App development is one of the hardest things to price, because "an app" can mean anything from a simple four-screen tool to a platform with payments, messaging and millions of users. If you understand what moves the number, you can scope your idea to your budget instead of being surprised by the quote.

What actually drives the cost

The big factors are complexity (how many features and how they interact), whether you need iOS, Android or both, whether there's a backend and user accounts, and how much custom design is involved. Each of these can double the work, so the honest answer to "how much?" is always "it depends on what it does."

Typical price ranges

  • A simple app, a few screens, one platform: roughly £3,000–£8,000
  • A standard app with accounts and a backend: about £8,000–£25,000
  • A complex app with payments, real-time features or integrations: £25,000 and up
  • A lean MVP to test the idea first: scope it tightly and start smaller

These are broad guidance ranges, not quotes — the right figure depends entirely on your feature list and the developer's experience.

How to keep the cost sensible

Start with a minimum viable product: build the one thing your app must do, launch it, and let real users tell you what to build next. Prioritise must-haves ruthlessly, and consider a cross-platform approach so one codebase serves both iOS and Android.

What to agree before you start

  • Which platforms you're building for
  • Who owns the code and the app-store accounts
  • How updates and maintenance will be handled after launch
  • A realistic timeline with milestones you pay against
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