Whenever mobile app cost is decided, there is a detailed discussion with the client to understand the objectives and requirements. All the information required to develop a mobile app is extracted from the client.

At WDI, we decide the development cost based on various factors after a discussion with our client. Here are those:

Time is a big factor in mobile app development. As the development time increases, even the mobile app cost goes up.

With increased time, mobile app developers have to work longer. This means you have to hire them for a longer time, and if you hire them on a weekly basis, the cost will go up.

Based on the client’s requirements, we figure out how much time will be required for the development process.

Our mobile app developers have a weekly cost which we multiply by the number of weeks required for developing your mobile app and give the cost.

Development time is just one of the factors we have when determining your mobile app cost.

Depending on the complexity, apps can be divided into three categories.

Simple
Complex
Advanced

The development cost changes based on the type of app you are trying to make.

Let’s look at each of these categories in detail and see what features come under them.

A simple app is basically for those who have a small business they want to expand with a mobile app. It contains enough functionality that makes it usable without any advanced features, innovations, or out-of-the-box elements.

The user can create an account and navigate through the app to explore its functionalities. It might contain a search option and a messaging system.

You can check the user accounts and manage them as an administrator. You can edit the app content and handle business operations. You can also respond to feedback and send push notifications.

You can expect to pay anywhere between $20,000 – $70,000 for a simple app.

If your app requires a lot of additional features, it will fall under the complex app category.

Along with the basic features, a complex app contains e-commerce, payment options, video playback, etc. The app can also use the device’s features like GPS, camera, microphone, etc.

If you want an e-commerce app or something with social media integrations, it will be categorized as a complex app.

You can expect to pay anywhere between $40,000 – $140,000 for a complex app.

This is where innovations come in. If you want to integrate the latest technologies in your mobile app, it will fall under the advanced app category.

What you can expect in an advanced app are features like augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and multi-language support.

Depending on what you want to innovate, the development time and the mobile app cost will increase. You will be required to have multiple meetings with your mobile app developers to fully understand the scope and plan the next steps.

You can expect to pay anywhere between $60,000 – $500,000 for an advanced app.

When it comes to electronics, the ones with high-end features usually cost more. The same goes for mobile app development.

In today’s time, it is important to provide next-gen functionalities to zoom ahead of your competition and make your app stand out. Users download apps based on the features they offer, making it a big selling point.

High-end features require more time to develop, along with more experienced and skilled developers who can bring innovations to the table. This results in an increase in the mobile app development cost.

If you want to create something out of the box or something that has never been done before, it will require a ton of brainstorming.

Creating something new is not an easy task. It needs special technology and qualified mobile app developers who can pull it off. Even that will increase the cost of the mobile app.

If we just stick with already invented features, the mobile app cost fluctuates depending on the number of features to be implemented.

Here are some of the features along with their expected price

This feature is necessary for your clients to create an account. Unless you want a free-to-use app, login would be required. It gives you an idea of how many people are registered with your app.

Under “simple app,” you can get options to log in with social media, email, or phone number. You will also get the “log out” and “forgot password” options.

All of this will require 30-40 hours and cost roughly $1000 – $2000 to develop.

Once the user logs in, he should get the option to create his profile. This includes adding a profile photo, a short bio, and other information based on your app requirements.

This information allows you to segregate your users and also keep bots under check.

This will require roughly 20-30 hours and cost around $1000.

Having a locked profile is never a good idea. The ability to edit your profile is a must-have. In many cases, the user will be required to edit details, and not being able to do so will compel him to quit your app.

The user should be able to edit every single detail entered. Complexities arise when editing passwords, emails, and credit card details. These require more coding to develop.

It will require roughly 40-60 hours and cost around $2,000.

A search bar is crucial for fintech or e-commerce apps. It is a small feature that makes all the difference.

It will take 10-20 hours and cost $500-$1000 to develop.

Push notifications are the key to retaining your users. You can notify your users about the latest update and improve your conversions.

These can also be automated so that the users receive notifications whenever some activity takes place.

It can take 25-35 hours and cost around $1200 to develop.

This is the heart and soul of social media and photo-sharing mobile apps. Ensuring that your users are able to upload the images they want as quickly and hassle-free as possible is required for successful photo-sharing apps.

Some apps require users to upload a document or a zip file. That requires a different set of coding to get it done right.

This will require 20-30 hours and cost around $1000 to develop.

As a business owner, the admin panel allows you to control everything within your app, especially the users.

You get to see how many users have created their accounts in your app along with their profile details. You get a clear understanding of what kind of people are using your app.

If you want to block a user from doing any activity or remove someone from your app, the admin panel is where you can do that.

It takes around 60-100 hours and costs $4000 – $5000 to develop.

If your app requires video or audio playback, you must ensure that it supports videos of all qualities and break-free playback.

