How much does it really cost to create a mobile app?

Before calculating costs, make sure you have a solid plan in place. The right partner will clarify the scope, establish an estimation method, and set realistic milestones. To help you make the right choice, start with the parent article How to choose an agency to develop your application. The agency criteria and the quality of the scope directly influence the final budget.

The cost of a mobile application is not a single figure. It depends on the intended use, functional depth, technical choices, and maintenance plan. This guide outlines the expense items, provides useful ranges for 2025, and offers a step-by-step calculation of the total cost for year one and then year two.

1. What does the budget for a mobile application consist of?

The budget is divided into five blocks. Each one may seem small on its own. Together, they explain the difference between a simple MVP and a complete app.

Concept and design

The design phase serves to transform an idea into simple, measurable journeys. It covers scoping workshops, persona definition, journey mapping, high-fidelity mockups, and design systems. A well-thought-out design system reduces the number of daily choices, speeds up production, and limits visual discrepancies.

Development and testing

This phase transforms the pathways into functional screens with robust logic. It handles status management, sensor access, display time optimization, and offline stability. Testing is not an afterthought. It secures the rating on app stores and protects the maintenance budget.

Integrations and backend

Integrations give the application its value. Payments. Federated identity. CRM. ERP. Analytics. Each connector brings its own set of rules, test environments, and edge cases. Exchanges must be traceable, idempotent, and resistant to network errors. The backend is the centerpiece. A custom backend offers total control over data and performance.

Publication and exploitation

Launching a product isn't as simple as clicking "publish." You need to prepare product listings for stores, produce compelling screenshots and videos, write a clear privacy policy, and set up crash reporting and monitoring. Initial submissions may require communication with Apple or Google.

Maintenance and upgrades

An application evolves with OS updates, libraries, and business needs. Maintenance covers compatibility, fixes, and continuous improvement. The best ideas come after launch, thanks to usage data.

2. What factors cause the price to vary?

Scope and depth of experience

A simple journey involving authentication, navigation, and consultation remains economical. Multiple roles, a shopping cart with payment, robust offline functionality, complex filters, or recommendations will increase the price. The price is less related to the number of screens than to the hidden complexity.

Technical choice

A PWA is suitable for validating usage and quickly re-engaging users. A shared base such as React Native or Flutter offers good value for money in terms of content, booking, commerce, and community. Native apps are essential if perceived quality is the basis for value. Full hardware access, very smooth animations, offline reliability. The more daily the usage, the more profitable the native investment becomes.

Integrations and obligations

Payments, federated identity, CRM and ERP, event planning for analytics, compliance and confidentiality rules. Each component adds time for configuration and testing. The effort increases when multiple connectors must work together quickly, securely, and in a traceable manner.

Quality and performance

Speed objectives, stability, network error management, target device fleet. A clear quality strategy costs less in the long run than emergency fixes.

3. Price ranges for 2025 by type of application

These benchmarks provide a 12- to 24-month estimate for a mobile app ready to be published on app stores. They include setup, monthly tools, and annual maintenance, from the first download to updates. The amounts vary depending on functional depth, quality on smartphones and tablets, and the number of integrations on the Play Store and Apple Store.

Consumer MVP in PWA or shared base
An MVP aims to quickly prove its usefulness on Android and iOS with a lightweight app that mobile users can adopt without friction. The goal is to create a simple mobile application that can be installed from Google Play or added to the home screen as a web app, with minimal Internet connection, push alerts, favorites, and measured first clicks. This choice allows a developer to iterate quickly on a new mobile application while keeping the door open to a native application if downloads take off.

• Implementation of €25,000 to €60,000
• Monthly tools from €100 to €300
• Annual maintenance of 12 to 18%
• Target timeframe of six to twelve weeks

Lightweight native content and community app
This format prioritizes a polished experience on iOS and Android with smooth apps and screens optimized for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. We are working on feed quality, Messenger-style messaging, content playlists, push notifications, and offline use so that the app remains useful even without a network connection. The goal is to offer an official app that can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play Store and that builds loyalty through fast navigation and clear actions within the app.

• Implementation of €60,000 to €120,000
• Monthly tools from €200 to €500
• Annual maintenance of 15 to 22%
• Priorities on onboarding, profiles, and push re-engagement

Advanced mobile e-commerce
Mobile commerce requires a controlled funnel from product listing to payment, with geolocation, favorites, targeted push notifications, and a shopping cart that converts in just a few clicks. We optimize the journey from the store page to the app launch, then secure payments by card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay to create an app that generates recurring sales. The app development team adapts the experience to Android and iOS smartphones and monitors performance after each update to increase downloads and ratings for the best apps.

• Implementation of €90,000 to €160,000
• Monthly tools from €300 to €700
• Annual maintenance of 15 to 25%
• Transactional journeys, saved cards, and re-engagement

Field application with robust offline capabilities and ERP or CRM integrations
Field use requires a reliable mobile app on Android and iOS devices that can operate offline for long periods of time and then synchronize as soon as an Internet connection is restored. We combine accurate geolocation, alerts, photo capture, signatures, and access to customer data so that users can access essential information via the application, even in areas without coverage. This type of application development requires senior developers, stable APIs, and sometimes Java on the backend to ensure a robust Android and iOS application on the Play Store and App Store.

• Implementation of €110,000 to €180,000
• Monthly tools from €400 to €700
• Annual maintenance of 15 to 25%
• Enhanced synchronization, traceability, and security

This visual, created by Digital Unicorn, summarizes price ranges by application category with examples and benchmark features. These amounts are indicative and should be adjusted to your scope, integrations, and desired level of quality.

These ranges cover most ambitious mobile applications, from mobile web to native. For highly visual experiences, Android or iOS applications with 3D or augmented reality, plan to devote effort to performance optimization and testing on Android smartphones, iPhones, and iPads so that your application remains among the best apps to download from app stores.

Conclusion

The cost of a mobile application depends on a few key decisions. The scope, technical choices, integrations, quality, publication, and maintenance make up the bulk of the bill. When these elements are clarified from the outset, the budget becomes clear and trade-offs are easier to make.

Good calculations link every euro invested to a real use. We measure adoption, verify conversion, track retention, and manage customer value over time. This framework allows us to move quickly, adjust what matters, and finance what really drives performance.

To explore each area in more depth, continue with What factors influence the price of a custom mobile app. Compare approaches with Website, PWA, or native app: which to choose according to your needs. Align your budget with your growth strategy with Top 5 reasons to develop a mobile app in 2025.