7 Factors That Determine The App Development Cost

by Rob Stephen getaprogrammer

Determining the app development cost is important before getting started with the app development process. And here are the key factors that business owners need to discuss with the company or the developer to determine the total cost of the project.

You have stepped into the mobile era. Having a presence on the mobile, particularly on the mobile App Stores has become essential for every business to succeed today. But most business owners, especially small business owners or startups often think that mobile app development can be costly. Well, the fact is that the app development cost depends upon several factors and you can keep it within the budget considering these factors. Every business comes with a different set of requirements when it comes to app development and with this, the cost of building the apps also varies.

Mobile application development services include all aspects ranging from ideation to planning, app designing, development, testing, optimising, deployment, app maintenance, and marketing. All these aspects along with factors like the features to be included, the platform, the type of app, etc., together determine the total app development cost.

Here are the key factors that contribute to the app development cost.

Features to be included in the app:

The features and functionalities that you want to include in your application is the first most important factor that determines the cost of your app development. For instance, if you consider a restaurant booking app, it may facilitate its users to search for, share, book, and save restaurants based on the location and certain other criteria. The app will also have to include features like social media integration, GPS to track the location of the users and the restaurants, chat or messaging options, payment options to book the restaurants, contact forms, booking forms, calculator, photo gallery integration, online reservation, loyalty programs, and more, depending on the business requirements. But remember, the more features you will want to include in your app, the higher will go the cost. Also, the most features you will want to include, the most time-taking the app development process will be.

Operating System or platform for which the app is built:

Operating Systems or platforms also play a key role in determining the cost of app development. App developers decide the cost based on the platform or OS for which the app has to be built. Actually, the tools, trends, and technologies required for app development vary depending on the platform and this brings a difference in the cost of building the application. For instance, Android applications take more testing time as the market fragmentation or the types and sizes of Android devices are more as compared to iOS devices. But on the other hand, the tools and technologies used for iOS application development are costlier than those used for building Android applications. Well, if you want to launch your app for multiple platforms, you can choose cross-platform app development to save both time and money.

Database:

Do you want to allow your users to upload videos, images, submit content, and enter other details? Does your application provide information or data that often changes? If your answer is a ‘yes’ to these questions then your application needs a database. And for such an application, the development time will also be more as the application will need configuration and creation of databases. Also, you will have to consider the storage and hosting costs for the databases. In other words, database-based applications are costlier than applications without databases.

Server costs:

Applications having database-related features like online booking, chat options, etc., need a server. As cloud services are now evolved, server usage and space are available for rent. This helps clients to get rid of paying any upfront cost for buying the server. But then, you will have to consider the cost of the server during and even after the application development process.

Customised add-ons:

Customer-centric applications need more add-ons to improve the UI and UX and boost the ROI. Social media integration, in-app purchasing, etc., are some of the add-ons. However, integrating custom add-ons can be pricey.

User authentication:

This factor is related to the security of the application and needs dedicated efforts along with cooperation among the business systems, clients and app developers. The development cost of the applications with user authentication is more than that of non-secure applications.

Time taken to complete the app:

The more time it will take to complete the application, the higher will be the cost. So, consider the time frame or the deadline while discussing the other requirements with the company or the app developers as time is a major factor in determining the cost of application development.

All these above-mentioned factors contribute to app development. However, you can discuss all your requirements with the company or the developers including the time frame to keep it within your budget without compromising on your requirements and the app quality.

Rob Stephen is a dedicated and highly skilled app developer associated with an award-winning app development company in Australia, GetAProgrammer. The author has written this article to let you know the main factors that help in determining the app development cost.