In 2026 a simple cross-platform app (iOS and Android, up to 5 screens, no backend) can start around $400, an app MVP with a backend and admin dashboard from about $2,000, and a fuller launch with user roles, push notifications and store publishing from about $4,000. Quotes from other providers can be many times higher; the gap usually comes from team size, overhead and how clearly the scope is written. Budget separately for running costs such as the Apple developer account ($99 a year) and Google Play ($25 once).
"How much does an app cost?" is a bit like asking how much a house costs. A studio flat and a villa are both houses. Still, the question has real answers once you know what kind of app you mean, and most of the price comes from a handful of decisions you can control.
This guide gives you actual numbers (our own published starting prices, not a vague range), explains why quotes for the "same" app can differ by ten times, and lists the costs that arrive after launch, which many guides skip.
The short answer: price by type of app
These are the starting prices we quote for iOS and Android apps built from one codebase. Final prices depend on the written scope, but this is where real projects land.
| Type of app | What it includes | Starts from | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter app | Up to 5 screens, no backend (content, calculator, catalog, simple tools) | $400 | Days |
| App MVP | Up to 8 screens, a backend (for example Firebase), sign-in and an admin dashboard | $2,000 | 2–6 weeks |
| Full MVP | Up to 15 screens, user roles, push notifications, App Store and Google Play publishing | $4,000 | Depends on scope |
| Two-sided app | Two user apps (rider/driver, student/tutor, customer/provider) plus an admin dashboard | From the MVP tier ($2,000+) | 2–6 weeks for an MVP |
| Web app instead of a mobile app | Sign-in, database, one core workflow, admin view, works in the browser | $1,500 | About 3 weeks |
Two things surprise people about this table. First, the jump from "starter" to "MVP" is mostly about the backend: the moment users sign in, save data or talk to each other, you need a server side and an admin view. Second, a two-sided app is really two or three products, which is why a ride-hailing or tutoring app never costs the same as a single-user app.
Why quotes for the "same app" vary so much
You can send one idea to five providers and get five prices that look unrelated. The usual reasons:
- Who builds it. A solo freelancer, a small studio and a large agency with account managers, project managers and offices all carry very different costs. Some of that overhead buys you real things (bigger teams, on-site meetings); some of it does not change the code.
- How the scope was read. "A booking app" can mean 6 screens or 60. If a quote does not list screens, roles and integrations, you are not comparing like with like.
- One codebase or two. Building separate native apps for iOS and Android roughly means two front-end projects. Cross-platform frameworks such as Flutter and React Native let one team ship both from one codebase, which is how we work in most cases. Our Flutter vs React Native guide covers when that trade-off is right.
- What is quietly excluded. Design, the admin dashboard, store publishing and the bug-fix period are sometimes extra. A low quote that excludes them is not cheaper.
- Speed of the team. Teams that use modern AI coding tools inside a disciplined process can build faster, and time is most of the price. That only works inside a disciplined process: written scope, early previews, code review and testing.
The decisions that actually move the price
Rather than pricing features one by one, it helps to know which decisions are cheap and which are expensive. Here is how common features affect a typical app budget:
| Feature or decision | Effect on cost | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Extra simple screens (about, FAQ, settings) | Low | Mostly layout work |
| Sign-in with email, phone OTP, Google or Apple | Low to medium | Ready-made services do most of the work; SMS has running costs |
| Admin dashboard | Medium | It is a second product, but usually a simple web app |
| Online payments (cards, wallets) | Medium | Gateway integration, receipts, refunds, failure handling |
| Push notifications | Low to medium | Setup per platform, plus deciding what triggers each message |
| Maps and live location tracking | Medium to high | Real-time updates, battery use, map API usage |
| In-app chat | Medium to high | Real-time messaging, read states, moderation |
| Multiple user roles | Medium to high | Each role adds screens, permissions and testing |
| Arabic and English (RTL) | Low if planned, high if added later | Mirroring layouts after the fact touches every screen |
| Offline mode and syncing | High | Conflict handling is genuinely hard |
| Custom animation-heavy design | Medium to high | Design and polish time |
The pattern: anything real-time (tracking, chat), anything multi-party (roles, two-sided apps) and anything retrofitted (adding Arabic later, adding offline later) costs more than it looks on a feature list.
