Mobile phones or smartphones have become a norm in the current world of technology, where almost every mobile user spends nearly half of the day using their mobile phones. And most of these users actually spend 90 percent of their mobile time browsing different applications
And this has made it imperative to have a mobile application for your business now. There’s no better way to reach out to the global audience than having an app today. But just because millions of applications are already there in the App Stores and thousands of applications get released every single day, the competition is extremely high to stand out as the best one. Creating a quality app is quite challenging and tough now.
Both business owners and developers also have to consider a host of factors before getting started with the application development process. Just having an idea is not enough. Your budget is also a major concern in this case. And there are so many factors that influence the mobile app development cost.
And here are the factors influencing the application development cost, outlined for you.
The cost of app development depends on several significant factors including the app functionalities, platforms for which it is built, device compatibility, app security and hosting services, application maintenance, tools and technologies that need to be used, and more. And here are the top 5 ones shared for you.
Features and Functionalities of the App:
Mobile applications are built based on ideas and proper planning. Simple apps are based on simple ideas but complex ideas are based on strategic planning and ideas and may include several features and functionalities. Applications with more features and functionalities take more time to get completed and need more resources, tools, and technologies as well. The more features you add to your app, the more development cost you are actually adding to it. So, consider this factor while determining your application development cost.
Devices and Platforms:
IOS and Android are now the two most widely used mobile application platforms. You can either choose one of these platforms to launch your app or can go for both as well. But remember, if you are going for both, it will take more time to get your application built for both. Also, consider the number of devices each of these platforms support. This is because you have to ensure that your application supports all the devices that the platform supports. For instance, iOS supports a fewer number of devices than Android. The more devices your app has to support, the more time it will take and the higher the development cost.
The App Design:
The app design creates the very first impression on the users. And the cost of application development depends on the time the designer spends on designing the application, the complexities of the design, the design guidelines of the platform for which it is created, and the app design tools and software used. A simply designed app will cost less than an application with a strategic and complex design.
App Marketing and Maintenance:
Just building and releasing the application is not the end of the process. You have to introduce your app to your audience and take care of the app marketing and maintenance as well. There are different app marketing tools available that can be used. Also, app maintenance is essential to let your application stay updated always. And all these can cost you a little or more depend on the charges of the app marketing agency, and the tools they will use for marketing and maintenance.
App Security and Hosting Cost:
Until and unless you have your own application hosting service, you will have to host it somewhere else. Now, the type of hosting service depends on the type of application. And different hosting services come with different costs, with the best ones costing more.
Also, the security of your mobile application is a crucial factor. Developers make use of different security tools to keep your app protected from all threats and malware. And the cost of these security tools gets includes in the total application development cost.
If you are planning to get your business app built, you have to consider and discuss these above-mentioned factors with the app developer or app development company to determine your application development cost apart from the other aspects and areas involved in mobile application development.
Rob Stephen is a blogger and an expert and dedicated mobile application developer associated with a leading app development company in Australia, GetAProgrammer. The author has written several articles on mobile app development and has written this one to unbox the major factors that influence the cost of app development.