One of the first questions every business asks when considering a mobile app: what will this cost? The answer varies enormously — from a few thousand euros to several hundred thousand — depending on who you hire, what you build, and how you build it.
Let's break it down honestly.
The short answer: what you can expect to pay
| Option | Cost range | Timeline | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large agency | €30,000–€150,000+ | 3–12 months | Full team, project manager, designer |
| Mid-size agency | €15,000–€40,000 | 2–6 months | Less overhead, still expensive |
| Freelancer (hourly) | €5,000–€25,000 | 1–4 months | Depends on rate + scope |
| Cross-platform fixed price | From €1,500 | 2–6 weeks | One codebase, both platforms |
| Monthly all-in plan | From €199/month | Ongoing | Includes hosting, updates, support |
What drives the cost up?
The biggest cost drivers in mobile app development are:
- Building twice: Separate native apps for Android (Kotlin) and iOS (Swift) means two codebases, two developers, double the testing
- Agency overhead: Project managers, account managers, and internal meetings add 30–50% to every invoice
- Unclear scope: Vague requirements lead to scope creep, which means more hours and a larger bill
- Complex backend: Real-time features, third-party integrations, and custom APIs add significant development time
What does a typical app include?
Simple app (From €1,500)
- User registration and login
- 3–6 main screens
- Basic backend API
- Push notifications
- App Store submission
Mid-complexity app (€3,000–€8,000)
- Everything above +
- Payment integration (Stripe, Mollie)
- Real-time features (chat, live updates)
- Admin dashboard
- Complex data models
Complex app (€10,000+)
- Custom UI/UX design from scratch
- Marketplace or multi-user platform
- Advanced integrations (ERP, CRM)
- High-scale backend infrastructure
Cross-platform vs native: the cost difference
Building two separate native apps (Swift for iOS + Kotlin for Android) doubles your development time and cost. Cross-platform frameworks like Flutter let one developer build for both platforms from a single codebase.
💡 Choosing Flutter over two native apps typically saves 40–60% in development costs. For a €10,000 project, that's €4,000–6,000 saved — with comparable quality.
Monthly plans: the subscription model for apps
An alternative to a large upfront payment is a monthly all-in plan. You pay a fixed monthly fee that covers development, hosting, updates, and support. This model works well for:
- Businesses that want to spread the cost
- Apps that need ongoing feature development
- Projects where requirements aren't fully defined yet
Our monthly plans start from €199/month and include everything: the app, hosting, updates, App Store management, and direct developer support.
How to get an accurate quote
The most important thing you can do before asking for a quote: write down your requirements. Even a simple list of features dramatically improves the accuracy of any estimate. Include:
- What problem does the app solve?
- Who are the users?
- What are the 5 main things users can do in the app?
- Do you need a backend/admin panel?
- Any integrations (payments, maps, external APIs)?
Get a free, honest quote
Describe your app idea and we'll send you a detailed quote within 24 hours. No agency markup, no surprises.
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