The first smartphone was launched in 1993 by IBM, which had the apps such as contacts, calculator, calendar, notepad, and clock. But then, these were considered features of the smartphone and not “apps” since the ‘app store’ was not yet launched. By 2008, the first app store launched Apple, with over 500 apps.
The app store was quite a breakaway, enabling anyone to download the software through the phone. Now, we can’t even imagine how difficult our lives would be if there were no apps. Ever since the launch of the app store, thousands of apps have been developed, and these have become an integral part of our day-to-day lives. Shopping, sharing, entertainment, communication, reading, and booking, there is a long list when it comes to the usage of apps that expedite our life.
Creating an app requires advanced knowledge and strategic planning, especially now that there are millions of apps. It is essential to create the best user experience and outstanding features if it has to be used. These are the steps to consider before you start developing an application.
What is the desired goal of the application?
Before planning the app, it is essential to list down all the present challenges for which you need a solution. After writing down the problem, plan on what features are required for solving each challenge?. Whether the feature will solve the problem efficiently? And what is the benefit of solving this particular challenge?. If we can answer all these questions, the planning is half done.
1. Voice of Customer
Before deciding on the features, it is essential to lend ears to the target customers to whom your application will benefit. Even if we consider all the possible features, it is necessary to ask the customers what their problem is and what their expectations are through such an app. Only the actual users can define the precise set of expected features.
2. Research about the existing apps
If there is already an application with the same goal, it would be helpful to research its features. This is to discover the advantages and disadvantages and to disclose what all features are missing. Examine whether the application could achieve the target goals and how to use its missing feature to boost your target goal.
3. Choose the right development team.
Programming the application is the core process in development. Make sure to handle the approach to the right team who can multitask and are able to understand your needs and requirements thoroughly. Best UI and UX is the success of any app. It requires the creative and mindful developers to combine both user interface and user experience into an astonishing accomplishment, all while keeping the cost and time in check.
How Much Does It Cost To Build A Mobile App
The cost for any app differs based on the purpose, functionality, and platform(android or ios). It is thus necessary to first decide what kind of app you are looking forward to.
Starting from scratch, there are basic features present for any mobile application, including signup, login, password setting & restoring, uploading and downloading media, profile creation with editing,notifications etc., creating an app including these basic features will estimately cost up to $10000.
Let’s look at the cost estimation of different common apps;
1. Gaming apps
Along with the basic features, gaming apps need advanced UI and UX, high-quality audio, HDR graphics, boosted FPS, payment gateways, etc which requires visual creators, editors, content curators, frontend and backend developers with advanced knowledge to build an addictive gameplay. Then again, 2D apps cost less than 3D, and ios apps cost much more than android. In addition, the higher the levels in the game, the costlier it will be.
- For simple gaming apps like temple run, card games etc. which require the basic features and fixed graphics, it costs around $5000.
- For high-quality AAA games, the cost is estimated at around $60,00000. These are the most expensive of all the gaming apps. Still, considering the target income, these apps require the top quality element and extravagant developing tools to hop into a successful launch.
- Cross-platform gaming apps profit primarily via advertisements, in-app upgrades, and purchases. These apps can be played from websites, mobile and social media platforms. To gather a large audience, these apps are set for different devices and screens, and thus the integration costs around $300000.
- Large video games similar to clash of clans, township, etc require addictive content with infinite levels and continuous upgrade & maintenance and cost around $20,0000.
2. Educational Apps
Educational apps include the aforementioned basic features and a cross-platform framework with cloud integration. The cost of the application depends upon the desired features and quality of uploads. Most educational apps provide premium subscriptions, which have become the primary method of monetization. Apart from the common features, tracking student progress, live streaming platforms, fee payment tracking, regular notification updates etc. are integral to any educational app. To develop an educational application, it costs an average of $1,30000 for one app and $2,00000 for separate apps for android and iOS, including student panel, admin panel, teacher panel, library integration , framework, UI, UX, and project management.
3. Social Media Apps
User authorization is the first process of a social media app. Therefore data and privacy are the most important features. With the basic features including sign-in, push notification, texting, multiple device login, and camera, etc a simple application will cost more than $10000.
When media sharing and story uploading features are added, the total cost will sum up above $20000. With advanced features including calling, voice messaging, live streaming, seamless UI & UX etc., the app will cost more than $30000. It takes an average of 3 to 8 months to develop a social media app, but this estimation will solely depend on the desired functionality and technology stack. Other than the creation process, social media apps require continuous updates and maintenance, so it is advisable to have a long vision regarding these costs.
4. E-commerce Apps
Along with the app features, app design, including logo creation, graphic designs, multiple screen integration, etc and business analytics, data tracking in the admin panel are common for any e-commerce application. Social media integration, multiple payment gateways, and delivery tracking are some advanced features applicable to a shopping app.
The typical cost for the development process only will amount to more than $10000. The wireframing and UI, and UX design will cost an additional amount of $35000. Apart from the development costs, the app should be undergone various testing processes, which costs up to $20000, and launching the app in the play store will also require a definite percentage of revenue.
5. Entertainment apps
Personalized content and quality media uploading with user-friendly UI are the fundamental tips for developing a successful entertainment application. The cost depends on the features, app design, and the application’s platform(android, ios, or hybrid). Rating and review for each content, quality settings, subtitle integration, and multiple device integration are a few necessary features any user will look forward to in an entertainment app. Let us look into the cost of some popular apps to get an idea about the total development cost.
- Creating a Netflix clone costs a minimum of $20000 to $30000.
- A video-sharing application like youtube will also cost around $30000
- For an audio streaming app similar to Spotify, it will cost around $25000 for the android platform, $30000 for the ios and $15000 for websites.
How much does it cost to develop a Mobile App in India?
Let the app be in any category. The total cost for development mainly depends on the complexity of the features, platform, and profit predictivity. Native app development in India will cost around $100000. The maintenance fee is higher for native apps, which makes it costlier. Web applications will cost around $5000 while hybrid apps cost around $50000. The maintenance cost is the additional cost that adds up next. It requires around 15% of the actual development cost to maintain the application yearly.
The Indian developers provide advanced quality service for less charge compared with other developing companies. The cost for app developers per hour in India ranges from $20 to $30 (rs. 1500 – 2300). The total time for the development process will stretch from 3 months to more than 1 year, depending on the application. However, the Time and cost, the more the quality assurance and revenue of any application, given that the right development team handles the project.
