There isn’t a one-size-fits-all price tag for building an application.
Like a lot of things in business, rates can vary depending on certain variables. Whether you’re purchasing a smartphone, a car, cleaning services, or an entertainment-streaming subscription, price points are reliant on multiple factors.
The same thing applies to mobile apps. How much you’re going to pay will depend on what type of app you’re trying to build. Like buying furniture, you get what you pay for. You can’t expect to launch a banger app with only a few bucks. But you also can’t guarantee app success and excellence just because you’ve spent a fortune.
Think of it this way: spending a lot of money on home makeover supplies won’t make you a professional interior designer. You have to understand what you’re doing and what tools are used where to be successful. Thankfully, the software industry is becoming more diverse every day. Both experts and citizen developers are finding new ways to actualize ideas without the commercial baggage and stress traditional coding are associated with.
Thanks to no-code platforms like bubble.io, truly anyone can be an app developer at this point. Still, you have to have a good grasp of all the different components that come into play to understand how much you’re going to need to turn your idea into a profitable product.
To summarise, the top three factors that comprise how much it costs to build an app are who builds it, how it’s built, and what your app will be designed to do.
Each of these elements will dictate how much it’s going to cost you.
Let’s talk about the development process
To better understand the development process’ costs, you’re going to need to understand what every step of the journey entails.
For instance, can you write code? This knowledge helps shape how your development process will look like. If you can’t, then you’re obviously going to have to refer to a professional developer, if not a team of them. How complex the app you plan to build is will also be factored in. Naturally, the more developers you have, the more money it’s going to cost you. Another apparent price tag you’ll consider is your developers’ portfolio. As with many professions, individual rates can differ depending on experience, expertise, and past projects, so there’s a lot you’ll have to look at in this department alone.
It’s also no secret that talented developers don’t come cheap. If you’re unable to afford the experts within your area, outsourcing professionals from outside the U.S. may be an option you can take. However, it isn’t without its cons. In America, an MVP or a prototype developed from traditional coding can cost you up to $10,000, give or take. These costs can also change if the app development process isn’t able to keep up with the planned schedule.
And like everything in tech, the longer it takes to complete, the more expensive it’s going to be. Remember, you’re hiring professionals to work on your idea on the daily. That’s never going to cost only coins.
Who’s behind your app?
Individual developer salaries aside, the tech leaders you employ also come in varieties. You could choose to work with a tech freelancer, popular tech corporations, or a small app development agency.
Again, the rates can vary depending on which choice you make. There’s a lot of politics involved in the pricing structures of each app development option, so be prepared. In the name of traditional coding, independent contractors are usually the “cheapest” option for budding entrepreneurs and startup founders. A quick Google-search or LinkedIn hunt can lead you to plenty of leads that may agree to take on your project. But bear in mind, though, that they may not always be experts at your field of business. They’re also most likely to take on multiple projects at once, so their time is bound to be divided.
On the other hand, if you work with an app development team, rates will usually be dictated by how many people will be working on your app. Still, it’s comforting to know many of these tech agencies have flat rates for certain projects. Of course, you just have to find which arrangement best suits your app’s needs and budget.
At the end of the day, budget flexibility is warranted to come up with a superb and functional web and mobile application. Although it’s great to have a ballpark figure in mind, tailor-fitting every single app development move to how much your budget is can prove detrimental to your app’s overall success.
Delays, setbacks, and adjustments are part of the iteration, so preparing a little more than what your initial budget is will be crucial. This is also why hiring the right people can make or break your app project. Every move will be critical and costly.
Why no-code is the future
If anything, the safest road to guaranteed app development success is through a no-code development platform. More specifically, if you create your app through bubble.io, you’re free to realize your vision yourself the way you deem fit.
With Bubble, you don’t need to employ software engineers or spend time learning how to code to bring your vision of an app to life. bubble.io allows you to layout, develop, and host strikingly functional applications. More than anything, no-code app development really is the future of software as it empowers any determined entrepreneurs and tech-savvy creatives to be able to spearhead tech projects they have in mind.
Through the no-code programming, anyone can create an app despite not having strong IT skills and wide technical programming background. They’re cheaper, more cost-effective, and allows you to launch your app much faster, too!
Do you have an app you want to make? Build it now with Bubble.
