How Much Does a Mobile App Cost? // Grossum Experience
February 16th, 2016
We have done quite a few mobile app projects and decided to compare them to give you a glimpse of mobile app requirements.
Budget & Deadlines
One of the most "trending" questions in regards to mobile apps is the price tag and development time.
Based on the projects we have worked with, the median time required is about 2-4 months. Granted, some apps can be done faster, but it depends on the project requirements, the platforms you want to create your app for, etc.
Clutch did a survey of mobile app development companies and came up with a wider median cost range for mobile app components (assuming the hourly rate to be $150):
Questions to consider before the development process:
- Do you have an app already and need to remake it?
- Is there user data that needs to be stored and managed?
- Do you need design (and how "trendy" you want / need it to be?)
- What platforms do you want the app to work on? (iOS, Android, WindowsPhone, all of the above or cross-platform Xamarin?)
Having answers to (or, at least, approximate thoughts about) these questions would help your developers to get on the same page with you.
What platforms to use?
iOS became the leader of the apps we have worked with. Most of our clients have worked with us on developing an iOS app and some have developed Android as an addition to iOS. One client, due to project requirements and time constraints, developed an app using Xamarin, which is a cross-platform tool.
Who is needed on your team?
In a blog post about a dream team, we have discussed the possible combination of developers, QAs, and PMs.
For our mobile app projects, on average, the teams consisted of 1 PM, 1QA, and 1 developer per platform.
Conclusions
Choosing which platforms to use mainly depends on the target audience that you want to target.
User demographic, as divided by the U.S. user income distribution:
- iOS: low (23%) / middle (36%) / high (41%)
- Android: low (39%) / middle (37%) / high (24%)
Price greatly depends on your requirements, ranging from $2,500 for a very simple app to 100K and up for apps that require serious back-end and various platforms.
Kinvey research has shown that 97% of Chief Information Officers (CIOs) have high hopes for what mobile can do for their businesses. 46% CIOs said it was critical to their business and 51% responded that it's important.
Looking for a mobile development partner?
