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“There is an app for everything!” How happy this sentence sounds, right? It is true, actually. As of June 6th, 2025, there are 2,034,658 apps on Google Play and 1,943,299 apps on the Apple App Store. With over 5.8 million developers worldwide, it is still not easy to build a feature-rich and scalable app. You have to look on various factors like app platform, mobile app development cost, tech stack, etc.
If you are planning to have a mobile app for your business, what will be your first question? Probably, “How much does building an app cost?” The question is this simple, but the answer is not that straightforward. The mobile application development cost in India is lower than the cost of making a mobile app in the USA and the rest of the other countries. However, the expenses depend on various factors, including some hidden costs, types of platforms, and many more.
Factors Affecting Mobile App Development Cost in India
The average app development cost depends on various factors. To estimate app development cost, you have to understand the factors first. This will help you make cost-effective decisions and give you the best return on your development cost.
(1) Mobile App Complexity
It is quite simple: the more complex features take more time to build and incur more costs. A simple app costs less, but if you want advanced tools like real-time updates, AI integration, and more, the cost to build a mobile app will be higher.
| App Complexity | Level of Complexity | Average Costs |
| Basic App |
| $5000 to $50,000 |
| Medium Complex App |
| $50,000 to $120,000 |
| Highly Complex App |
| $100,000 to $300,000 or more |
(2) Animation and Design of App
Design plays a major role in the look and feel of your app. But a simple answer to your question, “How much does it cost to design an app?” is, it depends. If you want custom graphics, smooth animation, and a stylish look, it will increase the cost of making a mobile app.
| App Process | Design Task | Average Costs |
| App Design Research |
| $100 to $350 |
| UX Design |
| $2000 to $8000 |
| UI Design |
| $10,000 to $40,000 |
| Branding |
| $5000 to $20,000 |
| Animation & Illustrations |
| $1000 to $20,000 |
(3) App Features and Functionality
Adding AI-powered features, VR feel, various payment gateways, chatbots, and GPS increases the development costs. The more features you want, the more work developers need to do; that increases the costs of developing the app.
| Features | Functions | Average Cost |
| User Login |
| $500 to $1000 |
| Profile Completion |
| $900 to $1000 |
| Messaging |
| $3000 to $5000 |
| Push Notification | – | $1000 to $2000 |
| Basic Admin Panel and User Management |
| $3500 to $4000 |
(4) App Maintenance
After launching the app, it needs updates, bug fixing, and new features to keep users engaged. This ongoing work affects the total cost of making a mobile app. Thus, while counting the app development quotation, you have to include maintenance too.
(5) Code Reuse
Using a ready-made app template or code can lower the average app development cost. It saves time and helps you launch your app faster, because you are using the same features of existing apps.
(6) Size and Location of App Development Team
The number of developers working on your app and their location matter a lot. Hiring a team or outsourcing projects from India comparatively demands lower mobile app development costs, while the same number of developers having the same level of experience costs you more in the US and UK.
Also Read: The Cost of Hiring App Developers in India: A Comprehensive Guide
| Cost factors & requirements | Simple app | Medium app | Complex app |
| Development time | 2-6 months | 6-9 months | 9-15 months or more |
| Developers | $30k to $40k | $50k to $60k | $100,000 or more |
| UI/UX Designers | $4k to $5k | $5k to $7k | $10k to $15k |
| Project Manager | $5k to $7k | $10k to $15k | $10k and more |
| QA Specialist | $8k to $10k | $15k to $20k | $20k and more |
| Business Analyst | $2k to $3k | $5k to $8k | $8k to $10k |
| DevOps | $2k to $4k | $5k to $7k | $10k or more |
| Solution Architect | $1k to $3k | $5k to $8k | $9k or more |
| Total cost of development | $20k to $50k or more | $50k to $100,000 or more | $100,000 or more |
Now, let’s check the average app development cost based on various geographical locations.
(7) App Platform
Choosing among Android, iOS, or both affects the cost to create an app. Android apps take more time to test, while iOS apps need a clean design; these different needs gradually increase the cost.
