App Development Costs – What factors are important?
An app can solve both internal and external problems. Before you face the decision of whether an app is necessary for you or your company, you primarily need an overview of the costs, functions, and prerequisites.
When does having your own app become profitable?
Having your own app can give your business an edge over competitors, for example in areas like customer service or support services. Of course, you can also use an app in a variety of ways for internal purposes.
To get an idea of whether an app might be worthwhile for you, you should conduct a competitive analysis to identify both internal and external problem areas. With the resulting findings, you will have a better overview of how profitable an app could be for you and how you could use it.
How much do App Design and App Development cost?
The cost of an app depends on various factors. The more complex your requirements for the project are, the more time needs to be invested in planning, the... Design und die Programmierung gesteckt werden.
The cost for a simple app design starts at around 1000 Euros. Here, we're only talking about the design of the individual pages of the app without functionality. This means we're not yet discussing a dynamic app where users can perform certain interactions.
The technical implementation or programming is then calculated separately. Depending on the requirements, the price for app development can start at around 2,000 Euros and rise up to 30,000 Euros or more.
On which operating systems should your app be available?
Another cost factor is the operating systems on which the app is supposed to run. The two largest mobile operating systems for apps are iOS from Apple and Android from Google. If you want your app to be available on both systems, it needs to be separately adjusted and developed for iOS and Android. This increases the price for app design and app development further.
There is also the option to have an app developed platform-independent. These new technologies are called React Native and Flutter. With these, there is the opportunity to save time and money as there's only one version of the app that runs on both platforms.
How long does it take to create an app?
Depending on the programming effort, it can take up to 12 months to create and program a complex app. Additionally, the timeframe in which the app is to be developed and the desired release date are crucial. You should definitely consider this in your project planning to avoid time pressure and inadvertently increase the price.
What maintenance and upkeep costs come with an app?
Depending on the programming effort, it can take up to 12 months to create and program a complex app. Additionally, the timeframe in which the app is to be developed and the desired release date are crucial. You should definitely consider this in your project planning to avoid time pressure and inadvertently increase the price.
Maintenance costs and ongoing expenses are usually predictable. These mainly concern software updates, security enhancements, bug fixes, and minor changes in the app's appearance. At this point, the fixed hourly rate (80 – 200 Euros/hr.) applies for the work, while a new offer is made for the extended app versions.
The maintenance and support of an app are not part of the programming itself, but can be crucial for the user-friendliness of your project. For example, if there is a new software update or bugs that need to be fixed, it's advisable to make these adjustments to ensure long-term customer satisfaction.