7 factors which determine the cost of a mobile app

Since mobile apps are usually free to download, we often think that these apps are free. But this is not the case.

To create great apps, an efficient mobile app development process requires a number of efforts, a strong foundation, excellent planning, an extraordinary ecosystem, and a perfect team with skilled human resource.

The cost of apps varies due to a number of factors and the market conditions at a particular point in time. It also largely depends on the type of the app which needs to be developed.

According to a survey in which almost 96 app developers were interviewed, the average cost of developing a mobile app is US$6,450. There are various components which derive the cost of an app and it may differ from market to market and product to  product.

Let’s take a quick look at the factors which can truly determine the cost of developing a mobile app:

1. Research

The first and foremost phase of developing an app is research. The success of your app largely depends on the amount of research done before the execution of the plan. Hence, it is the first area in which we need to invest in, and that too very cautiously.

Good research does not mean more cost for sure – it depends on the type of research and the data collection methods. The primary purpose of research is to understand the market needs and demand.

The primary source of data collection is much more expensive compared to secondary sources, but is definitely much more reliable. You can also interact face to face with the users, which gives a better estimation of their requirement.

This helps in enhancing the quality of the end product. But for this type of data, we first need to identify our consumer segment, where secondary data comes in handy at a very reasonable cost.

Now, the ball lies in the smartphone app developers’ court to make the decisions of investment. Startups usually do not have sufficient time and resources to pay more heed to this very important segment, while already established companies can afford to make a huge investment in research.

2. Human resource

One of the most crucial factors which determines the cost of your app is the people working on it.

3. Regular updates/ maintenance

4. Testing

5. Mobile platform and devices

6. Time

7. Native apps or hybrid apps

Conclusion