How Much Does Mobile App Development Cost in the UK?

Today, every business is becoming digital. Ecommerce, education, travel, finance, etc., almost every industry is in the rat race of improving its visibility online. For these reasons only the industries are opting for mobile apps as most individuals in the world are having smartphones and through this mode, it becomes easy to target people.

Mobile app development is quite a profitable move for every business owner. Though it requires a lot of research including which platform to choose, target audience, app developers, and cost of developing the mobile app, however, once everything gets finalized, you are on the way to earning better returns.

When it comes to the cost factor, many business owners in the UK think twice before hiring anyone. Cost can vary due to several reasons, which we will discuss further. Some startups cannot afford the high cost of development and some established firms want to refine their mobile apps at any cost.

If you also want to develop a mobile app but do not have any idea about how it is going to cost you, then read this article till the end. You will get deep insight into the mobile app development cost in the UK.

Many factors are responsible for deciding the price of app development. Location of the project, number of features, complexity, platform, infrastructure, etc. are a few on the list. Let’s find out these factors below:

Factors affecting the Price of Mobile App Development

1. Type of App

While looking at the cost of the mobile app, the type of app matters i.e. Native or Hybrid. Native apps are built upon a specific platform whereas hybrid apps are built on a cross-platform.

Talking about native app cost, then it depends upon the number of platforms you want your native app to work with and the type of app platform i.e. iOS or Android. The final call is that native apps may cost you moderate to high while hybrid apps may cost you low to moderate.

2. Type of Platform

The cost of building a mobile app can be broken down based on the type of platform you are choosing

For Android apps, the market share is comparatively higher than iOS which makes it popular among business owners to choose this platform for their business perspective. Though the development is a bit slower in Androids than in iOS, it offers multiple options of devices like a variety of smartphones and tablets which is very limited in the case of iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod).

Due to all these reasons, the development cost is higher for Android apps as compared to iOS apps.

3. Features

Based on the features of the mobile app, the cost of development may vary. The straightforward idea is that the more features of the app, the more will be the cost of development.

Features like login, push notification, navigation bar, etc. are some basic ones that can be built in a nominal price range but if you want to go beyond some basic features like geolocation, built-in messaging, and other functionalities, then the cost of the app development may cost you a bit higher.

4. Complexity

If you are building a simple app with no API documentation, no backend, and simple UI components, then the budget will be less for such an app. While if you are going with some complex app features like multi-language support, 3rd party integration, custom animations, complicated backend, and many more, then the price of mobile app development would rise.

Hence, complexity is the crucial factor behind the cost of mobile app development as adding complex features to the app would require extra time and the efforts of developers.

5. UI/UX Design

The app development begins with its designing phase. It is not at all wrong to say that the look and smoothness of the app are the benchmarks for building a fully-fledged app. Your business can taste success or failure based on its user interfaces and app designs. 

Any normal looking app might cost you less but its failure chances are far higher. So, investing in interactive UI/UX design will be a win-win situation in any manner.

6. Backend Infrastructure

A robust back-end system is a must while building any mobile app. The effective backend system is the backbone of the app, that’s why it becomes super important to invest in it.

Now, considering the cost factor behind backend infrastructure, the app development cost depends on how flexible and complex the backend system is. The higher it is complicated, the higher will be the price of the development.

7. Development team

Any app development project requires managers, developers, designers, testers, analysts, SMEs, etc. Based on these roles, the cost of the project also varies.

Business analysts and Project managers deal with the management of the project including creating backlogs, sprints, schedules, tasks performed, ongoing tasks, upcoming tasks, risk analysis, etc. An architect is responsible for designing the architecture of the project’s components. The designer decides the layout of the project, creates the prototype and adds amazing user interfaces. Quality analysts look for the proper functionality of the app. Developers build your app using the latest tools and technologies.

What do you think- is it possible to continue the project by missing any one of these job roles?

No! You won’t survive in this competitive market. Your mobile app requires all these profiles and adding experienced professionals would prove to be beneficial, though it may cost you a bit higher.

The total cost of Mobile App Development in the UK

Whenever you want to build a mobile app, always research a lot and find a reliable app development partner who can cater to your needs and understand your business. Discussing your business and your requirements with developers will assist them in bringing out the total cost of the project.

If you add additional features after initiating the project, then that may cost you extra because the project cost decided earlier was solely on the features or other factors that were decided at that time. So, be clear with the idea behind your app and what features do you want.

In addition to this, the number of developers and other team members involved in the project also contributes to deciding the overall cost of the mobile app development project.

Now, the query is how much exactly does the developers’ team cost you for building any mobile app?

Well, its answer is further based on the type of development team you are hiring.

1. Freelancer: Hiring any freelancer in the UK would cost you between £25,000 to £45,000.
2. Offshore development team: Any such team will cost you roughly between £45,000 to £75,000.
3. Development company: Hiring any reputable firm might cost you anywhere between £70,000 to £135,000.

The ball is in your court now!

You can choose any one of the above-mentioned options to kick-start your project. However, you need to be wise enough about which option would serve you better. If we talk about a mobile app development company, then AGS is the most recognizable firm that can offer you brilliant services at decent prices.

Some other considerations when deciding costs in the UK

1. For any app without backend services, the price may fall in the range of £50,000 to £100,000.
2. An app with full-cycle development (requirements, design, development, testing, deployment, and maintenance) will cost you around £100,000 to £500,000.

Estimates of the cost of the particular type of mobile apps

1. The cost of developing a financial mobile app may cost around £90,000.
2. The mobile app development cost for an app like Uber falls between £30,000 and £40,000.
3. The cost of developing a social app may cost between £50,000 to £60,000.
4. Any virtual mobile gaming app may cost in the range of £250,000 to £500,000 based on features.
5. The cost of a mobile delivery app development may range from £15,000 to £25,000.

With all these rough estimates, you can get some idea about how mobile app development is going to cost based on numerous factors and types of apps.

To get the best advice and pocket-friendly deal in mobile app development, you can get in touch with AGS. Our team will guide you from beginning to end and deliver you the best possible solutions at a nominal price range.

Final Thoughts

Building a mobile app is a tough nut to crack. There are so many things that the product owner needs to consider while deciding the budget.

With all the above factors affecting the cost of app development, it might give business owners some idea about how costs break down while developing an app. Features, complexity, platform, etc. are some basic things that one can consider.

If you need more assistance, talk to AGS experts. We will provide top-notch solutions to grow your business.