| Type of Apps | Average Costs |
| Native Apps (Android & iOS) | $50k to $100,000 |
| Cross Platform | $25k to $60k |
| Web Apps | $15 to $50k |
| Hybrid Apps | $10k to $150,000 |
The Mobile App Development Costs Breakdown For Each Development Step
The total cost of app development starts from $5000, and it goes to $120,000 or more. Because it clearly depends on the app’s features and its complexity, the choice of development platform, the development team size, the location of developers, etc. Here is the app development cost breakdown for each stage of the development process:
| Different stages of development | Tasks | Approximate Costs |
| Planning and Research |
| $100 to $350 |
| User Interface Design |
| $10,000 to $40,000 |
| UX Design |
| $2000 to $8000 |
| Testing |
| $5000 and $10,000 |
| Maintenance and Support |
| $100 to $2000 |
| Branding and Promotion |
| $5000 to $20,000 |
Mobile App Development Costs Based On Platforms
While estimating the cost to develop a mobile app, the platform you choose plays a big role. Each platform has a different approach, tech stack needs, and much more. The following is a brief app development platforms compare:
(1) Native App Development (For iOS and Android)
You have to choose a single platform, either iOS or Android, because the native platforms are built specially for a single platform. Native platform famous for no or less loading time, access to all devices, and a smooth UX. But you have to build separate apps for both iOS and Android; hence, the average cost of mobile app development is high. You can consider the range between $10k and $250k.
(2) Cross-platform App Development (For Both iOS and Android)
It uses a single codebase to run for both iOS and Android devices. You can choose between Flutter and React Native to get better results. It is more cost-effective than native development, reducing the cost to build a mobile app by saving development time. This platform is advisable if you want a faster launch, and that too without increasing your app development budget. The average cost of cross-platform app development ranges between $20k and $120k.
(3) Hybrid App Development (A mix of Native & Web Technologies)
It combines web and native elements and is built using web technologies like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc., and runs inside a native container. It costs less to develop and may not match the performance of fully native or cross-platform apps. If you want a simple app on an affordable budget, a hybrid platform helps you to lower the cost. It costs between $15,000 and $150,000 (saves time and money by using a shared codebase).
(4) Web App Development (Runs on Web Browser)
Web apps are responsive websites that function like apps but run on browsers. It requires no downloads and is budget-friendly because there is no need to develop separate apps for Android or iOS. However, they can’t access all native device features and rely on strong internet connectivity. It costs you $10,000 to $100,000 or more (plus hosting and maintenance costs).
(5) Progressive Web App (PWA) Development (Best of Web and Mobile)
PWAs offer a balance between native and web apps. They work in browsers but can also be installed on devices, send push notifications, and even function offline. If you want an app with mobile and web benefits, PWAs are the smart solution. It is also one of the ways to keep mobile app development costs low while reaching a wide audience. It costs you $15,000 to $200,000 (cost varies based on offline features and app-like capabilities).
Also Read: How Much Cost to Hire Android & iPhone App Developers in India?
Average App Development Cost Based On Industry
Here is a quick industry-wise breakdown to help you understand how much it costs to create an app in different sectors:
(1) Dating App
Dating apps generally have swiping features, chat systems, geolocation, profile verification, and subscription models. And the cost to build a mobile app having these basic features will cost you $25k to $100k, as per the complexity and features.
Also Read: Dating App Development Cost Guide : Features, Budget & Hidden Expenses
(2) Fintech App
Fintech apps need high-end security, encryption, and features like real-time transactions, NYC verification, and account linking. The compliance and backend infrastructure involved in developing an app for fintech ranges between $40k and $150k.
Also Read: Fintech App Development Cost: A Complete Pricing Breakdown
(3) Taxi Booking App
The taxi booking apps need GPS tracking, route optimization, vehicle details, ride accept/reject options, etc. The cost here starts from $35k and can go above $100k. You can choose reusable components, or cross-platform development also helps you to reduce the cost.
Also Read: Taxi Booking App Development Cost Breakdown: From Planning to Launch
(4) Stock Trading App
Trading apps have live stock data feeds, portfolio management, user authentication features, and security compliance. The cost to develop these categories of apps is $60k to $180,000, depending on whether it’s a basic platform or one with advanced analytics and AI-powered insights.
Also Read: Stock Trading App Development: Cost, Features, and Step-by-Step Process
(5) Social Chat App
The basic social chat apps have chat features, file/media sharing options, end-to-end encryption, and group chat features. You can assume the approximate cost for social chat apps is between $30k and $120k. Advanced features like location tracking (Snapchat), video/voice calling, etc., increase the cost.
(6) Mobile Commerce App
mCommerce apps have more functionalities, including product listings, cart management, secure payments, and order tracking. The approximate cost starts from $25k and can go beyond $100k for a feature-rich app.
(7) Food Aggregator App
These apps require restaurant listings, real-time order tracking, reviews, complaint sections, and payment integration. You can consider the average cost of these apps to be between $30k and $90k. (including user and partner dashboards, and logistics too)
(8) Enterprise App
Enterprise-level apps for internal company use involve HR systems, employee portals, analytics dashboards, etc. These will be custom features according to the workflows, so the average cost of mobile development can range between $40k and $200k, depending on scope and integrations.
