Factors that Will Determine Mobile App Development Cost in 2024

As new technology trends are shaping the mobile app market, the cost of mobile app development is also experiencing a big impact. Mobile apps continue to be a major product focus and development goal for rising and aspiring entrepreneurs to sustain in this digital-leading world.

Startups and businesses are increasingly investing in mobile app development services to build business-oriented apps for multiple industries and consumer markets. As a result, this growing demand and technological advancement are set to affect app development costs.

If you are curious about the expenses behind making mobile apps in 2024 and wondering what goes into the costs, in this blog, we will break down the mobile app development cost in 2024 for you in simple terms. So Let’s dive into the world of app development expenses and understand what factors influence the overall cost.

Overview Of The Current Mobile App Development Market

With the increasing smartphone penetration and mobile app adoption, the demand for mobile app solutions is skyrocketing. According to GrandViewResearch’s latest reports, the global mobile application market size was recorded at $206.85 Billion in 2022. And this is projected to reach $583.03 Billion at a CAGR of 12.8 for the period 2022-2030.

Not only this, on average, 1758 new mobile apps are released on Google Play Store every day. (Source: 42matters). Hence, these surmounting market figures demonstrate how extensively the mobile application market is growing. From startups to small businesses and enterprises to big brands, every business size today seeks custom mobile app development services to build business-oriented mobile apps for a variety of purposes.

Factors That Affect The Overall App Development Costs

Here are specific questions that you might have to come across while estimating the cost of your mobile app. Since the building, an application is an expensive errand as it involves human labor, technology, and a lot more which doesn’t come free. Irrespective of your app domain, every app comes up with unique functionalities and features that add up the bucks to your total budget. Hence, there are various factors associated that impact the overall app development cost.

Choosing Development Partner

There’s always a fix while choosing the tech partner since this impacts the cost of your mobile app development process at large. Generally, there are two options available hire dedicated app developer or outsource the project to an app development company. Selecting a mobile app development company gives you an edge over freelancers as it has a lot more to offer in terms of technology than that of the freelancer.

On the other hand, choosing a freelancer can cut your app development cost. Still, there are several aspects where you end up compromising, for example, the stipulated duration of development, source code, and much more. Generally speaking, choosing a mobile app development company is a better approach regardless of the cost when you intend to make an application in the long run.

Features & Functionalities

The functionality and features required for the application as the key factor that drives the cost of an application. The discovery phase of the application includes understanding the business stream, the objective and purpose of the application, and how the application will enhance current business forms. At this underlying point, the app development team picks up a comprehension of what functionality and features are required. The functionalities and features will assume a noteworthy part of the general cost.If you are outsourcing your project to a mobile app development company in USA, this might affect the price since they charge higher for adding innovative features.

App Complexity

The business rationale of the mobile application to be executed structures the building piece of any mobile application, characterizing the features and the multifaceted nature of the features. Accordingly, the cost of a mobile application fluctuates based on the business rationale. The kind of application to be manufactured is likewise a key factor to be mulled over while deciding application development cost. For instance, if you are developing an app for wedding planning business, the cost of wedding planning app development will be affected due to its complexity and features.

Picking Up the Appropriate Platform- Native Vs. Hybrid

There is always a tussle between the native and hybrid since both platforms provide a different comparison in terms of cost and preference. In contrast, the native ones have to limit themselves to running on one OS simultaneously. On a comparative cost note, native app development is costlier than hybrid app development.

Intriguing Between Android and iOS

This is another major aspect that affects the cost of the mobile application. iOS-based devices are still considered to be the most premium set of the mobile app market with less than 4.74 million applications (gaming and non-gaming apps) in the App Store on the other hand, building an application is cheaper than Android since it has a lesser number of devices as compared to android. As a result, the value of iPhone app development cost and Android app development cost might vary depending on the choice of your type and device platform.

On the other hand, if you want to maximize the reach of your business through your application, you ought to choose Android as your major OS since it has several devices and a wider audience than iOS, which offers you an opportunity to multiply the potential of your business proposition.

Wireframing, Prototyping, and Designing

Wireframing and designing are among the top factors in developing mobile applications which play a pivotal role in making an app successful. A properly wire-framed application is worth more than just an app idea. With each screen designed functionally, wireframing is of utmost importance.

Prototyping is another essential aspect where you get the basic version of your application with all the relevant functionalities to test your idea in a confined user base and thus get a better area of improvement. Designing is the final approach to mobile app development, where you are ready to design the mobile app screens according to the app flow, facilitating features like navigations, etc.

Number of Third-Party API Integrations

API (Application Programming Interfaces) is a language to enable connectivity that assists apps in communicating and sharing data without using any human interface. The role of APIs is to provide the interface by which the app communicates with other services. Thus, if your developed app needs to connect with other services, you can either develop one or use third-party API. For example, Facebook or Instagram API for quick registration or payment APIs like PayPal facilitates in-app purchase. If you create APIs, it will increase the development time and cost. In contrast, integrating third-party APIs charge you per integration.

Mobile Connectivity & Hardware Dependency

The app carries some unique integration to offer standard connectivity. We get APIs from the mobile platforms that permit the app to connect and interact with other devices using protocols like Bluetooth, USB, and other connectivity mediums. It states that the more the app depends on multiple connectivity and hardware, the more it will affect application development cost and time. Thus, this is one of the factors that affect app development costs.