This one is an advanced feature as it requires a lot of storage to host the videos without the app crashing.

It further includes features like downloads, pausing the video, changing playback speed, background playback, adding to the watchlist, continuing from the last played point if the app closes, etc.

This can take 100-150 hours and cost $4,000 – $6,000 to develop.

The map is the core of ride-sharing and carpool apps.

Features like GPS, searching on the map, location sharing, and selecting destinations are some that can be implemented.

It can take 70-130 hours and $3000 – $5000 to implement.

This is the end goal of most startups with their mobile apps. There are many smaller features that are required to make sure that payment is smooth and safe.

The most important one is having multiple payment gateways to not lose out on potential clients.

Other smaller features like showing balance and transaction history enhance the user experience.

It can take 60-80 hours and $3,000 – $5,000 to develop.

Some apps require communication tools like voice calls or video calls. These take longer to implement due to the end-to-end encryption they require for maximum security. User privacy is our topmost priority.

It can take 200-400 hours and cost $10,000 – $20,000 to develop.

Other advanced features, like augmented reality and virtual reality, can take a lot more to develop and also a long time to implement.

Currently, iOS and Android are the two most popular smartphone OSes out there. Depending on which one you want to develop your app, the mobile app cost varies.

Usually, the cost of developing for iOS and Android is almost similar. If you want to develop an app for both of them, the cost increases substantially.

There are multiple types of apps, and all of them have different relationships with platforms.

Both Android and iOS cost almost similar amounts, with Android costing slightly higher. This is thanks to the insane number of Android smartphones out there. While developing an app, you need to consider that the app is able to run perfectly on most popular Android smartphones.

This increases the development cost slightly as the app has to be developed to cater to all Android smartphone specifications.

If you want to develop for both platforms, you will have to pay for two native apps. This is because native apps are designed according to the platforms and this cannot be done using a single code. Both have to be coded separately.

A PWA is basically a website turned into an application. It can run on all devices regardless of compatibility, but offers limited functionality due to being only a website.

Separate coding is not required to make it run across various devices. Once the PWA is launched, the user can simply add the page to their home screen and continue using it.

This reduces coding work to a great extent, and the app can be developed much faster.

The development cost ranges from $20,000 – $60,000 depending on the functionalities you want to implement.

Flutter is a framework developed by Google and runs on the Dart coding language. It allows you to create an app for both Android and iOS using a single code base. You do not have to develop separate apps, and this reduces the mobile app cost substantially.

Flutter also allows you to implement high-end features like high FPS and use device functionalities, which is difficult with PWAs.

To know more about their differences, read our detailed comparison between Flutter and PWA here: ADD LINK

The development cost is reduced as you can develop two apps with a single codebase. You can expect to pay anywhere between $20,000 – $100,000 for a Flutter app.

React Native is a framework developed by Facebook and runs on the JavaScript coding language. Just like Flutter, it allows you to create apps for both iOS and Android using a single codebase. This reduces the development cost.

With React Native, you can use the device’s native features like the camera, microphone, GPS, etc.

At first glance, both Flutter and React Native may seem similar, but there is more to them than meets the eye. Read our detailed comparison between Flutter and React Native here:

A React Native app also costs anywhere from $20,000 – $100,000 to develop.

A Hybrid app is basically a web app put inside the skeleton of a native app. The user can install the app from the App Store, but the app will run like a website.

Due to the less time required for development, it can cost approximately half the cost of a Native app.

So, these are the types of apps you can develop and they run on various platforms

After launching an app, it needs to be optimized for bugs and for newly launched smartphones. This is a crucial part of audience retention. If you are not providing consistent updates and building upon feedback, your users are most likely to quit your app.

From your total app budget, you must allocate 15% to 20% for yearly maintenance.

This includes optimizations like bug fixing, changing code to make it run on newer OS updates, improving performance and speed, and ensuring it supports the latest versions of third-party services.

If you want to add new features to your app, it will cost according to the complexity of the feature.

A design change might be the solution if your users are getting bored of using your app. It will help to keep your app up to date with the latest trends.

For best results, you should be ready to allocate 20% of the total app cost every year for maintenance.

Depending on the number and type of professionals you are hiring, the mobile app cost varies.

At WDI, we offer a wide cadre of professionals who handle every small part of your mobile app development process.

Here are some of the professionals we offer to our clients:

Before creating an app, you need to know where it will stand in the market. This is exactly what a business analyst does.

Our business analyst will understand your idea, suggest improvements, and check for any issues it may face in the market. He will analyze your competitors and advise you on what steps you should take so that your app stands out in the market.

He defines the product specification document and decides the total mobile app cost.

Once the concept of the app is ready, the UI/UX designers create wireframes for your app.

