How much does it cost to build an app in 2026?
By Matt L., Founder, Loha.dev LLC
Published
Updated
9 min read
The short answer
In our experience, a focused MVP typically costs USD 15,000–50,000, a mid-complexity app USD 50,000–150,000, and a complex product with heavy integrations or AI USD 150,000 and up. The biggest levers are scope, number of platforms, backend complexity, and who builds it. Plan on roughly 15–20% of the build cost per year for maintenance, hosting, and updates.
"How much does an app cost?" is the first question almost every founder asks me, and the honest answer is "it depends". That answer is useless on its own, so this guide breaks it down: typical ranges by app type, the specific things that push the price up or down, what different kinds of teams charge, and the costs that show up after launch.
All figures below are typical ranges and estimates from building React Native, web, and AI products at Loha.dev, a US-based studio. They are not quotes. Your number depends on your scope.
Typical app cost by complexity
Most apps fall into one of three buckets. The bucket is decided less by how many screens you have and more by how much logic, data, and integration sits behind them.
| Complexity | Typical examples | Estimated cost | Typical timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple / MVP | Booking tool, internal app, single core workflow, basic accounts | $15,000–$50,000 | 6–12 weeks |
| Mid complexity | Marketplace, social or content app, payments, admin dashboard, realtime sync | $50,000–$150,000 | 3–6 months |
| Complex | Multi-role platforms, offline sync, heavy integrations, custom AI features, compliance needs | $150,000–$400,000+ | 6–12+ months |
These ranges assume one codebase that ships to iOS, Android, and usually the web. Building separate native apps for each platform can push the same scope noticeably higher. For a deeper look at schedules, see how long it takes to build an app.
What drives the cost of an app
Development cost is mostly engineering and design time. Everything below changes how much of that time you need.
1. Features and scope
Scope is the single biggest factor. Each feature adds design, build, testing, and edge cases. Login with email is a day or two. Login with email, Apple, Google, magic links, team invites, and roles is closer to two weeks. The fastest way to cut cost is to cut features you don't need for launch.
2. Platforms
iOS only, Android only, both, plus web? With a cross-platform stack like React Native and Expo, adding a second mobile platform usually costs a fraction of the first, not double. Fully separate native apps (Swift for iOS, Kotlin for Android) mean two codebases to build and maintain. I compare the options in native vs cross-platform.
3. Backend and data
An app that stores a few records per user is cheap. One with realtime collaboration, complex permissions, background jobs, file uploads, or offline sync is not. Modern backends like Convex cut a lot of the plumbing, but the data model and business rules still need careful work.
4. Design
A clean interface built on a solid component system is affordable. Custom illustration, motion design, and a full brand system add real cost. For most first versions, polished but conventional UI is the right call.
5. Integrations
Payments (Stripe, in-app purchases), maps, calendars, CRMs, accounting tools, and hardware all add work. Well-documented APIs are quick. Legacy systems, poorly documented partner APIs, and anything involving healthcare or financial compliance are slow and unpredictable, so budget extra.
6. AI features
Calling an LLM API for summaries or drafting is now fairly cheap to build. The cost goes into the parts around it: retrieval over your own data, guardrails, evaluation, handling bad outputs, and controlling per-request API spend. AI features also carry an ongoing usage bill that scales with your users. If AI is central to your product, look at our AI app development work.
Freelancer vs agency vs studio vs in-house
Who builds the app changes the price more than almost anything except scope. Hourly rates below are rough, typical US-market ranges; offshore rates are often lower, with trade-offs in communication and oversight.
| Option | Typical rate | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freelancer | $50–$150/hr | Small, well-defined builds; adding to an existing app | Single point of failure; you manage design, QA, and the project |
| Large agency | $150–$250+/hr | Big budgets, many stakeholders, heavy process | Overhead, account managers, junior staff doing the work |
| Product studio | $100–$200/hr or fixed price | Founders who want senior people owning product, design, and engineering end to end | Limited capacity; good studios book up |
| In-house team | $150,000–$250,000+ per engineer per year, fully loaded | Companies with long-term product roadmaps | Hiring takes months; expensive before you have product-market fit |
For a first version, a small senior team or studio usually gives the best cost-to-quality ratio: one group owns the outcome, there's little overhead, and you aren't paying a full salary while you're still validating the idea. Hiring in-house makes more sense once the product is working and you know what you need long term.
Hidden and ongoing costs after launch
The build is not the total cost of ownership. These are the line items founders most often forget:
- App store accounts. The Apple Developer Program is $99/year. Google Play charges a one-time $25 registration fee.
- Store commissions. Apple and Google typically take 15–30% of digital purchases and subscriptions made in the app (15% for most small developers and many subscription renewals). Rules on external payment links have been changing by region, so check current terms for your market. Physical goods and services usually go through Stripe or similar at normal card rates.
- Hosting and backend. Often under $50/month at launch, rising with usage. Realtime, file storage, and video can grow quickly.
- Third-party services. Email, SMS, analytics, error tracking, maps, and AI API usage. Each is small; together they add up.
