What an App
Actually Costs
In Real Numbers
Every pricing article gives the same useless answer: $10,000 to $500,000. That is not a price. That is a way of avoiding the conversation. We have built over 300 projects. Here is what apps actually cost at $30/hour.
If your budget is under $5,000 or your concept is unvalidated, a no-code tool like Bubble or Glide is the right starting point. Build proof of concept first. Come back when you have users and a reason to go custom.
App Development Cost by Project Type
These numbers come from real quotes and real projects delivered in 2025 and 2026. Every figure assumes a written scope, an agreed brief, and client feedback within 48 hours.
Simple App (3-5 screens), $8,000 to $20,000
A focused single-purpose app. User login, a main workflow, a settings screen, and connection to an existing backend or a simple new one. Think a booking app for a single business, a loyalty card app, or a directory with filtered search. Timeline: 8 to 14 weeks.
At $8,000: Android or iOS, 3-4 screens, REST API connection to existing backend, basic push notifications, App or Play Store submission included. At $20,000: Both platforms in Flutter or React Native, custom backend, user profiles, admin dashboard, and 60 days of post-launch monitoring.
Right for: Local businesses, solopreneurs validating an idea, businesses adding a companion app to an existing service.
Not right for: Anything with real-time features, payments, or multi-user collaboration.
Mid-Complexity App (10-20 screens), $20,000 to $50,000
A product with user accounts, a custom backend, push notifications, third-party integrations (maps, payment, social login), and a proper data model. Examples: a marketplace connecting two user types, a subscription content app, a healthcare intake app, a field service management tool. Timeline: 14 to 22 weeks.
At $20,000: Single platform, standard feature set, Stripe or PayPal, admin panel. At $50,000: Cross-platform, real-time data, multi-role access, CRM integration, analytics dashboard, and a marketing landing page.
Right for: Funded startups, established SMBs expanding to mobile, SaaS companies adding a native companion app.
Not right for: Teams without a product manager or clear user research.
Full-Featured App (enterprise or complex SaaS), $50,000 to $120,000
A production-grade product with real-time capabilities, AI features, complex business logic, multi-tenant architecture, and a scalable infrastructure. Examples: a logistics platform with driver and dispatcher roles, a telemedicine app with video consultation, an AI content tool with subscription billing. Timeline: 24 to 40 weeks.
At $50,000: Full feature set, one platform, AI integration, admin panel, production AWS infrastructure, basic analytics. At $120,000: Cross-platform, multi-tenant, AI pipeline, Stripe subscription billing, team accounts, role permissions, onboarding flow, and marketing site.
Right for: Series A founders, enterprise teams replacing legacy mobile workflows, SaaS products adding a native mobile layer.
Client reference: UltimaBot, an AI automation platform we have built and maintained since 2019. Steven: “I get more quality from CV Infotech than working with local companies.”
AI-Integrated App, $15,000 to $60,000 (on top of base app cost)
Adding AI capabilities to a mobile app is a separate cost layer on top of the underlying app. Common integrations: GPT for in-app writing assistance, Claude for document summarisation, Whisper for voice transcription, Vision API for image recognition, or a custom fine-tuned model.
At $15,000: Single AI feature (e.g. a chatbot or writing assistant) with API integration, rate limiting, and a clean UI. At $60,000: Full AI product layer with vector database, conversation history, prompt engineering, fine-tuning, and usage analytics.
Right for: Products where AI genuinely improves the core user workflow.
Not right for: Apps adding AI as a marketing feature rather than a real capability. We will tell you the difference before you commit.
Progressive Web App (PWA), $5,000 to $15,000
A PWA runs in the browser but behaves like a native app, installable from the browser, works offline, sends push notifications, and loads instantly. No App Store approval required. No $99/year Apple developer fee.
At $5,000: A well-designed PWA shell over an existing web app. At $15,000: A full PWA with offline mode, background sync, and custom install prompt.
Right for: Web-first businesses that want app-like behaviour without the App Store barrier.
Not right for: Products requiring camera access, biometrics, or Bluetooth hardware.
App Maintenance and Updates, $80 to $300/month or $30/hour
After launch, apps require OS compatibility updates (iOS and Android release major updates annually), bug fixes, performance monitoring, and dependency updates. We offer monthly maintenance retainers or time-and-materials at $30/hour.
Monthly retainer covers: one OS update cycle per year, priority bug fixing within 24 hours, monthly performance report, and dependency security patches.
What Each Feature Costs at $30/Hour
Most agencies price apps as a black box. You get a total number with no breakdown. We publish the hours behind the number so you can make informed decisions about which features to include in phase one and which to defer. These are estimates, not fixed prices, every feature scope varies. They give you a framework for conversations with any agency, not just us.
Hours shown are for implementation only. UI design is a separate estimate. Backend infrastructure (AWS, database, CDN) costs are separate and billed at actual cloud provider rates.
US Agency vs In-House India Team: What the Numbers Actually Look Like
A US-based app development agency charges $100 to $200 per hour. A quality in-house India team charges $30 per hour. On a $30,000 project at US rates, that same budget at our rate buys $100,000 worth of development. The question is not whether to go offshore. The question is how to verify quality when you cannot walk into the office.
Third-party verified reviews
Not testimonials on their own site. Clutch interviews clients before publishing reviews. Freelancer.com verifies project completion. We have 512 verified 5.0 reviews on Freelancer and 35 verified 5.0 reviews on Clutch.
Named clients and case studies
Steven, John Gowland, Laura Maher, Francisco Escobar. Real names. Real businesses. Real video reviews. Not stock-photo testimonials.
Direct developer access
You meet the actual team before work starts. Not a sales team. Not a project manager. The developer who will build your app.
No outsourcing policy in writing
We state it explicitly, 100% in-house. If an agency does not state this, ask directly. “Do you use subcontractors?” The answer reveals a lot.
How We Quote, Scope, and Deliver Your App
You know what you are paying before you pay anything. Here is how we get there.
Brief Review
Day 1You send a brief: what the app does, who the users are, target platforms, and any technical constraints (existing backend, preferred cloud provider, compliance requirements). We review it the same day.
Deliverable: Confirmation of receipt and a discovery call scheduled within 24 hours.
Discovery Call
Days 1-245 minutes. We map out the full feature set, ask about edge cases, and flag scope risks early. We ask the questions that surface hidden complexity, offline mode requirements, data privacy rules, third-party API dependencies.
Deliverable: Discovery notes document shared within 24 hours of the call.
Scope and Feature Map
Days 2-4A written document listing every feature, its acceptance criteria, excluded scope, the estimated hours per feature at $30/hour, and a total project cost. No feature is vague. Every deliverable is specific enough that you can verify it was built correctly.
Deliverable: Scope document within 48 hours of discovery call.
Quote and Agreement
Days 4-5Fixed-price quote tied to the scope document. Payment schedule: 30% to start, 40% at mid-point after design approval, 30% on delivery. Changes outside scope priced separately in writing before execution.
Deliverable: Signed agreement and project kickoff date confirmed.
Build, Test, and Launch
OngoingTwo-week development sprints. You receive a working build on your device at the end of every sprint. QA testing on 15+ physical devices. App Store or Play Store submission handled by us.
Deliverable: Live app, full codebase, documentation, and 30-day post-launch support window.
App Development Cost Questions, Answered
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Know Your App Budget Before You Commit to Anyone
The scope document is free. The discovery call is free. The quote is free. You only pay when work starts, against a scope you have agreed to in writing. If the numbers do not fit your budget, we will tell you honestly, and suggest what to build first.