What does an app cost?
The price of an app depends so much on scope that a range would not help you. Two apps with the same number of screens can be far apart, because one needs login, payments and integrations and the other does not. This page walks through what pushes the price up and down, so you can see where your app sits. You get a fixed price once we have scoped the first version.
- I usually reply the same day
- Written estimate before work starts
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What costs the most
- Backend. If the app needs its own server, database and admin, that is often as much work as the app itself. If you already have a system with an API, it gets cheaper.
- User accounts and login. Sign-up, forgotten password, account deletion and Sign in with Apple are each small tasks that add up together.
- Integrations with existing systems such as ERP, booking, CRM or payments. A good API moves fast. A poor or missing API becomes the most expensive line.
- Data without a connection. An app that has to work in a basement or out in the field and sync afterwards takes more work than one that is always online.
- Custom design rather than Apple's own components. Bespoke animations, custom controls and a brand that has to shine through everywhere take time.
What costs less than people expect
The screens themselves, when they are built with SwiftUI and Apple's own components. Lists, forms, navigation and settings go quickly and look right from the start, including in dark mode and with larger text.
iPad support. With SwiftUI much of the code can be reused, so an iPad version rarely costs the same as another app.
The running costs
To publish an app on the App Store you need a membership of the Apple Developer Program, which has an annual fee. If the app sells subscriptions or digital content, Apple takes a share of the sale. Physical goods and services are sold with ordinary payments such as Apple Pay or card, and Apple takes no share of those.
On top of that there is backend hosting, any services for push notifications and email, and maintenance. Apple releases a new iOS version every year, and an app has to be updated along the way to keep receiving updates on the App Store. That is the line most often forgotten in the budget.
What determines the price of app development?
The price of an app has three parts: developing the app itself, the backend it talks to, and the running costs of hosting and maintenance. Development is the largest item at the start, but over a couple of years running and maintenance can weigh more than many expect.
The heaviest factors in the development price are how many features go into the first version, whether the app needs its own backend, and how many external systems it has to talk to. An app showing data from an existing API is at the light end. An app with user accounts, payments, offline data and three integrations is a completely different project, even though both are simply called an app.
That is why generic price tables online say so little. Never compare quotes by their headline. Compare what is concretely included, who owns the code and the account, and what it costs to keep the app updated afterwards.
I can usually place an app price-wise after a short conversation. I need to know what the app has to do on day one, whether a system with data already exists, and whether a design exists. With those three answers you get a fixed price on the first version, not a rough guess.
How to keep the price down
The most effective step is making the first version smaller. Write down every idea, then pick the few that are needed for the app to make sense to its users on day one. The rest goes in the next version, once you know what users actually use.
Reuse what you have. If you have a webshop, a booking system or a CRM with an API, the app can get its data from there instead of needing its own backend. And use Apple's own components wherever it does not cost the experience. They are thoroughly tested, accessible and quick to build with.
Finally: do not save on testing. Bugs found in TestFlight are cheap to fix. Bugs found by users after launch cost both money and App Store reviews.
App or mobile-friendly website?
Not every idea needs to be an app. If users only need to look something up now and then, a fast, mobile-friendly website is often cheaper to build, easier to find through Google and needs no installation.
An app makes sense when users come back again and again, when push notifications have to bring them back, or when the app needs the phone's features such as camera, location, widgets or Apple Pay. It also makes sense when an icon on the home screen is part of the value in itself.
Because I build both, I have no interest in selling you one over the other. If a website is the right answer, I will say so.
What you get
Concrete deliverables, not a report of recommendations someone else has to find time for.
- A fixed price on the first version
Based on a written scope of what the app has to do on day one, and what waits until later.
- A staged plan
The first stage is an app that can reach its users. The rest is built afterwards, once you know what users ask for.
- A budget for running it
Apple membership, hosting, services and maintenance itemised, so the running costs do not surprise you.
- An honest assessment
If the problem can be solved for less without an app, for example with a mobile-friendly website, you will be told.
How it works
Four steps. You know what happens when, and you can stop after any of them.
- 01 / 04
We scope the first version
A 20-30 minute call about who the app is for and what it has to do on day one. I ask about data, login and existing systems, and tell you honestly if an app is not the answer to your problem.
- 02 / 04
Screen flow before code
I sketch the screens and the path between them, so we agree on the first version before any code is written. If a design already exists in Figma, I build from that.
- 03 / 04
Building with TestFlight
The app is built in pieces, and each piece lands on your iPhone through TestFlight. You test on real phones along the way, so changes get made while they are still cheap.
- 04 / 04
Release and upkeep
I prepare the App Store page, submit the app for Apple's review and fix whatever Apple may ask for. After launch I keep the app updated for new iOS versions, if you want me to.
Brands I've worked with
Frequently asked questions
- What does it cost to have an app made?
- It depends on what the app has to do. The heaviest items are the backend, user accounts, integrations with existing systems and data without a connection. I give a fixed price on the first version once we have scoped it together.
- Why are there no prices on this page?
- Because a range would be so wide that it would not help you. Instead you get a fixed price on your app once I know three things: what it has to do on day one, whether a system with data exists, and whether a design exists.
- What does an app cost per year to run?
- The Apple Developer Program membership, backend hosting, any services for push and email, and time for maintenance. How much that adds up to depends on the app, which is why the running budget is part of my quote.
- Does Apple take a share of sales in the app?
- Yes, when the app sells subscriptions or digital content through in-app purchases. If the app sells physical goods or services, ordinary payments such as Apple Pay or card are used, and then Apple takes no share.
- Is it cheaper to build the app for iPhone and Android at once?
- It can be with a cross-platform solution, but it depends on the app. Many save the most by starting on iPhone, learning from users and building the Android version afterwards, once they know what the app needs to do.
- What does it cost to maintain an app?
- It depends on how many features the app has and how much it relies on other systems. Once a year a new iOS version arrives, and the app has to be tested and usually updated. We include that in the budget from the start.
- Can the price change along the way?
- Only if the scope changes. If you get new ideas along the way, which is completely normal, we raise them openly and agree whether they go in now or in the next version, instead of letting the budget drift.
- Is a web app cheaper than a native app?
- Often yes, especially if you already have a website. But a web app can do less on the iPhone, and it is not on the App Store. Tell me what the app should do, and I will tell you honestly which route gives the most for the money.
- How do we get a quote?
- Write briefly what the app should do and who it is for. You get a reply the same day, and after a 20-30 minute call you receive a written scope with a fixed price on the first version.