, you need to be clear about your target audience and choose the right platforms for it.

Applaunch.io

Or should your target group be in Europe for example, iOS is the clear winner.

Applaunch.io

Equal to all, it is best to make platform choice dependent on your target audience. Best of all, it is natural to offer both platforms. The respective costs are now closer together, however, as already mentioned, the costs for the development of Android are still higher than in iOS.

If you decide to launch on both platforms at the same time, you can expect to expect about twice the cost. There are similarities, which will reduce costs a bit, so you can expect about 90% more costs.

3. App types and functionalities Now that you've decided on a platform, or even both, it's time to plunge into the build process of the app. The type of app and the technical specifications will determine what the app will end up costing.

Apps are getting more and more dynamic from time to time and there is now almost no limit to what can be done. For the purpose of this tutorial, we divide into four different app categories:

1.

2.

3.

4.

lists Database Based Dynamic Apps games

Let's take a closer look at each category.

lists These are apps that are primarily designed to render relatively simple content. Content such as information, recipes, etc. Basically, it's apps that allow the user to click around like a web page to retrieve content and access other content.

Database Based These are already complicated apps that allow the user to retrieve content from a database. Database apps access APIs or interfaces from web pages or third-party pages and access data to present in the app.

Dynamic Apps These are similar to the database based apps, but here content is not just presented, but this content communicates with other content of other devices and interfaces. An example of this is, for example, an app that accesses content from Twitter and transmits and processes this data in real time. APIs can vary in their quality and complexity, which can vary the cost of such an app from very low to very high.

games Last but not least, games. The hardest to develop apps on the market.

Simple games can be like dynamic apps in terms of cost. However, more complex games with 3D elements and your own game physics can be extremely elaborate and expensive to develop. Games like Candy Crush etc.

can easily reach millions in development. However, like to play the money fast again.

While these four app categories provide a relatively good overview of the market, you can probably set up another 100 app categories, as these are extremely individual and each app differs from the other.

The important thing is to understand that each app, with its unique features, can have different development cost structures. There are often features that you would expect to be easy to implement, but which can make up the lion's share of the cost. Again, there are functions that are relatively simple to implement but seem complex.

You'll never know that unless you've got opinions from different developers.

4. Design: Average or High End? When it comes to app development, design can play just as much a role as the development of the functions themselves.

Customers buy with their eyes. A flashy icon can catch your eye. A stunning design can make the customer use the app over and over again. (In fact, many designer apps try to make apps so beautiful that the user does not want to put away his cell phone anymore ).

To look good your app will need an icon, a splash screen (start screen when the app opens), navigation, buttons and many other design elements.

An excellent design, however, is also associated with costs. While you can find designs in the price range between 1,000 € and 100,000 €, you can see a decisive difference between a 300 € icon and the 1,500 € counterpart. If

you care about the design of your app, then you should set up a buffer for your design in your budget planning.

At this point, you just have to be clear about your budget planning and your target audience. If your target market is more sensitive to design, you should reduce the cost of features and spend more on the design. If the target audience values functionality and user experience, then the design should rank second. The design should be appealing, but often an app convinces with its idea.

Choosing the right designer can also influence the decision for the right developer

5. Developer: Freelancer vs Agency Everything we have covered so far has only been with the app itself and the way to implement it.

The business model that will shape your app, the platform you want to use, the features your app should have, and the quality of your app's design are all cost factors that you can not really influence.

Let's call these costs the "objective" cost of app development.

Unfortunately, there are also "subjective" costs in the app development and these concern the instance that you choose for the development or realization of your app.

There are basically 3 types of developers you can choose:

1. Freelancers

2. Small Agencies ( Applaunch.io ) 3. Great agencies These are a variety of advantages and disadvantages of these three types of developers.

Freelancers When you engage a freelancer, you are basically renting a simple person and all the risks that comes with it. If the freelancer is not experienced enough, it may mean that you lose your money. If the freelancer is slow, does not deliver on time, or is unmotivated, it can unnecessarily stretch your project.

