What Determines The Real Cost Of Mobile App Development?

Have you ever wondered how much it will cost to create an application for Android or iPhone? No doubt, every customer is looking for the high quality and low prices. However, everyone wants to know what the price of a relatively cheap and more expensive app comprises; and what one is actually paying for. We prepared these tips at Software outsourcing company FPS to help you to find an answer.

The key factor that determines the cost of a product is its overall complexity. The essential elements constituting the price are technical complexity, the number of devices and OSs, and custom designs.

Technical Complexity

• Integration with third parties:
  Some mobile applications require integration with different frameworks, libraries, and services. For example, the integration with some services is needed if an app can’t function properly without the implementation of payment features, instant messaging, or the means of social media sharing.
• Backend development:
  The backend usually consists of three parts: a server, an application, and a database. It can be defined as an operating system that provides APIs to enable the exchange of data between an application and the database. The backend creates the logic of an app.
• Admin panel development:
  An admin panel facilitates operating the apps, managing content and users, viewing statistics, etc. It isn’t an easy task to find a quality admin panel template. The best option, though more expensive, is to create a custom admin panel that will satisfy you business needs.
• In-app purchases:
  Another factor that adds to technical complexity is the implementation of in-apps purchases. Those can be the additional functionality or some virtual goods.
• Testing of the hardware-software compatibility:
  As the modern devices are stuffed with different hardware components (GPS, heart rate sensors, NFC etc), which can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, each separate device should be tested in order to verify the right communication between the hardware and software. This process is rather time-consuming and costly.

Number Of Devices And OS

The cost of the app development also largely depends on the number of devices and the types of OS this application will be compatible with. An app for iOS should support the current and previous iOS versions as well as be compatible with the current and previous series of iPhones. The same principle applies to the apps for different Android OS versions. The more devices you choose, the more costly the development process will be and vice versa.

Custom Design

If you choose to build an app from the standard components, the costs of development will be much lower. On the contrary, the custom user interface will automatically increase the total price of an app as it’s more difficult to implement.

The overall cost is not limited to the development only. You should also take into account the post-launch phase which entails additional costs on promotion, updates, customer support etc.