How much does it cost to develop an app?

Do you have a brilliant idea for an app but are unsure about the practicalities of development, especially how much it costs? Do not despair! Navigating the current ecosystem for entrepreneurs can be difficult, but there are many different ways to develop applications. From affordable and simple solutions, to solid and relatively expensive options. It is up to you to choose the one that best suits your concept and budget.

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Do it yourself (DIY)

You don't need to have a lot of coding knowledge to develop an app. There are several systems on the market, so-called DIY solutions you can utilize to realize your app concept. Using systems like GoodBarber, Appy Pie and BuildFire, you can easily put together photo, video and simple functionalities, and get your app to market in no time. If you are a little more experienced when it comes to coding, flutterflow can be a good option. Remember that the price you pay will affect the quality of your app, so think carefully about what's most important to you, a stable platform, additional features, good user experience or low maintenance costs. Advantages The advantage of DIY solutions is that the cost is low, while allowing you to do it yourself. Disadvantages is that the application is simple without specialized additional functions, at the same time that it can be difficult to choose a solution that fits the concept that is desired to be realized.

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DIY solutions are recommended for those who want to be a developer themselves, but have little experience in coding and want to limit costs. Making use of DIY solutions to develop an application varies in price based on which platform you choose, but is by far the cheapest option.

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Minimum viable platform (MVP)

MVP stands for “minimum viable product”, and focuses solely on ensuring that the most important functions that add value are in place, that is, implementing the most central of the product so that one can start testing it in the market. For example, an application for booking hairdressing lessons will include the central booking function. If you have a higher budget and want an application with custom functionalities, a typical MVP app will be a good one primersolution for you. There are strategies to further develop this into a full-fledged product. MVP apps are often developed as hybrid solutions to keep costs to a minimum, as this allows you to use the same codebase rather than developing a separate app for Android and one for iOS.

Advantages is that there is a reasonable opportunity to test the app idea in the market.

Disadvantages is that there is less focus on design and user experience, which can characterize the feedback of the application. However, it is important to clarify that an MVP should not be used as a finished product.

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MVP is essentially a way to test a platform's business model with a minimum of custom coding and complex features, and is a good solution for increasing the value of an app idea before raising capital, at investor needs. Such a solution will cost anywhere from 70,000 kr.

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Hybrid solution

The popularity around hybrid apps has grown in recent years, which may be due to advantages such as fast development time and low development costs compared to native apps. That comes from the fact that hybrid apps are written in a different programming language than the mobile device's operating system, meaning it uses a common codebase, and can be run on both iOS and Android. It simplifies development time as no two separate development processes are required for the different operating systems.

Advantages with such an application is that development can be faster and less expensive, while requiring less specialized knowledge than developing two separate native apps. Another advantage is that the hybrid app can be run on multiple platforms, and therefore reach a larger audience. You will also only need to maintain one codebase, rather than two.

Disadvantages with hybrid apps is that they have notch worse performance than a native application will then due to this layer that lies between the programming language and the device. In addition, this allows somewhat limited access to device-specific features such as camera - whether this is an issue depends on the product to be made.

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The technology for hybrid apps is constantly evolving, and it will be possible to achieve an almost native performance using, for example, Flutter. A cost estimate for a hybrid app is anywhere from $200,000.

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Native solution

A native app is an application that is developed specifically for a specific platform. It is written in the same programming language as the mobile's operating system, that means it must be developed separately for Android and iOS. It is of high quality and requires little need for bug fixes in the case of new updates to the operating systems.

Advantages The feature of native apps is that it is fast and responsive as it is designed to run directly on the mobile platform. In addition, it has full access to platform specific features, such as camera, gps, calendar, contacts and other features, providing a seamless and integrated user experience.

Disadvantages The problem with native apps is that they are costly to develop, especially if one app for iOS and one for Android is desirable. In addition, the apps have longer development time, because they are built separately for each platform. At the same time, it will entail a limited audience, as you can use the application only on the platform for which it is developed.

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Native apps are recommended if you have a complex app with advanced features that require high performance and an optimized user experience. Examples of this are apps that are supposed to work against medical devices where there is a high requirement for safety and uptime. A cost estimate for such an app is from 400 000 kr.

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If you want to inquire about what is the best solution for you, please feel free to liaise With us, we'll have a talk.

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Posted by:

Mia Torp Nielsen and Michelle Sæther

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Sources:

https://www.javatpoint.com/native-app-vs-hybrid-app

https://dreamwalk.com.au/app-development-questions/how-much-does-it-cost-to-develop-an-app

https://www.applicoinc.com/blog/much-cost-build-app/

https://www.businessofapps.com/app-developers/research/app-development-cost/

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