Summary
Most apps cost between $10,000 and $300,000 to build in 2026. Where yours lands depends on what it does, who builds it and how many platforms it runs on. In short:
- A simple app (a few screens, little or no backend) costs about $10,000–$40,000 and takes 2–3 months.
- A medium app (accounts, payments, an admin panel) costs about $40,000–$120,000 and takes 4–6 months.
- A complex app (live features, AI, health or finance rules) costs $120,000–$300,000 or more and takes 6–12 months.
- Where the team is moves the price most: the same app can cost two to four times as much from a US or UK agency as from a studio in India or Eastern Europe.
- After launch, plan on 15–20% of the build cost each year for upkeep, plus $99 a year for Apple’s App Store and $25 once for Google Play.
- To spend less, build a focused first version, with one codebase for iPhone and Android.
App development cost at a glance
These are typical 2026 prices for a professional team, sorted by how much the app does. They assume a team charging about $35–$60 an hour, the middle of the market.
| App type | For example | Effort | Cost | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | A catalogue or information app, an offline guide, a basic tracker | 300–800 hours | $10,000–$40,000 | 2–3 months |
| Medium | A booking app, a marketplace’s first version, an app with accounts and payments | 800–2,000 hours | $40,000–$120,000 | 4–6 months |
| Complex | On-demand delivery, video or live chat, AI features, health or finance apps | 2,000+ hours | $120,000–$300,000+ | 6–12 months |
As a check on these numbers: Clutch, a site that collects reviews of app development firms, says most app projects reviewed there cost $10,000–$49,999, the average is about $90,780, and the average project takes about 11 months (Clutch, October 2026). An average that far above the usual range means a few very large projects pull it up, so the table is a better guide than the average.
What makes an app cost more
What the app does
The biggest cost is rarely the screens you see. It’s the work behind them: accounts, data kept on a server (the backend), payments, messages between users and an admin panel for your team. Two apps with the same screens can be priced very differently because of what happens behind them.
Rough effort for common features, including design, backend work and testing:
| Feature | Effort | At $50 an hour |
|---|---|---|
| Sign-up and login (email, Google, Apple) | 40–80 hours | $2,000–$4,000 |
| Push notifications | 20–40 hours | $1,000–$2,000 |
| Payments | 60–120 hours | $3,000–$6,000 |
| Search and filters | 40–80 hours | $2,000–$4,000 |
| Maps and location | 60–120 hours | $3,000–$6,000 |
| Chat between users | 120–250 hours | $6,000–$12,500 |
| Admin panel for your team | 120–300 hours | $6,000–$15,000 |
| Works offline | 80–200 hours | $4,000–$10,000 |
| AI features (chat, summaries, voice) | 80–300 hours | $4,000–$15,000, plus usage fees |
| Video calls | 150–400 hours | $7,500–$20,000 |
Who builds it, and where
The same hours cost very different amounts depending on where the team is. Typical hourly rates for experienced developers at agencies and studios in 2026:
| Where the team is | Typical hourly rate |
|---|---|
| United States and Canada | $100–$200 |
| UK and Western Europe | $80–$150 |
| Eastern Europe | $40–$85 |
| India | $25–$60 |
Freelancers often charge less, and Clutch puts the average for app development firms at $25–$49 an hour. But a lower rate doesn’t always mean a lower bill: a slower or less experienced team can take twice the hours. Judge a team by work you can try and by who will actually build your app, not by the rate alone.
iPhone, Android or both
Building two separate apps, one for iPhone and one for Android, nearly doubles the app work. Tools like React Native and Flutter let one codebase run on both, and the backend is shared either way. That’s how we built Kaushal AI and Bird Guide. Two separate apps are only worth it when an app leans hard on one phone’s special features, such as advanced camera or augmented reality work.
Design
A ready-made design kit is the cheapest start, and fine for an internal tool. For an app you want people to choose over others, custom design costs more, but it’s the part users notice first and judge the app by.
Rules and other systems
Health, finance and children’s apps have to meet rules on personal data, such as HIPAA in the US and GDPR in Europe, which adds security work, checks and paperwork. Connecting to other systems, like a bank, a hospital’s records or an old company database, adds time too, especially when those systems are poorly documented.
