How much does it cost to develop an app? A 2026 breakdown.
- Typical US ranges
- Updated for 2026
- No sign-up
App development cost at a glance
Most apps fall into one of three tiers. A simple app or MVP - a handful of screens and standard features - sits at the low end. A medium-complexity app with a custom backend and integrations sits in the middle. A complex app with real-time data, AI, or heavy custom logic is the most expensive, and there is effectively no upper bound once the scope grows large enough. On top of the build, plan for ongoing costs every year.
| App type | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Simple app / MVPFew screens, standard features | $25,000 - $60,000 |
| Medium-complexity appCustom backend, integrations | $60,000 - $150,000 |
| Complex appReal-time, AI, heavy custom logic | $150,000+ |
| Cross-platform (both stores)One codebase, iOS + Android | $30,000 - $120,000 |
| Two native appsVersus one native platform | 1.6 - 1.8x |
| Ongoing per yearMaintenance, hosting, new features | 15 - 20% of build |
Source: 2026 US studio/agency ranges
What drives app cost
The first lever is platform, the next is scope - how many screens and how much custom logic - and the rest are features that each add real, separate work. The more of these you stack, the higher the range.
- Platform (one, both, cross-platform, or web)
- Number of screens
- App complexity
- Custom backend & APIs
- Payments & subscriptions
- Real-time features (chat, live data)
- AI / ML features
- Maps & location
- Third-party integrations
- Design ambition
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Native vs cross-platform
Native - a separate iOS app in Swift and a separate Android app in Kotlin - gives the best per-platform polish and access to every device capability the day it ships. It is also the most expensive, because you are designing and building the front end twice; two native apps typically run 1.6 to 1.8x the cost of a single platform.
Cross-platform with React Native or Flutter ships both stores from one codebase, so you reach iOS and Android for far less than two native apps. The trade-off is small and lands only on the most platform-specific features - deep OS integrations or bleeding-edge hardware APIs - which most apps never touch. For the majority of products, cross-platform is the most cost-effective way to be on both stores.
A web app skips the app stores entirely. It is reachable from any browser, often the cheapest to build, and the fastest to update, but it gives up native distribution, offline polish, and the deepest device features. If you do not need to be in the stores, it can be the leanest place to start.
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Common questions
A simple app or MVP typically runs $25,000 to $60,000, a medium-complexity app with a custom backend and integrations $60,000 to $150,000, and a complex app with real-time, AI, or heavy custom logic $150,000 and up. The final number depends on platform, the number of screens, the feature set, and design ambition - not on any single factor.
Building for one platform - just iOS or just Android - is the leanest path. Two separate native apps roughly run 1.6 to 1.8x the cost of a single native platform, because you are building the front end twice. A cross-platform build with React Native or Flutter ships to both stores from one codebase, so you reach both stores for far less than two native apps, with only a small trade-off on the most platform-specific features.
The biggest line items are usually a custom backend and APIs, payments and subscriptions, real-time features like chat or live data, and AI or ML features. Accounts and login, maps and location, an admin dashboard, and third-party integrations each add on top because they are real, separate work. A read-only app with a handful of screens sits at the low end; stack several of these features and the cost climbs quickly.
A minimum viable product - the core flow on one platform or cross-platform, with standard features and a small set of screens - typically costs $25,000 to $60,000. The point of an MVP is to ship the essential flow, learn from real usage, and fund the next features from what you learn, rather than building the full vision before a single user has touched the app.
Plan for roughly 15 to 20% of the build cost per year for maintenance, OS and library updates, bug fixes, and new features. On top of that sit the app store fees - $99 a year for the Apple Developer Program and a one-time $25 for Google Play - plus hosting and backend infrastructure, which scale with your user base, and any third-party services you depend on.
A simple app or MVP usually takes around 2 to 4 months, a medium-complexity app 4 to 8 months, and a complex app 8 months or more. Timeline tracks scope: more screens, a custom backend, and features like real-time or AI all add design and build time. Shipping an MVP first is the fastest way to get something real in front of users.