In addition, the qualifications of a single freelancer can be very limited. It's very rare that a simple freelancer can build a large, complex app on his own (though he may argue that). If the app is simple and straightforward, it's also almost impossible for a simple freelancer to implement it with a correspondingly high quality. If you decide to go freelancers, it is advisable to hire several freelancers, which in turn means that these individuals must communicate and work with each other, even if they have never done so before.

There are unique and compelling freelancers out there and should you manage to find some of them, you can expect a great app at a low cost. But it is more likely that you end up without an app and without money.

applaunch.io The team of applaunch.io offers exactly what was declared in the field of freelancers. We are a team of 8 developers who all started as individual freelancers and now realize projects together under the name applaunch.io

App. In doing so, we organize cost-technically between freelancers and large agencies. We create and design compelling and unique apps and work closely with our clients. Our team has been active for 5 years and has more than 80 years of development experience. Due to the fact that we have already realized several app projects, our team works like a clockwork. This allows us to offer every customer a top quality at very good prices.

Many of our clients were with agencies before they came to us and did not want large companies to realize their idea simply and creatively, according to a fixed scheme. We at applaunch.io put every idea in our hearts and try to make every idea successful. We are founders ourselves and have our own app ideas. This way, we can support every customer in terms of investors and marketing, and we are happy to share our experiences.

Great agencies Big agencies offer great teams, tremendous experience and a big brand that stands for the quality of the results. If you decide on a big agency, you get a quality promise. Agencies can also expect a lot from this promise. At the same time, this promise does not always exist. A multi million euro company can mess up an app just like a simple developer. If the agency does not understand what the customer wants, then a handful of experienced developers will not help.

The type of developer you choose will have a big impact on what you end up paying to develop your app. In the next section you will see how much this amount can vary.

How much does an app development ultimately cost?

What will this cost you?

Well, it depends who you ask. And development projects are notorious for having their costs extremely variable. Give your project to 5 different developers and you will get 5 completely different offers guaranteed.

According to a study by Kinvey , companies pay an average of about â‚Ź 270,000 for the development of an app.

And the whole process takes about 1 full year to complete.

We at applaunch.io offer a free consultation regarding the costs and the marketing of your app.

According to a study by the 12 leading app developer companies, the cost of an app for iOS can vary from $ 38,000 for a simple app to $ 171,000 for an iOS app with rich features.

Here is an excerpt of the costs of the various development stages in app development: And last but not least, a report from the OSX Daily , which says that a simple iPad app is between € 3,000 and € 8,000. A more complex app (developed mainly by well-known brands) can range between € 50,000 and € 150,000.

As you can see, it ultimately depends largely on who you choose to develop your app. All in all, however, it can already be said that if you are faced with the decision to develop an app for your business or idea, you should bring with it a certain budget.

BONUS: What does it cost to develop a mobile app? Ask a question now .

How can you roughly calculate the cost of an app development?

After listing and discussing the various factors that influence the cost of app development, it is understandable that finding an average app development price is difficult.

Luckily, you can not care less about the average price. Every app is unique.

So you do not have to worry about anyone coming and say their app was 50% cheaper. Each app has its own individual requirements and costs.

Understanding this, many app developers are offering companies cost calculators to estimate roughly the cost of your app development.

Here are some of you listed that you can use to get a feel for the cost of an app. These costs are no guarantee of what you ultimately pay the developer.

But they give you a rough feeling about it.

Otreva Calculator A very thorough app that allows you to enter various details for a more accurate estimate.

Calculator for Mobile app Cost

Imason Calculator This is another very good calculator that allows you to enter more accurate specifications via the app.

Applaunch - Mobile App Development

What if you can not development of an app?

afford the

As we have seen today, a mobile app can be enormously costly and therefore costly. So what if you have an idea or a business model that needs a mobile app, but the budget is missing.

We at applaunch.io have recently introduced a referral program that allows anyone to easily budget for an app development. You can recommend applaunch.io to friends, family or business partners and receive per successful recommendation a contingent of development hours to realize your own idea. These development hours can also be paid out in cash. The lessons do not have to be redeemed.

To recommend someone, just send contact@applaunch.io with the subject EUERNAME "" and we'll do the rest for you.

us an email "recommendation

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