Apps can be very expensive at times but you know what, they don’t have to be. Yes, you heard me! A lot depends on what you create and of course, the how part! So, before you jump on the bandwagon to cash in on the lucrative field, do a little homework and things will become much simpler, especially in terms of estimating the cost.
How to create a powerful App Building Platform
Now, each and every project is different and it has to be! In the past decade, the mobile technology landscape has transformed beyond all previous recognition. Demand for experienced mobile app development capability has never been higher and big businesses are struggling to keep up with an ever-growing backlog of projects.
Today, there are certain variables such as app complexity, mobile platforms (Apple, Google, Windows, etc) and the location of the development resources that need to be taken into account.
App complexity
Broadly speaking of the app complexity, it can be divided into several categories, for example -
- Simple
Simple apps are all about having a limited number of screens and connecting to an API in order to retrieve data. Although these apps don’t typically support user profiles, they often let users share their content on social media. As per the general rule, simple apps will generate limited amounts of analytic data.
- Complex
Complex ones have more screens as compared to simple ones and connect to at least one API, and routinely make use of location data. Many times a user has a profile, and their content can be available on multiple devices. Featuring in-app purchases or a shopping cart, complex apps usually tend to collect and report a full range of analytics. In addition to this, they have an administration console to allow one to moderate and monitors content and usage. Such apps need a large amount of work done by designers and are developed by mid-size teams of a Mobile app development company.
- Large enterprise apps
Generally available in more than 10 screens, each very polished and professional, these enterprise apps do connect with multiple APIs. Here each and every user has a profile and there’s typically a robust web-based user management console in place for administrators. These applications can moderate users, they can approve or delete messages. They can collect large amounts of analytic data and robust social media integration.
- Gaming
Usually having a handful of screens, mobile gaming apps connect with servers to report usage data and analytics. Working with multiple APIs, including custom ones can be considered as an advantage. In general, user profiles tends to be standard, and thus have to be formatted nicely and made public on the web. In-app purchases are standard. Successful mobile games need scalable code and infrastructure.
The first step in estimating your overall app development costs is understanding which category your app falls into.
Mobile Platforms
App development costs happen to fluctuate a lot depending on the platform one thinks of developing upon. However, today a majority of apps get a multi-platform release. It may quite interest you to know that Android has about twice as many users as Apple, but Apple users spend twice as much on apps.
I suggest it’s slightly more time consuming to develop for Apple, so in return, your app’s IOS port should generate a bit more revenue.
Location of the Development Resources
Do you know what's the most important aspect to consider while choosing a development company? It’s the location! The place where app developers are working can make a huge difference. For example, Offshoring the app development can result in significantly lower app development costs — cutting up to 50% or more off of the total price.
Lastly, use calculators
If you are in the initial stages of app planning, one tool you may happen to stumble upon can be an online calculator. A lot of agencies put these out as a sales tool, so find a suitable one for yourself!