How Much Does It Really Cost to Build an App
It’s probably the question we get asked the most, and also the hardest to answer with a single number. Anyone who gives you an exact price without knowing your project is probably lying to you, or quoting something that isn’t what you actually need.
Why quotes vary so much
You ask for three quotes and get three completely different numbers, sometimes thousands of dollars apart. It’s not that some people are ripping you off and others aren’t (though that happens too). It’s that “building an app” can mean very different things: a simple app with four screens has nothing to do with one that handles payments, users, notifications, and connects to other systems.
What actually drives the price
- Number of screens and features: every new feature is design, development, and testing time.
- Whether it needs its own backend: storing data, handling users or payments requires extra infrastructure.
- Integrations: connecting to payment gateways, maps, social media, or other systems adds work.
- Custom design vs. templates: a fully original design takes more hours than adapting existing components.
- Ongoing maintenance: an app isn’t “done” the day it launches, it needs updates.
“Low cost” almost always ends up expensive
We’ve seen plenty of businesses go with the cheapest option and end up paying double later, because the code was poorly built, didn’t scale, or the developer straight up disappeared halfway through. We’re not saying cheap is always bad, but be wary of anyone who quotes you without asking questions about your project.
How we quote at DeltaApps
Before giving you a number, we sit down to understand what you actually need and what can wait for a second phase. The budget often drops quite a bit just by properly scoping the first launch instead of trying to cram everything in at once.
If you’re thinking about building an app and want an honest number (not the lowest one, the realest one), let’s talk.