How much does it cost to make an app in 2026?

For a custom build, a simple app 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 features, AI, or multiple platforms $150,000 and up. No-code or template apps come in far lower, roughly $5,000 to $20,000, but trade flexibility for speed. The only way to get a real number is a scoped quote - tell us what you want at /start and we'll price it.

Why is the price range so wide?

The word app covers everything from a few simple screens to a real-time, AI-powered product with its own backend, and those are different amounts of work by an order of magnitude. The number moves with how many platforms you ship to, how many screens there are, the feature set, how much custom backend sits behind it, the depth of the design, and the integrations involved. Hand us the scope at /start and the range collapses into one figure.

Does building for iOS, Android, or both change the cost?

A lot. A single native app (iOS or Android alone) is the cheapest path. Building two native apps roughly doubles the front-end work. Cross-platform frameworks like React Native or Flutter ship both iOS and Android from one codebase for far less than two native builds, which is why most studios reach for them when you need both platforms. We'll recommend the right approach for your case in a scoped quote at /start.

What features add the most cost to an app?

The expensive parts usually live behind the screens. A custom backend, user accounts and authentication, real-time features (chat, live updates, location), payments, and anything AI-powered are each real, separate work priced on top of the base build. Third-party integrations and a fully custom design also move the number. A simple app with standard features stays near the bottom of the range; stack these and it climbs. Tell us which you need at /start.

Does the price include the backend and ongoing costs?

A build quote covers the app itself and, where needed, its backend - but plan for ongoing costs after launch: app store fees (Apple's $99/year developer account, Google's one-time $25), backend hosting, third-party service fees, and maintenance for updates, OS changes, and fixes, often 15 to 20 percent of the build cost per year. We're clear about what's in and out of scope in every quote at /start.

How long does it take to build an app?

A simple app can be ready in roughly one to three months. A medium-complexity app with a custom backend and integrations usually takes three to six months, and a complex app with real-time features or AI runs six months or more depending on scope. Cross-platform shipping to both stores is faster than two separate native builds. A rush timeline is possible but typically adds to the cost - we'll give you a real timeline with your quote at /start.

Guide · Mobile App Pricing

How much does it cost to make a mobile app? A 2026 price breakdown.

The honest answer is that a mobile app ranges from around $25,000 for a simple build to well over $150,000 for a complex, real-time or AI-powered product. This guide breaks down what actually drives that number - the platforms you ship to, the number of screens, the feature set, and the backend behind it - so you can set a realistic budget instead of guessing.

Typical US ranges
Updated for 2026
No sign-up

The short answer

Mobile app cost at a glance

Most apps fall into a handful of bands. A simple app 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 features, AI, or multiple platforms $150,000 and up. A no-code or template app comes in far lower but trades flexibility for speed.

These are typical US ranges for a custom studio build, not a quote. Where your app lands inside a band - or above it - depends on the drivers covered below. If a full custom build is out of budget, a no-code or template app gets something live fast, as long as you can live inside what the platform allows.

App type
App type	Typical range
Simple app (MVP)Few screens, standard features	$25,000 - $60,000
Medium-complexity appCustom backend, integrations	$60,000 - $150,000
Complex appReal-time, AI, multiple platforms	$150,000+
Cross-platform (both OS)React Native / Flutter	from one codebase
No-code / templateLimited, fast	$5,000 - $20,000
Per screenRough build-up estimate	$3,000 - $8,000 / screen

Source: 2026 US studio ranges - native and cross-platform builds

What moves the number

What makes an app cost more or less

Two apps that look similar on the surface can be quoted very differently. These are the levers that set the price - the more of them you stack, the higher the number climbs.

The biggest drivers are how many platforms you ship to and the feature set. After that, the number of screens and the depth of the design set the baseline. The real cost, though, usually lives in the backend: accounts, real-time features, payments, AI, and integrations are each separate, real work priced on top of the base build.

Platforms (iOS, Android, or both)
Number of screens
Feature set (accounts, payments, real-time, AI)
Backend complexity
Custom design depth
Third-party integrations and APIs
Timeline

Want a number for your app?

Reading the ranges is one thing - seeing where your own app lands is another. The free app cost calculator stacks the same drivers above (platforms, screens, features, and backend) into a transparent estimate in seconds, with no sign-up.

Try the app cost calculator

One platform vs both

Native vs cross-platform

The first real fork is which platforms you ship to and how you build them. Neither path is wrong - it depends on who your users are and what your budget is.

A single native app- iOS or Android alone, built in its platform's native language - is the cheapest path and the right call when your audience lives on one platform. Building two native appsgives you the best per-platform polish but roughly doubles the front-end work, because you're building and maintaining the same screens twice.

A cross-platformbuild with React Native or Flutter ships both iOS and Android from one shared codebase, which gets you onto both stores for far less than two native apps and keeps maintenance in one place. For most apps that need both platforms, it's the pragmatic choice. A no-code or template app is cheaper still and fast to launch, but you stay inside what the platform allows - the right trade only when the app is simple.

Get a fixed quote for your app.

A calculator gives you a range. Tell us what you're building - project type, scope, budget, and timeline - in a short guided brief, and we'll come back with a fixed, itemized quote and a plan. No obligation, no sales call required.

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