Costs after launch that you should budget for
The build is a one-time cost. These are not. Third-party fees are paid by you directly, in your own name, which also means you own the accounts.
| Running cost | Typical amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Developer Program | $99 per year | Needed to publish on the App Store; apps are removed if it lapses |
| Google Play developer account | $25 one-time | Needed to publish on Google Play |
| Hosting and backend | Often little or nothing at the start | Firebase, Supabase and Vercel have free or low tiers; cost grows with users |
| Maps | Free monthly allowance, then pay per use | Google Maps Platform gives a free monthly usage threshold per service |
| SMS for OTP sign-in | Per message | Varies a lot by country |
| Payment gateway | Per transaction fee | Depends on the gateway and your country |
| Store commission | Only on digital goods sold in-app | Apple and Google typically take 15% from smaller developers on in-app digital purchases and subscriptions (up to 30% above $1M a year); physical goods and real-world services like rides or deliveries don't go through in-app purchase |
| Updates and improvements | Agreed when needed | Apple and Google change requirements every year; plan for occasional updates |
A practical rule: keep part of your budget aside for the first months after launch. Real users will ask for things nobody predicted, and that first round of changes is usually the most valuable money you spend.
Three example budgets
These examples show how scope maps to the tiers above. They are illustrations, not quotes.
A salon or clinic booking app. Customers browse services, pick a slot and get a reminder; staff see their calendar; the owner manages everything from a web dashboard. That is a classic MVP: from about $2,000, around 2–6 weeks. If the owner mainly needs online booking and not an app in the store, a web booking system from about $1,500 can be enough.
A tutoring or Quran-learning app. A student app, a tutor app, session booking, tutor availability and an admin dashboard. That is a two-sided product. We built exactly this kind of app with Lawh Academy, which is live on the App Store and Google Play. Expect the MVP tier for a first version and the full tier once you add roles, notifications and both stores.
A delivery or ride-hailing app. Customer app, driver app, live tracking, fares, cash or wallet payments and an admin dashboard. This sits at the top of the range: from about $2,000 for a lean MVP, from about $4,000 for a full launch. Our DriveX rider and captain apps are live on both stores. We break this down feature by feature in the cost to build an app like Uber.
How to reduce the cost without hurting the product
- Launch the core loop first. Write down the one thing a user must be able to do (book, order, learn) and build that well. Ratings, referral codes and loyalty points can wait for version two. Our guide to MVP development cost shows how to cut scope safely.
- Use one cross-platform codebase unless you have a specific reason not to.
- Make the admin side a web dashboard. Admins sit at a desk; they rarely need a store app.
- Use proven services for sign-in, storage and notifications instead of building them.
- Decide on languages up front. If your users read Arabic, plan right-to-left layouts from day one. It is cheap at the start and expensive later.
- Give fast feedback. A project that waits a week for every answer costs more, whatever the hourly rate.
What we do not recommend: cutting the testing, skipping the written scope, or going with a quote that is far below everyone else's without asking what is missing.
How to get an accurate quote
Send any provider the same short brief so you can compare answers:
- Who uses the app (one type of user or several).
- The main actions each user takes, in plain words.
- Must-have integrations: payments, maps, chat, notifications, an existing system.
- Languages and countries.
- Your rough budget and launch date.
With that, a serious studio should come back with a written scope: screens, roles, integrations, what is excluded, timeline and payment schedule. We send ours within 24 hours, free. You can also use our project planner to turn a few choices into a brief.
Prices in your currency: see app development cost in the UAE (AED) and app development cost in Saudi Arabia (SAR).
Where to go from here
- To see how we scope, build and hand over an app, read our app development company page.
- Working with a tight budget? Our affordable app development page explains what a lean first version looks like.
FAQ
Is a $400 app realistic?
Yes, for the right kind of app: up to 5 screens, no user accounts and no backend, such as a catalog, calculator or content app. As soon as you need sign-in, saved data or an admin dashboard, you are in the MVP range, which starts around $2,000.
Do I pay separately for iOS and Android?
Not with a cross-platform build. We build one codebase that runs on both iPhone and Android, which is the main reason our prices are lower than building two native apps. The only per-platform costs are the store accounts: $99 a year for Apple and $25 once for Google Play.
Why do some companies quote ten times more for the same idea?
Usually because of team structure and overhead, a larger assumed scope, or longer timelines. A higher price is not automatically higher quality, and a lower one is not automatically worse. Compare written scopes line by line and ask to see apps they have actually published.
Can I pay in instalments?
Projects over $500 are paid in milestones, typically 30% / 40% / 30%, and you pay for each milestone after seeing it working. Nothing is paid before you approve a written scope. We do not discount our starting prices, but we can shape the scope to fit a budget.
Who owns the app after I pay?
You should, completely. We set up the code repository, hosting, database and App Store and Google Play listings in your name from day one, and hand over code, accounts and notes at the end. Make this a condition with any provider.
How much does it cost to maintain an app each year?
The fixed part is small: $99 a year for Apple, plus hosting that is often free or low at the start. The variable part is updates: new features, and occasional work when Apple or Google change their requirements. We include a bug-fix window after launch (its length is stated in the quote) and agree ongoing work separately, only when you need it.
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