What Are The Vital Factors That Influence The Cost of App Development?

A mobile application is a vital tool that facilitates a business to stay ahead of the competition and serve the customers aggressively. The advancement in technology has empowered companies to build a customized mobile app that helps in increasing user engagement and generating more revenue as compared to any other conventional way of interacting with customers.

Despite of the benefits, an entrepreneur always thinks of the cost incurred in developing a mobile application. This is an imperative question for planning budget estimate and linking mobile app strategy with the overall business strategy. A sophisticated mobile app requires the help of professional android app builders who can evaluate your requirements and provide a fair cost estimate for the project.

The article throws light on some vital factors that influence the cost of app development.

1. The choice between in-house development and hiring a mobile app development company: Developing an app in-house with the help of a freelancer is cheaper as compared to hiring a team of professional developers. Generally, an app development company offers more comprehensive services than an individual developer.
2. Platform and its version: The cost of developing an app on platforms like Android, iOS, Windows, and Blackberry varies a lot. It is cheaper to develop an Android app as compared to its iOS counterpart. Further latest versions of the platforms are costlier than the older ones.
3. Features and Functionalities in the app: Another factor that affects the cost of app development is the incorporation of features in the app. Depending upon the purpose which an app is going to solve, functional elements are added in the app. More the functions, higher will be the cost of an app. Further, some features are more complicated than others.
4. Design of the app: The cost of app design varies in different countries. It is cheaper to design an app in Asia as compared to the USA. Further, the cost increases as the app design become complex. A simple app like Uber is cheaper to develop than a complex app like Whatsapp. The design of an icon also adds to the overall cost of producing a mobile app.
5. Number of Screens: a Higher number of screens implies more programming time and developer experience is needed. Multiple screens add complexity in the app thereby increasing its development cost.
6. The choice between Native or Web apps: The decision is yours. However, native apps are costlier to develop as compared to web apps. The web apps offer a sub-optimal user experience than native apps. Another appropriate choice is developing hybrid apps which are reasonably priced and are less complicated.
7. Security Management: Embedding security mechanism in an app is a costlier affair. However, it becomes essential to incorporate security features if your app is related to monetary transactions.
8. Content Management: Content management is a crucial element for optimizing the visibility of your mobile app. CMS enables to modify and control the content on the app from time to time.
9. Social Integration: The functionalities related to the capability of an app of pulling or pushing the data to social networks add to the overall cost. In order to enjoy seamless integration with social media, one should be ready to pay for robust APIs.
10. In-app Purchases: This feature allows the users to buy more content while using your mobile app. However, incorporating this feature can increase the cost of app development.
11. Maintenance of app: Deployment is not the last phase in mobile app development. After that, user feedback which leads to fixing issues and enhancements also incur cost. It is recommended to take the services from mobile app development company on a regular basis for the app maintenance and periodic upgrades.

Mobile app development is a strategic action that leverages the brand value of your company and enhances your customer base. Nevertheless, understanding cost factors and deciding budgetary allocations are crucial for getting sustainable results from mobile app strategy.