How Much Does it Cost to Create an App in UK?

Audio: App Development Cost

How Much Does It Cost to Create an App in the UK?

“How much does it cost to create a mobile app?” – this will be probably your first question when you make a decision to build an app for your business. No matter whether you are a startup or a leading entrepreneur, the cost to develop an app is always a serious concern for businesses.

So how much does it cost to build an app?

According to a Clutch survey, the average cost to build any meaningful app, should budget between $200,000 to $500,000 for end-to-end app development.

On the other side, many mobile app development companies in the UK claim you to build an app between $10,000 to $20,000.

Whom do you believe?

Though lower app development cost always seems tempting to dig in, before you are doing the same, keep in mind that this is only a marketing trap for you!

Also, investing a huge amount of money, won’t give you any assurance of the high-end quality of app development.

So to make the right decision, firstly you need to get the answer to these two questions:

• How to build a mobile app from scratch?
• What factors influence the app development cost?

Now, both of these questions are interrelated. Let’s have a look at this video to learn how to build a mobile app to understand such factors that affect app development cost.

Also Read: On-demand Food Delivery App Development Cost, Features & Growth

With the fact that the mobile app development industry will grow at a CAGR of 12.8% during the forecast period of 2022-2030, businesses are rushing to become a part of this thriving industry. But before they step into the market to hire mobile app developers in the UK, one such question that how much it cost to build a mobile app restricts them.

However, you don’t have to worry about it! Here we will guide you on how to calculate the app development cost and what factors can affect the development cost. This way by the end of this blog, you will have enough information about the mobile app development cost and you are able to ask the app developers what services are included in their cost estimation. 

So let’s begin with the cost-affecting factors of mobile app development. 

Crucial Factors Affecting The Mobile App Development Cost in 2023 

The cost to create a mobile app in the UK majorly depends on the complexity of the app. Developing an app is more like buying a car. Since different customers have different requirements and budgets, therefore accordingly they decide which car model, color, and type they want to buy. 

In the same way, when you develop an app, different businesses have different requirements. So there is no app structure that fits all. Hence the cost to create an app is also different. 

But here is an infographic that explains to you what factors exactly impact app development cost.

Overview of Different Factors Determining, How Much Does It Cost to Make an App UK?

Copy the code to include app development cost  info-graphic on your blog or page:

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14132" src="https://www.hiddenbrains.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Mobile-app-development-cost.jpg" alt="Mobile app development cost" width="870" height="3332" />

The Major Factors That Determine How Much Does It Cost to Build an App UK.

1. App Type or Operating System

Before you get directly into the process to hire Android app developers in the UK, decide where you want to launch an app. Which market segment you are targeting for an app? Whether you are targeting Android users or iPhone users? 

With the fact that both Google Play Store and Apple App Store capture 87% of the mobile app market share, businesses are trying to target both operating platforms. 

But developing a dedicated Native app for each platform will drastically increase the app development cost. Android and iOS native apps are developed using platform-specific programming languages- like Java and Kotlin for the Android platform whereas Swift and Objective-c for iOS. Also, you need to hire dedicated teams to develop two native apps which may cost you $40,000+ for both platforms.

However, that’s where you can take the advantage of cross-platform app development frameworks like Flutter, React Native, and Xamarim to build a hybrid app. Using the single code-base, you can develop an app that runs seamlessly on multiple platforms including android, iOS, web, and more. 

The average cost to build hybrid apps will be 40% less than developing two native apps and also reduce the maintenance costs.

2. Complexity, Features and Functionalities of App

So how much does it cost to make an app the UK? The app’s price is going to depend on what you’re trying to accomplish. What is the core purpose of building a mobile app? The answer to this question would give some sort of clarity on the scope of this project. If businesses are looking forward to a broader scope and returns from an app, it has to be extensively developed with a lot of many functionalities.

However, if the purpose to develop a mobile app is to have a mobile presence and create another channel to connect with end-users, an app with limited features would also be fine.

As per the recent survey by a leading analysis and research agency GoodFirms, the scope of a mobile app in terms of features and functionalities is the major factor driving the cost of developing an app UK.

The discovery phase requires a deep understanding of business flow, its goal, and overall business purpose. Only when these things are clear to the development team then they can estimate the cost of creating an app UK and proceed ahead to lay out a plan for an app and decide how simple or complex the app would be required to serve the business purpose.