(9) Others
Type of App | Approximate Cost | Development Time |
|---|---|---|
| eLearning App | $7000 to $12000 | 2-8 months |
| Healthtech App | $12000 to $20000 | 2-6 months |
| Media Streaming App | $5000 to $7000 | 1-6 months |
| NFT Marketplace | $7000 to $12000 | 2-7 months |
| Fleet Management App | $5000 to $7000 | 1-5 months |
| Mental Health Wellbeing App | $5000 to $7000 | 1-5 months |
| Tourism App | $7000 to $12000 | 2-6 months |
Mobile App Development Quotation Based On Technology
Choosing a suitable tech stack for your app influences the cost to build a mobile app. The following are the approximate costs for various stacks.
(1) React Native App Development
React Native is a popular cross-platform framework that allows you to build apps for both iOS and Android, using a single codebase. It is ideal technology if you want to launch your app quickly within budget.
Also Read: How Hiring a React Native App Developer Can Reduce App Development Costs
| App Complexity | Approximate Costs |
| Basic React Native Apps | $10k to $40k |
| Mid-level Complexity Apps | $40k to $70k |
| Advanced Apps With Multiple Integrations | $80k to $100k or more |
(2) Flutter App Development
Flutter (by Google) is also a cross-platform framework that offers rich UI and native-like performance. Flutter is growing fast among startups.
Also Read: How Much Does Flutter App Development Cost?
| App Complexity | Approximate Costs |
| Basic Flutter Apps | $8k to $60k |
| Mid-level Complexity Apps | $60k to $120k |
| Advanced Apps With Multiple Integrations | $140k to $200k or more |
(3) Swift App Development (for iOS)
Swift is officially a language for iOS apps. If you want to target iPhone users, Swift is highly recommended for speed and security. However, the Swift app development costs more than other technologies.
| App Complexity | Approximate Costs |
| Basic Swift App Development | $15k to $25k |
| Mid-level Complexity Apps | $25k to $50k |
| Advanced Apps With Multiple Integrations | $50k to $100k or more |
(4) Kotlin/Java App Development (For Android)
Kotlin and Java are for Android app development. Kotlin is now the most preferred language for modern apps. These technologies offer great performance and flexibility, though if you are concerned about how much it costs to create an app, I suggest Java, but there will be some restrictions that Kotlin doesn’t have.
| App Complexity | Approximate Costs |
| Basic Kotlin/Java App Development | $12k to $22k |
| Mid-level Complexity Apps | $22k to $45k |
| Advanced Apps With Multiple Integrations | $45k to $100k or more |
(5) Xamarin App Development
Xamarin is a Microsoft-owned framework that is used to build apps for multiple platforms using C#. It is good for the businesses that already use Microsoft technologies. Xamarin apps demand high maintenance costs, which affect the total mobile app development cost.
| App Complexity | Approximate Costs |
| Basic Kotlin/Java App Development | $10k to $40k |
| Mid-level Complexity Apps | $40k to $80k |
| Advanced Apps With Multiple Integrations | $80k to $150k or more |
(6) Ionic App Development
It’s a hybrid framework ideal for lightweight apps using demanding web technologies, including HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. It is ideal for those who are super conscious of their budget and MVPs.
| App Complexity | Approximate Costs |
| Basic Kotlin/Java App Development | $8k to $40k |
| Mid-level Complexity Apps | $40k to $100k |
| Advanced Apps With Multiple Integrations | $150k or more |
App Making Cost Based On Operating Systems
| Operating System | Basic Features | Approximate Costs |
| iOS App Development |
| $15k to $100k+ |
| Android App Development |
| $12k to $90k+ |
| Windows App Development |
| $10k to $60k+ |
How Can India App Developers Help You With Mobile App Development Quotation
We understand the factors that influence the mobile application development cost in India and help you plan your project smartly from the start to reduce the cost. We will help you with reducing unnecessary expenses by planning strategically and using open-source technologies, but at the same time we ensure the quality of the app. Our experienced developers help you prioritize core features that matter; that also helps you with optimizing app-building costs in India.
We also have an experienced QA team; they focus on rigorous testing at each stage of the development cycle and ensure the solving of post-launch bugs and save time and money. We follow the Agile method for flexibility, faster updates, and efficient resource allocation that lowers the cost of making a mobile app. If you want to build a basic MVP or a complex app, we have a transparent process that ensures competitive app development charges in India.