Based on the suggestions, a fully functioning prototype of your app is created. This is the final design of your app.

The developers start coding for the app based on the prototype. Depending on the type of app, we have dedicated developers for Flutter, React Native, Hybrid, Android, and iOS.

Once the app is ready, our team of testers scrutinizes it from top to bottom, ensuring that everything is functioning perfectly.

Once everything is fine, the app is launched on the required platforms.

The project manager handles the entire project, ensuring that it is completed at the intended time and meets the client’s expectations.

With WDI, you get a full-stacked mobile app development team to create an app your users will love.

There are many complex factors influencing the mobile app cost, making it impossible to give a final price.

We have done our best to provide you with ranges that can help you make a rough estimate based on your requirements.

Even though you can create an app for as low as $20,000, we have never seen a successful app made for less than $50,000. High-end features require a high investment, but they also lead to high returns.

If you want to create an app, we will provide you with speedy MVP delivery, a transparent development process, and a dedicated support team for all your queries.

Let us create something magical!

Flutter is a Software Development Kit (SDK) designed by Google. It was launched in May 2017 and has seen tremendous growth ever since.

With the use of the Dart programming language, it is used to write the source code for creating applications for Android, iOS, Windows, MacOS, and Linux.

Flutter allows developers to modify the UX, allowing for super smooth navigation and snappy loading speeds.

With an organization like Google behind it, there is no doubt that it will provide the best services.

Some applications made with Flutter are Google Ads, Alibaba, and eBay.

React Native is another open source, free to use framework used for developing TvOS applications as well as iOS, Android, Windows, and MacOS.

It was created by Facebook and made open source in March 2015. So, it did get more time to flourish compared to Flutter.

It uses JavaScript as a primary programming language.

Instagram, Amazon, and Netflix are some popular applications made using React Native.

Both Flutter and React Native are popular and backed by tech giants.

There are many areas where both of them excel and fall behind.

This is why WDI has listed down the pros and cons of both, to make your decision making easier.

Having high-end performance is pivotal for improving the user experience and competing with the giants in your selected niche.

Flutter apps deliver the best-in-class performance as they are directly compiled into the machine code. It is done by using the visualization and graphics engine built into C and C++.

This allows you to implement animations up to 120 frames per second in your app. As maximum phones support 120 frames per second, it is a sin not to provide the same in your app.

The response time is the fastest due to the direct compilation of the code and the lack of bridges.

In the latest update of Flutter 3, Google introduced an algorithm that predicts the complexity of the image rendering. This optimizes memory usage without hampering the app’s performance.

Flutter is full of widgets. Every object, like a font, button, block, or padding, is a widget. These are like building blocks that are used for creating UIs.

There are many existing building blocks for you to choose from, which also gives you the option to create your own widgets.

All of these widgets are tailored to the platform the app will be launched on, giving you complete control over its design.

Development time and costs are cut short, making Flutter an excellent choice if you want to launch an app as quickly as possible.

This is one of Flutter’s greatest features. With a single tap on the “R” button, you are able to see the changes made instantly in real-time. You do not have to restart the app.

What this means for you as a startup is that you can get to see the prototype faster.

You can suggest changes and get everything sorted before giving approval for the final version of the app.

This again saves a ton of time and gets everything simplified for you and your development team.

One of the biggest requirements for a startup is to have their app available in multiple languages so that it caters to users worldwide. Not doing so means that you are losing out on a large user base.

As of today, Flutter supports 78 languages along with units of measurement, currencies, dates, and layouts for languages that are read from right to left.

This means your app will be accessible to people across the world, thus increasing your user base.

Most startups need to get their apps out there as fast as possible and start pushing their services.

Building a full-fledged app takes a long time, even with snappy development kits like Flutter. This is where MVPs come into play.

An MVP, or minimum viable product, is the most basic version of your app that has enough features to be usable and get your business running. Extra features are delivered systematically

With Flutter, you can get your MVP up and running quickly and start generating business.

Providing the latest features in your app is a no-brainer. Libraries play an important role here in simplifying the task and saving a lot of resources.

We are not talking about book libraries here. Flutter libraries are a set of pre-built animation or design packages that can easily be implemented in your app.

If you want a particular theme for buttons or a “swipe-down for refresh” feature, these have dedicated libraries for them which you can simply add to your app.

The libraries are pre-tested and open source, making them mostly flawless. This saves a lot of time as you do not have to create the app from scratch.

Flutter is a newly created SDK and most of its features are still in alpha and beta stages.

As of now, it has more than 25k libraries. This might seem like a big number, but it is not when compared to React Native.

As a startup, you need to make sure that your app is accessible to the widest range of people out there.

The built-in widgets become a downside here as they increase the app size, which easily exceeds 4MB.

This means some users will have to free up space on their phones to download your app. They might have to delete some songs, images, or video games for that, and believe us, most people will not do that.