A worked example: what a booking app costs
Here’s how the hours add up for the first version of a typical booking app. Customers pick a service and a time, pay, and get reminders; the business manages bookings from an admin panel. It runs on iPhone and Android from one codebase.
| Part of the work | Hours |
|---|---|
| Planning and scope | 40 |
| Design (about 25 screens) | 120 |
| The app, for iPhone and Android | 400 |
| Backend and admin panel | 300 |
| Payments, reminders and calendar sync | 120 |
| Testing | 120 |
| App store setup and launch | 20 |
| Project management | 80 |
| Total | 1,200 |
The same 1,200 hours, priced by three different teams:
| Team | Rate | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| A studio in India | $35 an hour | $42,000 |
| A studio in Eastern Europe | $60 an hour | $72,000 |
| An agency in the US | $150 an hour | $180,000 |
Same app, more than four times the price. The hours are what a quote should show you, so ask for them. Booking, payments and calendar sync are the same pieces we built into Orbsway’s doctor panel, where doctors book Google Meet appointments and take payments through Razorpay and Cashfree.
Costs after launch
The build is the biggest bill, but not the last one. Plan for these too:
| Cost | How much |
|---|---|
| Apple Developer Program | $99 a year |
| Google Play developer account | $25, once |
| Servers and database | Tens to hundreds of dollars a month, rising with users |
| Paid services (email, SMS, maps, AI) | Pay as you use |
| Maintenance and updates | 15–20% of the build cost a year |
| App store commission | 15–30% of digital sales |
Apple’s fee is $99 a year (Apple) and Google’s is a one-time $25 (Google). Maintenance is the cost people forget: Apple and Google release new phone software every year, and apps need updates to keep working, stay secure and stay in the stores. Setting aside 15–20% of the build cost each year is a common rule of thumb.
If your app sells digital things, like subscriptions or paid features, Apple and Google take a cut of each sale: usually 15% for smaller developers, such as those in Apple’s Small Business Program for developers earning up to $1 million a year, and up to 30% for larger ones. Apps that sell physical goods or real-world services, like a taxi ride or a haircut, pay normal card fees instead. The rates vary by country and are changing in some places, so check the current ones before you set prices.
One delay people miss: a personal Google Play account made after 13 November 2023 must run a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 days before the app can go live (Google). Publishing from a company account avoids it.
How to keep the cost down
- Build the first version first. Start with an MVP (minimum viable product: the smallest version worth launching) that has only the features that prove the idea, and spend the rest once real users show you what matters. Puttr, the first version of an AI ad tool we built for Skroll AI, grew into Soma AI this way.
- Use one codebase for iPhone and Android. React Native or Flutter, unless your app depends on one phone’s special features.
- Don’t build what you can rent. Login, payments, email and maps all have ready-made services that cost far less than building your own.
- Settle the scope before the code. Changes are cheapest on paper. A clickable prototype (designed screens you can tap through) catches most of them before anyone writes code.
- Pick a small senior team. Fewer handovers and less time lost to meetings, and the people who quote the work are the people who build it.
- Don’t pick on price alone. A quote far below the rest usually leaves out design, testing or the backend, and those come back later as extra costs.
How to get an accurate quote
The quickest way to a real number is a short written brief. Put in:
- who the app is for, and the problem it solves
- the five to ten features it can’t launch without
- iPhone, Android or both, and whether you also need a web version
- two or three apps you like, and why
- your deadline and your budget range
Ask every team for the hours behind its quote, split by part of the work like the example above. That shows you what each one has left out. If you’d like a quote from us, send your brief to Radical Labs: you’ll hear back from the people who would design and build your app.
FAQs
How much does it cost to build a simple app?
About $10,000–$40,000 from a mid-priced team, for an app with a few screens and little or no backend. It usually takes 2–3 months. The same app from a US or UK agency can cost two to four times as much.
How long does it take to build an app?
About 2–3 months for a simple app, 4–6 months for a medium one and 6–12 months for a complex one. A focused first version of most ideas can launch in about three months.
Is it cheaper to build an app for iPhone or Android?
They cost about the same to build. The real saving is building both from one codebase with React Native or Flutter, instead of two separate apps. That’s how Radical Labs built Kaushal AI and Bird Guide.
How much does it cost to maintain an app?
Plan on 15–20% of the build cost each year for updates and fixes, plus servers, paid services such as email and maps, and $99 a year for Apple’s developer account.
Can I build an app for $5,000?
For a prototype, yes: no-code tools and AI app builders cost from nothing to about $200 a month, and a freelancer can build a very small app. An app with accounts, payments and its own backend almost always costs more.
How much does it cost to build an AI app?
Usually $40,000 and up, like a medium or complex app, plus usage fees for the AI model that grow with your users. Radical Labs builds AI into real products, such as Kaushal AI, which dubs lessons into Hindi, Marathi and English.
Why are app development quotes so different?
Because each team assumes a different scope. One quote may include design, a backend, testing and launch, and another only the app screens. Ask each team for the hours behind its quote to compare them fairly.
How do I get a quote for my app?
Send Radical Labs a short brief at radicallabs.io/contact: who the app is for, the features it needs and your deadline. You’ll get a quote from the people who would design and build it.