Developing a mobile app in the UK can range anywhere from £8,000 to £70,000 and above so assessing the cost upfront can be challenging. It’s entirely dependent on your app, its features and what you’re trying to achieve.
In this article, we’ll uncover some of the not-so-obvious costs of developing a mobile app and how you can calculate budget for your app development project.
Defining the features that are an absolute necessity is the first step in calculating the cost of your app. In Agile project management, we do this with a Minimum Viable Product or an MVP. Building an MVP is an iterative process that contains only the essential features to help you test and validate your ideas before investing further in development cycles. This process allows us to gather feedback and identify ways to further improve design after each development sprint – so your app reaches its full potential.
When designing your app, many features can hike up the cost. The tools used and the complexity of the design are significant factors in determining how costly your app will be. For instance, the more features, pages or graphics, the more expensive your app will be. Not to mention, custom graphics, animations and integrations.
The more complex an app, the more resources, time and expertise it will take to build. Not to mention, the more maintenance required. For instance, a simple app with basic functionality like limited screens and no backend (think the calculator app) is limited in the expertise needed to build it. Moderate and complex apps with features such as user authentication, real-time communication and a complex backend (think retail or social media apps) will require time and expertise to build.
In Agile, development cycles run in two-week sprints. Each feature and the time it takes to develop it will be accounted for. In the initial sprints, the core features outlined in the MVP will be developed and iterated as the project progresses. Time for testing and iteration are all accounted for as part of the development time. The more development time required to build your app, the higher the cost.
When developing a mobile app, it’s easy to assume that one app works across various platforms. The reality is that if you want cross-platform native apps, you need a separate application for each. For instance, online payments, analytics and testing integrations. Each application must be carefully planned and developed with rigorous testing meaning each integration can add to the overall cost.
When developing a mobile app, it’s easy to focus on upfront costs like development time and overlook the longer-term costs – this doesn’t mean they aren’t essential to maintaining a successful app launch. Some of the long-term costs include:
Third-party services enhance your mobile app’s features but they come at their own cost. In the Discovery stage, it’s important to outline which services will be critical for functionality and find the tools that fit your budget.
The work doesn’t end when your app is launched. With over 2 million apps on the app stores, the success of your app relies on getting users to download and engage with it. At Zudu, we are here to help support your app post-launch. Our aftercare package includes search engine and app store optimisation so you get in front of potential users. At Zudu, we value transparency and can budget for this ahead of the project so you have a full view of costs.
Your app’s backend handles critical tasks like user authentication, data storage and API integration. Choosing the right infrastructure is vital, but it comes at a cost. Cloud hosting can cost anywhere from £10 to £300 a month depending on the provider, the amount of storage you need and the type of service. Each provider has a different pricing structure so it’s important to be wary of this when developing a mobile app.
Since 2016, Apple has removed more than 2.8 million apps from the app store for being obsolete. Maintenance and updates are essential to keep your app functional, secure and competitive. Zudu is here to help you with bug fixes, OS updates, feature enhancements and more to ensure that your app is running efficiently and providing the best user experience possible.
A transparent understanding of costs is crucial when developing a mobile app. Overlooking the not-so-obvious long-term costs can have a detrimental effect on the overall project. Speak to one of the team to start planning your digital project and bring your idea to life.
