The mobile app industry is flourishing with the advent of numerous technologies. Mobile apps have transformed the way we interact and communicate in our daily lives. The prevailing trend in the mobile app space is steering innovation where businesses rely on mobile applications to expand their global reach to the targeted audience. Mobile apps have become the key channel for businesses to drive customer engagement and bring breakthroughs in the business. 

In light of this, developing mobile apps in 2024 is gaining popularity empowering businesses to strengthen themselves in the ever-changing mobile app landscape. But before entering into the realm of mobile app development, understanding the cost of developing mobile apps and the associated factors is significant to ensure the investment stays within the budget. In this blog, we’ll explore the factors that impact the app development cost in 2024.

Top factors that impact the app development cost

Development Platform

The development platform is the common factor impacting the cost of an app. The mobile apps can be developed on different operating systems including Android and iOS as per the client's requirements. Businesses should ensure that the app needs to be native or cross-platform.

The native apps are more expensive than the cross-platform apps and native apps require more development time compared to cross-platform. Hence, according to this the cost of the apps may vary and it is ideal to go with your budget. 

App Complexity

The complexity of the apps plays a major role in evaluating the cost of the mobile application. The size of the apps can be classified into three types namely simple, medium, and complex apps. The small apps are developed with simple functionality with a minimal tech stack. The medium-sized apps come with customized user interfaces and more features.

The complex apps serve as multi-functional apps with sophisticated features and advanced customization. Thus the cost of the mobile application varies according to the complexity of the apps clients prefer. 

Development Team Structure and Location

The development team size and location highly impact the cost of creating a mobile app. The mobile app development team includes exceptionally experienced developers, designers, business analysts, software testing teams, etc. 

Businesses can opt for a dedicated company or can hire freelance app developers which might be budget-friendly when compared to a committed app development team. The location plays a huge role in where the businesses can find it comfortable to manage the projects within the time if the location of the team is the same. 

Features and Functionality

The cost of creating a mobile app depends on the features and functionalities of the app. Apps with simple and standard user interfaces are generally less expensive. When the clients opt for sleek and intuitive designs the price may vary accordingly.

Appropriately, the price of the application varies with the additional advanced features. This includes AI chatbots, in-app purchases, real-time messaging, in-app calls, geo-locations, etc.  

App Maintenance and Hosting Cost 

Evaluating the app maintenance and hosting costs is crucial in mobile app budgeting. Developing and maintaining apps have become essential for smooth operation, further upgradations, and reducing uninstalls which involve certain costs. 

Mobile app hosting allows to run backend on the servers. There are different types of mobile app hosting namely dedicated server, shared hosting, VPS hosting, and cloud hosting. Businesses can opt for the best one that aligns with their budget. 

Wrapping Up 

Mobile apps have become indispensable tools for businesses to elevate their brand reach. Hence, it is vital to consider the factors that help businesses strategically plan their mobile app development process and ensure optimal investments in the mobile apps. An expert mobile app development team is crucial to optimize the mobile apps as per the customer's need to drive successful outcomes.