How much does a mobile app cost in 2026? Pricing and what drives the price

1. What drives the cost of a mobile app?

The price of an app is, in practice, hours of work times a rate. Six things set the number of hours:

• —Technology and platforms: a PWA running from the browser, a hybrid app with one codebase for iOS and Android, or two separate native apps. The cost gap between the first and the last can be several-fold.
• —Number of screens and features: sign-in, profile, calendar, basket, chat, push notifications. Each feature means design, code, testing and error handling.
• —Backend and admin panel: an app rarely works on its own — it needs a database, user accounts and a place where you manage content, bookings or orders.
• —Integrations: online payments, maps, calendars, accounting systems, third-party APIs. Each integration is someone else's system with its own limits.
• —UX/UI design: ready-made components, or a custom design for every screen, tested on real users.
• —Who builds it: an independent developer, a small team, or a software house with a project manager, an analyst and a QA department.

2. Mobile app pricing: realistic market ranges (2026)

Indicative figures for the three most common scenarios — quoted by an independent developer or a small team:

1. A PWA or a simple app (around €2,500 – €7,000)

An app launched from the browser and installed on the phone's home screen, with no app stores. A handful of screens, sign-in, forms, a simple admin panel. A good choice for a first product version, an internal team tool, or an app for regular customers.

2. A hybrid iOS and Android app with a backend (€7,000 – €21,000)

One codebase published on the App Store and Google Play, with user accounts, push notifications, payments and an admin panel. The most common choice for service businesses: booking apps, loyalty programmes, customer apps.

3. A native app or an extensive platform (from €21,000)

Two separate apps written in the platforms' own languages (Swift and Kotlin), or a system with many user roles, offline work, advanced graphics or hardware integration. There is effectively no upper limit.

3. Hidden app costs that get forgotten in the quote

The build price is only the beginning. An app has running costs worth knowing before you decide:

• —Store accounts: the Apple Developer Program costs $99 a year, a Google Play account a one-off $25. Both also take a commission on in-app payments for digital content.
• —Server and database: at small scale they often fit into a free or very cheap plan, but they grow with the number of users.
• —Operating system updates: a new iOS and a new Android come out every year, and the stores require apps to keep up. An app nobody updates eventually disappears from the store.
• —Maintenance and development: a common rule of thumb is that yearly maintenance costs 15–20% of the original build — fixes, library updates, small changes.
• —Paperwork: a privacy policy, consent handling and a description of data processing are required by both stores at publication.

4. How to lower the cost of an app without cutting quality

Most of the savings come from decisions made before the first line of code:

1. 1.Start with an MVP — the smallest version that solves one main user problem. “Later” features get added once you can see what people actually use.
2. 2.Choose one codebase instead of two native apps if the app does not need advanced graphics or deep hardware access. In most business apps users will not notice the difference.
3. 3.Use a ready-made backend (such as Firebase) instead of building a server from scratch. Sign-in, the database and notifications are ready from day one.
4. 4.Consider a PWA to begin with. Once the idea proves itself, the same codebase can be wrapped and published in the stores.

That is how I built Meety, my salon-booking app: one React codebase that ships as a store app on Android (via Capacitor) and as an installable PWA on iPhone and the web. I write native, in Kotlin, when an app genuinely needs it — like Prosty Kalendarz for Android.

5. How long does it take to build a mobile app?

Timelines grow with scope, but roughly:

• —A PWA or a simple app: 4–8 weeks.
• —A hybrid app with a backend and admin panel: 2–4 months.
• —An extensive platform or two native apps: 4 months and up.

Add store review on top: Google Play and the App Store check every new app and every update. It usually takes from a few hours to a few days, but a first submission can come back with comments — leave room for that in the schedule.

6. Common questions about app costs

Can you build an app for €1,000?

You can build a simple PWA with a few screens, or an app in an off-the-shelf builder. An app with user accounts, payments and an admin panel — unlikely, and if someone promises one for that, ask exactly what is included and who will maintain it.

Is it better to pay by the hour or for the whole project?

With a clearly defined scope, a fixed project price gives you predictability: you know upfront what you will pay. Hourly billing makes sense for projects whose scope changes along the way.

Who owns the app's code?

That is a matter of contract, not assumption. Make sure the contract transfers the copyright in the code to you and that the store accounts are registered to your business.

7. How to get a reliable app quote

Before you ask for a quote, prepare answers to four questions:

1. 1.What one problem should the app solve, and for whom?
2. 2.What are the 3–5 most important features in the first version?
3. 3.Does the app have to be in the stores, or is a version installed from the browser enough?
4. 4.Which systems does it need to connect to (payments, calendar, accounting)?

With that description, a quote is specific rather than “from–to”. Send it to me and within 48 hours you'll get a free quote and a technology recommendation — including when the honest answer is that a website is enough to start with.