Good to Read: How to Make a Video Chat App in 2023: Features, Tech Stack and Development Cost

3. Deciding the Platforms and Devices

The platform and type of mobile app also play an important factor in deciding the app development cost UK. For example, the total cost of building a native app for a specific platform is different from building a hybrid app that runs on multiple platforms and devices.

App development cost UK is also dependent on the type of device for which the app is developed. Building app for devices running iOS, Android, Windows, Blackberry or iPad is different, as it requires different sets of integration. Supporting different generations of the same device can also be an additional app development cost factor that increases the cost of developing an app.

4. Number of Screens in the App

This is yet another important factor determining the cost to create an app. More number of screens require an extensive amount of work from designers and UX experts. Further, more screens mean higher interlinking of pages through the app. This requires adjusting more conditions in order to access any particular in-app page.

The higher number of screens means the development of the complex mobile app. Such complicated and complex mobile apps demand more time and effort of designers as well as Mobile app developers.

5. Database

Apps with user-driven content that allow end-users to upload photos, videos and submit reviews or comments take more time in development compared to the ones without a database. This would again increase the complexity of the app to set up a database where the user’s information would be stored and available for retrieval for future use. The development time and app development cost UK for the database-driven app would obviously be more than simple ones.

6. Type of App Development Team

Based on the complexity of app development project, it is about time to formulate a core App Development Team team comprising of a project manager, a UI/UX designer, professional developers, and a quality assurance engineer. You can opt for a basic or extended team consisting of a backend developer to develop an API, admin panel designer, iOS or Android developer. 

7. App Features or Elements

• Third-party Integrations

Mobile apps often require integration with third-party libraries, frameworks, and services. Real-time chats, as well as social media, can be accomplished with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social network APIs.

• Backend Development

Top App developers providing APIs to enable the exchange of data between a mobile application and a database. The backend implements the app’s business logic.

• Hardware Components

Identifying the right approach for communication between hardware components such as gyroscopes, accelerometers, NFC, Bluetooth, GPS, and software can communicate may determine the pricing.

8. Devices and OS

When it comes to an iOS app, it should ideally be compatible with the latest and the previous versions of iPhone, and support the latest and previous iOS versions. When it comes to the fragmented world of Android, there are several factors such as the size of the market share of Android device manufacturers, client’s preferences, and the OS you decide to support. Considering the complexity of the Android market, an Android app development cost UK may exceed the cost of iOS App Development.

9. Post Release Expenses

The total cost of mobile app development UK does not only include the money spent on actual programming but also enlists the budget required for post-release maintenance and updates such as backend server maintenance, cloud hosting, app marketing, and promotion.

Also Read: How to Create an App Like Amazon: Cost and Features

10. Legalities & Licenses

The factors which are often overlooked when developing a mobile application are Copyrights, Patents, and Trademarks. Many businesses often overlook the cost pertaining to legal licenses and copyright protection. If the information on your app is vital, it is important to patent it and prevents people from profiteering from the unique features of your app. 

Whether it is unique content, logo, technical functionality, it is worth protecting your apps. Several mobile apps is developed on templates that have to be licensed for use. 

And to deploy apps on the Android store or the App store of Apple, the license has to be bought. 

The license service is a secure means of controlling access to your applications and protecting it too.

11. Support and Maintenance

Technical support is pivotal for the seamless performance of the mobile app. Mobile app maintenance involves different aspects such as managing updates, APIs, user profiles and data and even making technical changes based on users’ feedback. Your mobile app will not be able to do what it was developed for without a proper maintenance strategy. New features will cost you and a significant amount will be spent refining existing features of the app.

This is an on-going process and with every change in technology, new updates are required to make your app frictionless.

12. Research & Analysis

To build a successful app, it is important to do proper research and analysis regarding the same first. For making a successful information analysis, research of the potential market, and the existing market is required as these factors decide the target market as well as research for end-users, their reviews, expectations, etc.

In this cutthroat market of app development, R&D is a very important factor in success. Developers need to be clear about what their users want, and what they’re trying to achieve. They also need to understand their target market and work out when it is best to launch an app (for example, there’s no point in launching a Christmas-related app in March). It’s about finding the perfect formula that gives the app uniqueness, and a defined USP. Market analysis should also be carried out to understand the intended audience, and what audience demands are likely to be. Many apps need demographics or other research-based surveys to identify the target audience.

