App development cost in 2026: how much does it cost to build an app

How much does an app cost: prices in one table

The direct answer to "how much does an app cost" is "it depends on the task". That is true, but useless. So here are numbers right away: our prices (the YARDOS price list) and market benchmarks from public guides. Ours show what we charge (we name the exact amount in an estimate after the brief), and the market figures show the range the industry works in.

For comparison: public market guides put a simple app at roughly $10,000–50,000 and complex products at hundreds of thousands of dollars and above (TechnBrains). These are figures from agencies that sell development themselves, so treat them as a benchmark. The spread is huge, and the reason is clear: "an app" can mean three screens with a form or a marketplace with payments.

Mobile app development cost by type

So that you do not have to guess, let us split apps into five types, from simple to complex.

1. App from your website (PWA), €2,490

A PWA (progressive web app) is your website that can be installed on a phone: an icon appears on the home screen, and notifications and use on a weak connection are possible. It does not need to be published in the App Store or Google Play. It is the cheapest way to get "an app". Limits: on iPhone, web apps receive notifications only after being added to the Home Screen (see Apple's documentation), and you will not show up in store search.

2. Telegram Mini App, from €3,900

An app inside the messenger: a catalog, booking, ordering, payment. The user does not have to download anything, and you reach Telegram's ready audience. It suits services whose customers already talk to you in the messenger.

3. MVP for iOS and Android, from €10,900

A first version to test the idea on real people: one codebase for both platforms, design for up to 8 screens, sign-in by email or phone, notifications, submission to both stores. What an MVP is and why you need one is covered in "What Is an MVP and How Much Does It Cost".

4. App for an existing business, €23,900

Up to 20 screens, in-app payments, an admin panel for your team, behavior analytics and 3 months of support. This is an app that already sells and retains customers.

5. Complex product, from €54,900

More than 30 screens, roles and accounts (for example client, contractor, administrator), a single system joining the site and a bot, integrations with your systems. We start such projects with an architecture session at €3,500: a product map and an estimate, with the amount credited toward the project.

What the price of an app is made of

Prices of local agencies in your country may differ from European ones, but the set of factors is the same everywhere. If you break the cost down, almost everything comes down to six factors. Once you understand them, you can judge for yourself whether an offer is expensive.

• Number of screens. Every screen has to be designed, drawn, built and tested. A pack of five extra screens costs €1,990 with us.
• Back end. An app is a "shop window"; user data, orders and sign-in are stored on a server. The more complex the logic, the higher the price. That is why the price can be several times higher than the screen count suggests.
• Integrations. Links to your CRM, accounting system, payment provider or maps. One integration starts at €1,490 with us.
• User roles. If the customer and the contractor have different screens and rights, that is a separate block of work (from €2,990).
• Design. A simple design from ready components costs less; custom animation and illustration cost more. Design is already included in our packages; a prototype on its own starts at €1,990.
• Platforms. One app for both platforms (iOS and Android) costs noticeably less than two separate ones. We build "one codebase for both platforms".

What does not affect the price but does affect your peace of mind: a clear description of the task, quick approvals and ready copy and a logo. More on preparing the description in "Website Requirements and Brief": the logic is the same as for a site.

How much does it cost to build an app: modules and extras

We build an app like a construction set: a base plus modules. That way you pay only for what you need, not for a "custom quote". Benchmarks for the modules (prices from our calculator):

With three or more modules a 10% discount applies to the whole. Example: an MVP at €10,900 plus payments, an admin panel and analytics is €18,970 before the discount and about €17,070 with the 10% discount, while the "Business" package at €23,900 adds more screens and three months of support on top. We name the exact amount after the brief, and the calculator below gives a range.

If you need an app for a complex system with several types of users or payments between them, look at how our case studies are built: GRONO, duck.credit, Discovery School show which modules such a system is assembled from.

Costs beyond development

The main budgeting mistake is to count only development. An app lives on after launch, and that has a price.

Store accounts

Membership in the Apple Developer Program costs $99 a year (Apple). Google Play needs a developer account with a one-time $25 fee (Google). We register the accounts in your name, and you pay the stores directly, with no markup from us.

Store requirements

Apple rejects apps that are essentially a "packaged website" with no features of their own, and requires that the version under review be final and fully working (App Store Review Guidelines). For new personal Google Play accounts, closed testing is required before publishing: at least 12 testers for 14 days in a row (Google Play Console). Store review is not part of our timeline, and we say so honestly. Submission and fixing review comments cost €390 if you publish outside a package.

Support and updates

Operating systems update every year, and the app has to be adjusted. Plan an annual support budget: market guides usually count it as a percentage of the development cost, and the more complex the app, the higher it is. We name the maintenance terms in advance: the "Business" package includes 3 months of support.

Servers and services

At the start, infrastructure costs €0 with us thanks to free plans of third-party services. When the project outgrows the limits, we tell you in advance which plan is needed and what it costs.

Promotion

An app does not reach users by itself. Store page optimization and install ads start from €590 a month with us; an advertising budget should be planned separately.

How not to overpay for an app

A cheap app is not the same as a sensible one. Here are ways to cut costs without spoiling the result.

1. Start with an MVP. Build the 5–8 main screens and test the idea on people. Add the rest when you see real demand. We publish the MVP price openly, and modules are added later.
2. Check whether you need an app at all. Sometimes a website or a PWA is enough. The comparison of options is in "App vs Website".
3. Take one codebase for two platforms. Modern cross-platform technologies (such as Flutter and React Native) let you avoid writing the app twice. For most business tasks that is enough; separate native apps are needed for heavy graphics, complex sensors and similar cases.
4. Do not order "like Uber". Copying a large system whole is a road to a budget of hundreds of thousands. Pick one main function.
5. Prepare. A description, examples, texts and a logo before the start save weeks and money.
6. Compare offers by scope. How to vet a contractor and avoid "cheap, but no admin panel and no publishing" is described in "How to Choose a Web Development Company".

Remember the cheaper routes as well: a freelancer can build a simple app for less than an agency, and app builders cost anything from nothing to hundreds of dollars a month. Freelancer prices, like quality and risks, vary widely, so for an app that has to earn money you need a transparent scope and the code in your hands.

How timeline relates to app price

Timeline goes alongside price: the longer the project, the higher the cost. We work remotely, so in your city the timelines are the same as anywhere. Our benchmarks: MVP 6–8 weeks, "Business" 10–14 weeks, "Premium" from 4 months. If you only need to explore an idea and draw the screens, design and a clickable prototype come first (from €1,990): you see the future app before development begins.

Timelines slip for three reasons: late approvals, changes to the task along the way, and store review, which is outside our control. That is why we promise timelines only when conditions are met: the brief and materials before the start, and one responsible person on your side. More on how an app is built step by step in "How to Make an App: From Idea to App Store".

What to choose in your situation

• If you have a website and want it "on the phone", take a PWA at €2,490. It is the fastest and cheapest route, and you do not need the stores.
• If your customers sit in Telegram in your country (booking, orders, subscriptions), look at a Mini App from €3,900: the user does not need to download anything.
• If you have an idea for a new product and want to test demand, take an iOS + Android MVP from €10,900 and add modules after the test.
• If the app must take payments and you run a team through an admin panel, take "Business" at €23,900: payments, admin and analytics are already included.
• If you have several roles, integrations or complex payments, start with an architecture session at €3,500. It is credited toward the project, and the product map and estimate stay with you either way.

Prices for all products are collected on the pricing page, and the scope of an app is described in the iOS + Android app card. If you need an exact estimate for your project, leave a request: the estimate comes after a short brief.