Integration of Animation Elements

Giving applications a visually great touch is crucial to providing the best user experience. To make it more joyous and interactive to use, there should be some integration of animation elements like virtual goods, leaderboards, badges, progress displays, etc. Integration of such features could have a significant impact on the application development cost. It helps the customers make some moves as per the psychology behind the games.

Backend Infrastructure

A backend system is a setup that runs and supports the corporate back-office apps. It could be mainframes, servers, and other systems that provide data services. App infrastructure elements may indulge in various things, such as data storage, servers, app monitoring, networking, and more. Both are important, whether it’s a complex or straightforward app.

Server Packages & Configuration

One simple mobile app strategy offering content like OD video streaming, software downloads, online services, and other static content can be hosted on a single server integrating CDN; if the number of users is high, you should go for a dedicated server with a vertical server scaling is one good choice. This type of server configuration wouldn’t add much to the overall cost. Whereas server configuration of complex mobile applications delivering content to millions of users such as food delivery, taxi booking, and live streaming applications.

Mobile App Development Tools & SDK

SDK is built with lines of code and is a downloadable software package that includes the tools one needs to develop an app on a platform. A mobile SDK is best for creating Android and iOS devices. So, the tools and SDK are essential for developing an app. Whatever it costs (choose as per your business needs), you should have them. These add up to development costs.

Mobile App Testing

With certain implications of the app stores, it’s mandatory to get the quality assurance check before launching the app in the app market. An app with potential bugs and other technical complexities leads to a bad impression of your business in the audience leading to fatal consequences. Hence the mobile app testing, both Q/A and Beta testing, is necessary to stay longer in the devices of the potential customers. Now, that you have concluded the major steps in the app development process that decide app development cost, let’s have some knowledge of costing based on different factors.

Mobile App Development Cost Breakdown Based on Industries

If we talk about the app adoption rate of different industries, there would be no industry left out to leverage the power of application development solutions. In other words, this era is ultimately a digitally transformative one. So far, Education, Social Media, Food Delivery, Transportation, Healthcare, and On-demand service apps are blowing up the market. So, let us see how much your application type impacts your budget. Below you will get an average estimation for the cost of education app development in 2024 and other industry-specific app types

Industry	Cost Range for App Development (USD)
Taxi Booking app	$20,000 – $50,000+
Shopping app	$25,000 – $100,000+
E-commerce app	$30,000 – $150,000+
Social Media app	$40,000 – $300,000+
Video Streaming app	$50,000 – $500,000+
Restaurant Management app	$20,000 – $100,000+
Dating app	$30,000 – $150,000+
Food Delivery app	$30,000 – $200,000+
On-Demand Service app	$25,000 – $150,000+
Healthcare app	$40,000 – $300,000+
E-learning app	$25,000 – $200,000+
Fintech app	$50,000 – $500,000+
Travel app	$30,000 – $250,000+
Fitness app	$20,000 – $100,000+

As you can see the cost of apps varies according to industry and business niche. So when you ask how much does it cost to build a fantasy app, the cost will not be the same as other industry.

Mobile App Development Cost Based On App Complexity

App development cost varies on complexities as well. Developing an app with basic features doesn’t require maximum effort & cost comparatively. However, creating various features and integrations and maintaining complex business logic can extend the budget accordingly. Here, we list down three categories of apps and divide them based on their complexities:

Mobile App Development Cost Country-Wise

Country	Average App Development Cost (per hour)	Notes
United States	$100 – $250	High expertise, higher cost of living
United Kingdom	$80 – $180	Skilled developers, relatively high costs
Canada	$80 – $150	Quality services, slightly lower than the US
Australia	$90 – $160	Strong tech proficiency, moderate pricing
Germany	$70 – $130	Technologically advanced, moderate pricing
India	$20 – $80	Lower labor costs, diverse price range
Ukraine	$25 – $70	Growing tech hub, competitive pricing
Philippines	$18 – $50	Lower costs, emerging tech talent
UAE	$40 – $100+	Emerging market hub

Mobile App Development Cost Based On The Type Of Apps

Which type of app you are developing has a direct impact on the cost. If you are choosing native app development approach and launch for Android users only. Then, the cost to develop an Android app will not be the same if you would choose cross-platform development approach for Android. And if you are creating an app for iPads, then iPad app development cost will have different price variations.  The below table gives you an average cost estimation of app development for each app type.

App Type	Average Development Cost	Notes
Android	$15,000 – $30,000	Development for Android platform
iOS	$20,000 – $40,000	Development for iOS platform
Native (per OS)	$30,000 – $80,000	Custom development for each platform
Cross-platform	$20,000 – $60,000	Development for multiple platforms simultaneously

Conclusion

Although, mobile app development sounds so common in the era of modern-day technology. Still, it is expensive and innovative work that requires considerable money coupled with the right technology and the partners with the right approach.

However, if you ask how much does it cost to make an app in 2024, then the cost to make an app in 2024 can go start from $10,000 and go up to $50,000 for a simple or basic-level mobile application.

Since every year new technology trends come and the cost of overhead services also changes, app development cost in 2024 would have a considerable impact. Therefore, before starting, discuss your project with an expert mobile app development company.