This app development cost breakdown for 2027 shows where the money goes when you build an app, using our own starting prices instead of industry averages nobody can check.
It covers cost by complexity, by platform and by feature, the stages you pay for, and what the app costs to run once it is live.
Key takeaways
- ✓Our starting prices are $3,000 for a simple app, $8,000 for mid-complexity and $20,000 for a complex app.
- ✓Features and what sits behind the app drive cost more than the choice between iOS and Android.
- ✓Plan for running costs after launch: hosting, store fees, updates and fixes.
App development cost breakdown at a glance
These are Modus Venture's starting prices by complexity. Each is the floor for that kind of app, and the quote depends on the scope we agree with you.
| Complexity | Starting price | What it usually includes | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | From $3,000 | A few screens, login, basic features | A booking app, a loyalty card, a simple catalog |
| Mid-complexity | From $8,000 | Payments, chat, maps or integrations with other systems | An ordering app, a field-team app, a client portal |
| Complex | From $20,000 | Many user roles, real-time features, AI, a heavy back end | A marketplace, a telehealth app, a finance app |
iOS and iPhone app development cost
iOS app development cost depends far more on what the app does than on the fact that it runs on an iPhone. A simple iPhone app sits in the first row of the table above, and a complex one in the last.
Two things are specific to Apple. Your app has to pass App Store review before it goes live, so allow time for a round of changes. You also need an Apple Developer account, which Apple charges for each year. Check Apple's own site for the current fee.
If your customers mostly use iPhones, launching on iOS first is a sensible way to control iPhone app development cost and learn before you build for Android.
Android app development cost
Android app development cost follows the same pattern: features first, platform second. The main difference is variety. Android runs on many screen sizes and phone makers, so testing has to cover more devices.
Publishing on Google Play needs a developer account, which Google charges a registration fee for. Review is usually quicker than on the App Store, but the same rules about privacy and payments apply.
Building a separate native app for each platform means two codebases, and that is where the cost of covering both iOS and Android climbs.
Cross-platform savings with Flutter and React Native
Cross-platform tools such as Flutter and React Native let one team write most of the app once and ship it to both iOS and Android. For most business apps this costs less than two native builds and is easier to keep up to date.
It is not always the right choice. Apps that lean hard on the camera, sensors, complex animation or the newest platform features can be simpler to build natively. Our guide to native vs cross-platform app development goes through the trade-offs.
Cost by feature
We do not price features one by one, because they affect each other. This list shows which ones add the most work, from lighter to heavier.
- ✓Login and accounts. Email and password is light. Social sign-in, two-step verification and roles add work.
- ✓Maps and location. Showing a map is light. Live tracking, routing and geofencing are heavier.
- ✓Payments. Taking card payments through a provider is moderate. Subscriptions, refunds, payouts and several currencies add more.
- ✓Chat and notifications. Push notifications are light. Real-time chat with history, attachments and moderation is heavy.
- ✓AI features. Calling an AI service for one task is moderate. Features that depend on your own data, need careful testing or run up usage fees are heavy.
Custom app development cost by stage: design, build, testing, launch
Custom app development cost is spread across four stages. Seeing them separately helps you compare quotes.
Design covers user flows, wireframes, a clickable prototype and final screens. On its own, our app design work starts at $500. See our mobile app design services for what that includes.
The build is the largest part: the app itself, plus the back end that stores data and talks to other systems. Testing checks the app on real devices before every release. As a separate service, our mobile app testing services start at $500 per project. Launch covers store listings, screenshots, review and release.
A quote that leaves out design or testing is not cheaper. It has only moved the cost somewhere you will meet it later.
Ongoing costs after launch
An app is not a one-off purchase. These costs continue for as long as it is live.
- ✓Hosting for the back end and database, billed monthly by the provider.
- ✓App store accounts with Apple and Google.
- ✓Updates when Apple and Google release new versions of iOS and Android each year.
- ✓Bug fixes and small improvements.
- ✓Usage fees for services the app relies on, such as SMS, maps, payments or AI.
- ✓New features as your business and your users change.
Cost by app type
The kind of app is a rough guide to which row of the table you are in.
A law firm client app, with case updates, documents and messaging, starts at $8,000 with us. Booking, loyalty and simple catalog apps usually sit at the simple end. Healthcare and fintech apps tend to be complex, because privacy, security and outside systems add work. Fitness and real estate apps vary with how much tracking, data and mapping they need.
For more on what moves a budget, read what drives the cost of mobile app development. When you are ready for a quote, see our mobile app development for small business.
Modus Venture is a US-founded creative digital agency. If you would rather have an experienced team handle this for you, see our mobile app development services.