- Maintenance. A common rule of thumb is 15–20% of the original build cost per year for OS updates, dependency upgrades, bug fixes, and security patches. iOS and Android ship major versions every year, and apps that aren't updated eventually break or get flagged.
- New features. Once real users arrive, you'll want to change things. Budget for continued development, not just upkeep.
How to reduce the cost of building an app
Cheap and good are compatible if you're disciplined about scope. These are the moves that save the most money without hurting the product:
- Start with an MVP. Build the one workflow that proves people want this, and nothing else. Most first-version feature lists can lose half their items without users noticing. Our MVP guide covers how to pick that core.
- Use one cross-platform codebase. React Native with Expo ships iOS, Android, and web from shared TypeScript code. For most business and consumer apps that's a large saving with no meaningful quality trade-off.
- Lean on managed services. Use proven tools for auth, payments, email, and backend instead of building them. Custom infrastructure is rarely where your product wins.
- Use conventional UI first. Save the custom animation and illustration for after you've confirmed the product works.
- Make decisions quickly. Waiting on feedback and changing direction mid-build are expensive. A single decision-maker who answers within a day keeps cost down.
- Phase the roadmap. Split "must have at launch" from "version 2". Phased budgets are easier to approve and lower risk.
Our own product Star, a setlist and presentation app, is built around one core job: putting slides on a screen from a tablet. Every feature has to earn its place against that job. That approach is what we apply to client work through MVP development.
Fixed price vs hourly: how apps are priced
You'll usually see one of three pricing models:
- Fixed price. One price for a defined scope. Predictable for you, but only works when scope is clear. Expect change requests to be priced separately.
- Time and materials (hourly or weekly). You pay for actual time. Flexible when requirements will evolve, but you need visibility into progress.
- Phased or milestone-based. A fixed-price discovery or MVP phase, then iterative work. This is often the best fit for new products because it caps your risk early.
None is inherently cheaper. What matters is that the model matches how certain your scope is.
How to get an accurate app quote
Vague requests get vague quotes, usually padded to cover the unknowns. To get a number you can trust, give builders this:
- The problem and the user. Who uses it, and what do they need to get done?
- The core workflows. Walk through the 3–5 key actions step by step, not just a list of screens.
- Platforms. iOS, Android, web, or some mix, and which one matters most at launch.
- Integrations and data. Every outside system you need to connect to, and any existing data to migrate.
- Constraints. Deadline, budget range, and any compliance needs (HIPAA, payments, accessibility).
- What success looks like. The outcome that would make version one worth it.
Then ask each builder how they arrived at their number, what's excluded, and what happens when scope changes. A quote that comes with a clear breakdown and assumptions is worth more than a lower one that doesn't.
If you want a structured starting point, our questionnaire walks you through exactly these questions. Get a free app plan and we'll come back with a scoped estimate.
The bottom line
A realistic budget for a well-built first version is typically USD 15,000–50,000 for a focused MVP and USD 50,000–150,000 for a fuller product, plus roughly 15–20% per year to keep it running. Scope is the lever you control most. Start small, ship one codebase across platforms, and spend the savings on learning from real users.
At Loha.dev we build mobile apps and custom software for founders and businesses, from first MVP to production. If you have an idea and need a number, start with the plan.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a simple app cost to build?
A simple app with one core workflow, user accounts, and a basic backend typically costs USD 15,000–50,000 with a US-based studio, in our experience. Freelancers or offshore teams can come in lower. The price rises quickly with payments, realtime features, integrations, or custom design, so define what "simple" means before comparing quotes.
Can I build an app for $10,000?
Sometimes. A very narrow app, a prototype, or a no-code build can fit in about USD 10,000, especially with a freelancer. A production-ready app on both iOS and Android with a real backend usually costs more. If your budget is fixed at that level, cut scope to a single workflow and treat it as a test of demand.
How much does it cost to maintain an app per year?
A common estimate is 15–20% of the original development cost per year. That covers OS and dependency updates, bug fixes, security patches, and small improvements. Add hosting, third-party services, and the Apple Developer Program fee of $99/year. Apps with heavy usage or AI features also have usage-based costs that grow with your user base.
Is it cheaper to build for iOS or Android first?
Building one native platform is cheaper than building two native apps, but with React Native and Expo you can usually ship both from one codebase for much less than double. If you must pick one, choose the platform your target users actually use. See native vs cross-platform for the trade-offs.
How much does it cost to add AI to an app?
Adding a focused AI feature, such as summaries, drafting, or chat over your own content, typically adds USD 5,000–30,000 to a build, depending on data and quality requirements. Products built around AI cost more because of retrieval, evaluation, and guardrails. Expect ongoing model API costs per request. Our AI app development page covers how we approach this.
Why do app development quotes vary so much?
Quotes differ because builders assume different scopes, quality bars, and team setups. One may price a basic version while another includes testing, design, admin tools, and launch support. Rates also range from offshore freelancers to large agencies. Ask each builder for a feature-level breakdown and a list of exclusions so you're comparing the same thing.