This is why having the tiniest app size possible is the best move forward, and Flutter does not allow that.

Your mobile app developers might have to sacrifice certain animations to reduce file size, and that will do more harm than good.

Flutter being developed by Google is a big advantage, but it is also a problem as the apps struggle to run perfectly on iOS.

Flutter apps are designed specifically to run on the Android OS.

Frame skipping and freezing are some issues you might face when developing an iOS app on Flutter.

This is one of the main USPs of React Native. Similar to Flutter’s “Hot Reload” feature, it allows you to see changes made in the code in real-time.

You do not have to wait to check if the app is up to your standards and you can make improvements instantly.

With React Native, you get a huge number of pre-made and tested solutions that you can easily use in your app.

If you want to integrate camera or GPS functionality into your app, libraries can do it for you without having you write the code from scratch.

Even checking bugs in code and grammar in your text can be automated with the help of libraries.

The UI of apps made with React Native has a native look, making it impossible to differentiate them from truly native apps.

It is rendered using native APIs, giving them the same level of performance as native apps.

With a company like Meta behind its name, there is no doubt you will get excellent support. Developers from Meta ensure regular maintenance.

Along with this, there are many community forums where you can get almost instantaneous support.

It also allows mobile app developers to have fruitful discussions and expand their horizons of knowledge.

Providing regular updates is the key to improving interaction and expressing your concern for improving the user experience. An app not updated is a dead app.

When you launch an update for your app, you have to wait for the App Store and Google Play Store to approve it. This may take a few days.

React Native allows you to bypass this approval system entirely by implementing in-app updates.

The user can get a notification when an update is available and can directly update through the app itself.

React Native runs on Java, C, and C++, which have a tedious debugging process.

The framework is still in development and still needs improvement in its debugging tools.

Having a fluid design means that you are well-equipped to tackle all of the screen sizes present currently and those that will emerge in the future.

It is difficult to create fluid designs with React Native. Your developers will have to manually check if the UI is visible properly on all screen sizes and make improvements accordingly.

This increases workload and development time.

React Native is based on JavaScript, meaning it takes a longer time to initialize.

Any app built on React Native will load slower regardless of how powerful the device is used to run it.

If performance is your top priority, React Native will not serve you well.

With the pros and cons of Flutter and React Native in place, it is time to compare them both and understand which one to go for according to your requirements.

In most cases, mobile app developers like WDI do the job for you. But, you need to know the reason behind their selection and why it is correct. This will provide you with better insights into your app development project.

Let us now look at what Flutter does better.

If your app demands lightning fast loading speeds and high-end performance, Flutter is going to take the upper hand here.

With the use of the Dart programming language, loading times are snappy as compared to React Native’s JavaScript threads.

Flutter has an array of widgets to make development faster and the user experience richer.

With the option to implement animations up to 120 fps, you can bet that your app is ready for the future.

Google is consistent with improving performance through updates. Improvements like reduced CPU and GPU usage, memory reduction, and speed increases are regularly released.

Maybe you do not have the time to wait for months to get your app ready so that you can start your business.

Compared to React Native, Flutter has a faster development time. You can get your app ready in just two to four months.

With experienced mobile app developers like WDI, you will get your MVP ready for work super fast with further development through regular updates.

When it comes to mobile app development, pricing depends on the technology used and the time required for development. More time equals higher pay for mobile app developers.

Although both Flutter and React Native developers cost the same, things change when we include the development time.

With Flutter, your app gets developed significantly faster compared to React Native.

This means you only have to hire your mobile app development team for a limited time, thus reducing the overall cost.

React Native comes with its own set of advantages that make it a better choice than Flutter in certain cases.

Here are the reasons to go for React Native.

React Native has a larger catalog of design elements compared to Flutter. Although the process is more complicated and requires dedicated experts like WDI, it provides more flexibility as well.

With the right expertise, you can create almost any design you want with React Native.

There is no compromise when it comes to your preferences, giving it the upper hand over Flutter, which has limited design libraries,

Although Flutter apps feel native, they are far from being truly native.

With React Native, you can use the device’s native features like GPS, camera, microphone, 3D Touch, etc.

If your app requires any of these features, then you have to go with React Native.

It is time to end this Flutter Vs. React battle and announce the winner.

By looking at their functionalities, pros and cons, and usabilities, it is safe to conclude that the winner is… no one.

Both Flutter and React Native have irreplicable advantages.

If you want to get your app developed quickly and have a fast response time, then Flutter is the way to go.

If native features and gorgeous UI design are important to you, then opt for React Native.

This should put the Flutter Vs React debate to rest.

Our mobile app developers are well versed in both Flutter and React Native. Based on your requirements, we will create a first-class app that delivers exactly what you want.