Mobile app development cost: what drives the price
For founders · Updated
Filip Papranecfounder of Digitaliko
Mobile app development cost depends on three things. The path you build it on: a PWA, one app for iPhone and Android, or two native apps. How many screens, roles and integrations the first version has. And who runs it after launch. With us you have two options: a monthly subscription from €3,980 excl. VAT, or a fixed price per project.
You will not find market price ranges here. We have no verified public source we could honestly cite. Instead we explain what raises the price, where you can save and what to look for in a quote.
What drives the cost of a mobile app?
| What raises the price | Why | How to save |
|---|---|---|
| Two native apps | Every change is done twice, for iPhone and Android | One code base for both platforms, or a PWA first |
| Many screens and roles | Every role has its own rules and exceptions | A first version for one type of user |
| Integrations with other systems | Payments, inventory, accounting, maps, each one is extra work | Connect only what the first version cannot work without |
| Working offline | Data must be stored on the phone and synced later | Decide which screens really need to work offline |
| Phone features | Bluetooth, NFC or background work are not the same everywhere | Check them at the start, not after a month |
| Operations after launch | Hosting, updates, new iOS and Android versions | Ask who does it and what it costs per month |
The first row makes the biggest difference in price. How to pick the path is covered in PWA vs native app: which one does your business need?
PWA, React Native or native app: which is cheaper?
A PWA (progressive web app) is a website a person adds to their phone home screen and opens like an app. One code base for phone and computer, no store fees, new versions right away. Usually the cheapest way to your first users.
React Native with Expo is a way to build an app for iPhone and Android from one code base and publish it to the App Store and Google Play. React Native is the technology itself, Expo a set of tools on top of it for building, publishing and updates. You pay for one development, not two.
Two native apps are written separately for each system. They make sense for heavy graphics or games. But you pay for every change twice. We do not build native apps.
With a store app, also count the fees. A developer account costs 99 USD a year at Apple and 25 USD once at Google. And every new version goes through approval.
How much does a mobile app cost with us?
Try the first month. If we miss what we wrote down, we refund 50 %. Monthly subscription from €3,980 excl. VAT, pause or cancel any time. Or a fixed price per project: tell us what you need and we send you a quote. Code, data and infrastructure owned by the client from day one.
Two options:
Fixed price
- A clearly bounded scope for one price
- Can be less or more than the subscription
- Tell us what you need and we send you a quote
Monthly subscription
- From €3,980 a month excl. VAT
- Pause or cancel any time
- PWA and store app within one capacity
- Changes are part of the month
At the start we agree in writing what should be done by the end of the month. The 50 % guarantee is measured against that too. You pay hosting and store accounts directly to the providers, in your company name.
How to lower the cost of the first version?
The cheapest app is the one whose first version does one thing well. This is how we go about it:
01
One path
Pick the one thing people open the app for. The rest can wait.
02
The cheapest path that is enough
A PWA if you can send people a link. A store app if they should find you there.
03
Only the necessary integrations
Connect only the system the first version cannot work without.
04
Decide by users
More features and the stores only based on what people actually use.
On one project we had the first version in under 10 working days. When the app goes live, we stay with the client for another 30 days until everything runs. For another client we built a digital document archive with a web app for admins and a mobile app for Android and iOS. More about our cross-platform mobile app development.
What do you pay after launch?
An app does not end at launch. You pay hosting and data, and for a store app the developer accounts and changes when Apple or Google release a new system version. With a PWA the store fees and approval drop away, hosting stays.
The same goes for code and data. More in Who owns the source code of custom software.
What to check in a quote before the price?
Do you have a quote for a mobile app on the table? Tick what you find in it:
A quote without a path and without operations is only an amount for day one. How to read the price of software in general is covered in How much does custom software cost?
When we do not recommend it
- The app relies on heavy graphics or games. A native app makes sense there. We do not build those and will point you to someone else.
- You want a weekend app for yourself. Build it yourself in an AI tool. You will save money.
- You want a finished platform with everything in month one. We will not promise that. We start with what the first users need.
Vibe-code yourself a holiday app over a weekend, seriously, you save money. But if a business is going to run on it, you have to keep quality high all the time.
Want to know what your app would cost?
Tell us who will use the app and what it should do first. We get back to you within two business days, and together we pick what to fix first.
If you'd rather talk first, book a 15-minute meeting with Filip.
What is the one thing your app must do in the first version?
In short
- Mobile app cost is set by the path, the scope of the first version and operations after launch.
- A PWA is usually the cheapest. React Native with Expo gives you iPhone and Android from one code base. Two native apps mean every change twice.
- With us you pay a monthly subscription from €3,980 excl. VAT, or a fixed price for a bounded scope.
- In a quote, look for the path, both platforms, ownership of the accounts and the cost of operations.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a mobile app cost?
It depends on the path you build it on, the number of screens, roles and integrations in the first version, and who runs it after launch. With us a monthly subscription starts at €3,980 excl. VAT, or we send you a fixed price for a clearly bounded scope.
Is a PWA cheaper than an app in the App Store and Google Play?
Usually yes. A PWA has one code base for web and phone, you pay no store fees and new versions skip store approval. A store app makes sense when new people should find you there or you need phone features the web lacks.
Why is the cost of a mobile app not a single number?
Because at the start nobody knows how many exceptions and integrations the app hides. When the scope is clearly bounded, we send you a fixed price. When it is still taking shape, it is more honest to build the first version, show it to users and decide what comes next.
What do I pay for a mobile app after launch?
Hosting and data, Apple and Google developer accounts if you are in the stores, and changes for new iOS and Android versions. You pay hosting and accounts directly to the providers, in your company name.
Who owns the code of a mobile app?
With us, you do, from day one. Code, data, infrastructure and the App Store and Google Play accounts are yours, so you can change vendors or hire your own developers at any time.
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