13. Prototyping

The following are the fundamental reasons for using prototyping before creating a layout:

• The prototype gives the customer a complete idea of how the site will look in the final result.
• Prototyping allows you to streamline the design development process, focusing on important interface elements.
• Rates for mobile application development differ according to the country of residence of the agency you are working with. In the US and Canada, the cost is around $40-$240 per hour, in Western Europe, it is $40-$180, in Eastern Europe $25-$70, and in India – $5-$70. Also, apps with more screens can cost higher. Moreover, different interface designs for assorted screen sizes need to be considered for the cost factor.

14. Visual Designing

Visual communication is a way to communicate ideas graphically in ways that are efficient and help to convey more meaning. It’s a critical element of any content marketing strategy. This is because visuals can help to evoke emotions in your audience, provide stronger examples for your message and so much more.

In app design, visual design takes approximately 80-200 or more hours. It depends on the app’s complexity. It requires the use of different software that makes the designs stunning and realistic. Visual designing includes the look and feel of an app. The cost of app design can vary from $3000 to $30,000. This is a quite wide range that depends on a few factors: the complexity of an app idea, the type of team, and the team location.

Read Also: Guide on Mobile App Maintenance Cost & Strategy

15. Complexity Factor

For deciding the cost of an app, the complexity factor plays a vital role.

Simple App – Apps such as on-demand apps, for instance, Uber, need around 100-150 hours and start at $5000 based on an hourly average price of $50.

Average Complex App – Such an app needs several screens, appealing user interactions, and content. Such an app needs around 200-250 hours and the estimated cost will be $10000 considering an average hour price of $50. The most popular chat app, Whatsapp comes under this category.

Highly Complex App – App supporting multiple platforms and comprises several rich features cost higher. Designing a complex app requires more than 400 hours and costs $20000 and more with an average price of $50 per hour.

16. Location

The company’s location plays a major role in determining software development prices. Depending on the service provider’s location, the development cost can vary greatly.

Countries located in the Global West (US, UK, and Canada) and Scandinavian nations (Finland, Norway, and Sweden) are considered expensive locations for software development. Whereas countries in the Global South such as South America and South Asian nations like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, have considerably cheaper custom software development pricing.

The main reason for this is the low cost of labor, inexpensive infrastructure, and low value of the currency in these locations which makes the development services cost half of what app development costs in the UK.

17. Type of Service Provider

Software development pricing also depends on the type of service provider you opt for. In the UK, there is an option to hire freelance developers or find a software development firm. Freelance developers charge lower hourly rates, but if one decides to go with a freelancer some drawbacks should be taken into consideration such as low-quality work, lack of responsibility by the freelancer, miscommunication, and mishandling of the project.

Experienced software development firms although costlier are a safer and more popular option because the risks are much lower.

18. API integration

Application Programming Interfaces is a language to enable communication between software products. Thus, if your application needs to connect and communicate with other services, you can either develop an API/s or use third-party ones. Integration with 3rd party services dramatically reduces development time. It offers ready-made solutions and saves the time of writing code from scratch. It is necessary to choose the external source carefully.

The buggy tool can harm the app and negatively affect the user experience. However, the trusted service can enrich your app features and grow clients’ trust, especially if it is a well-recognized brand.
Using a third-party application programming interface (API) also provides other benefits like better usability, unique value, and augmented analytics.

For example, Facebook, Google login or Instagram API for quick registration or payment API like Paypal facilitates in-app purchases.

But developing APIs will increase the development time and cost as well. In contrast, integrating third-party APIs charge you per integration.

Technologies for Mobile App Development

Related Post:Hidden Brains has build food delivery app for one of their client: Restaurant food Ordering App

Who can develop my app idea?

It is important to understand whether to partner with a mobile app development company UK  or freelance developers for your project. Hiring a professional company offers you’re the much-needed reliability as a development team would work to transform your app idea into reality. You will have access to a pool of skilled resources such as designers, programmers, project managers, QA, and more.

On the other hand, hiring freelancers may come across as a cost-effective solution compared to companies. However, there are several problems such as the absence of a project manager to coordinate the project and achieve milestones. Lack of skills or communication gap can also hamper the development process.

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