Android App Development Cost

Do you want to build an Android app for your business but need a cost estimation to plan your mobile app budget? The overall cost of developing an Android app will depend on various factors such as the location where you hire Android developer, your project scale, requirements, utility and the needed features. In addition, it costs more if you need to integrate AI/ML, AR/VR or IoT in your custom Android app solution.

The most cost-effective method to develop your Android app in budget-friendly estimates is to outstaff the Android app developer team or outsource your project to an offshore app development agency.

Although all Android app projects have different requirements and hence different associated costs of development, some of the most fundamental factors you need to consider when coming up with your Android app development budget. Knowing these cost factors will help you better deal with the Android app development agency and also help you cut down on unnecessary features or functionalities to reduce overall app development costs.

The more complex your app gets, the more it will cost you. For example, a basic calculator app’s cost will be significantly less than the cost of developing a real-time FPS gaming app. This is simply because more complex apps will require more screens and features. Moreover, it will require the integration of complicated features and special permissions.

Basic Android app development costs around $40,000 – $60,000 for a single platform, $150,000 for multiplatform and complex Android app can cost you anywhere around $150,000 – $30,000.

Size of your Android app will directly impact your Android app development costs. Large projects consume more resources in terms of developers needed, their development hours and the costs associated with maintaining and keeping the code maintainable and functional. Moreover, different size Android apps will also have different features and screen sizes.

A small Android app costs around $4000 – $10,000, has anywhere near 3-5 main pages and takes around 400 hours to develop. A medium Android app costs $10,000 – $50,000 with 7-10 main pages and upto 800 hours to develop, and finally, enterprise-level Android apps will cost more than $50,000, have 12-18 main pages and take around 1200 hours to complete.

Another essential aspect you should consider when developing your Android app is whether you want to go for native Android app development or cross platform app development.

Native app development is developing Android apps on Java or Kotlin. It can also be considered pure Android development as these programming languages can only develop apps in Android. If you later want to develop an android app, you will have to write the code for that from scratch. Generally, Native Android development is expensive, but it results in highly secure, robust and user-friendly Android apps that can be scaled easily.

Hence, if you are sure you want to only develop an app for Android and don’t plan to expand to Android in the near future, native development might be a better choice for you, depending on your project complexity. Native app development can cost anywhere around $5000 – $200,000.

Alternatively, suppose you want to expand your reach to Android at some point in your business cycle. In that case, you can opt for cross platform app development frameworks like Flutter and React Native, which allow you to develop apps for multiple platforms at a fraction price of native app development for multiple platforms. Cross platform apps will cost you around $5000 – $250,000.

What category your app belongs to can significantly impact its average app development costs. Each category has certain features, functionalities, and attention given to security, design and other aspects, which helps us estimate a general price range for Android apps as per their category.

Here is a cost breakdown of Android apps as per popular categories –

• Social Media Apps – $30,000 – $50,000
• Ecommerce Apps – $30,000 – $70,000
• Travel Apps – $25,000 – $55,000
• BSFI Apps – $60,000 – $150,000
• Healthcare & Fitness Apps – $45,000 -$100,000
• On-Demand Apps – $20,000 – $60,000
• Gaming Apps – $20,000 – $250,000
• AR/VR Gaming Apps – $50,000 – $300,000

Where you hire dedicated developers for your Android app project will significantly impact the overall cost of your Android app development. Different countries/regions have different economic states, which impacts the minimum pay rates and average hourly costs of Android developers significantly.

Countries like the US and the UK generally have more expensive hourly rates like $100 – $150/hr, whereas hiring Android developers from India can cost you as low as $18-$40/hr. This is precisely why offshore Android app development is gaining widespread popularity. You get skilled and expert developers at a fraction of what you would pay when hiring from the US, UK, Canada and other countries.

Testing is paramount for any mobile application. Especially for Android since it is open-source and more vulnerable to exploits and internal bugs. Suppose your app is not adequately tested before it is available to the public. In that case, it can result in choppy, lagging and poor performance, which might motivate the user to uninstall your app from their device. It can also lead to negative reviews on Google Play Store or any third-party app store you publish your app on.

Here are some of the top Android app tests you need to conduct and their associated costs –

• UX Testing Cost – $600 -$700
• Functional Testing Cost – $960 – $1500
• Performance Testing Cost – $400 – $600
• Security Testing Cost – $400 – $600
• Platform and Device Testing Cost – $400 – $600

Depending on your project complexity, you should hire the most optimal Android talent for your project. For example, it doesn’t make sense to hire a Senior Android developer for a task that an entry-level Android engineer can do. Hence to justify your cost to the talent, you should consult thoroughly with your app development agency to ensure you get the right Android developer for your requirements.

General hourly rates for Android developers as per their experience are –

• Average Cost to Hire Android Developer – $18 – $40
• Average Cost to hire UI/UX Designer – $20 – $65 
• Average Cost to hire Scrum Master – $75 -$170 
• Average Cost to hire QA Engineer – $15 – $50 
• Average Cost to hire Business Analyst – $40 – $80 

Design is vital in attracting customers to try out your mobile app. It also carries a sense of responsibility to help customers remember your brand, associate your app with your industry, and make it usable and easy to navigate. Hence design plays a vital role in deciding the success or failure of your app. Designing a simple Android app will cost around $1500 – $2500, a medium Android app will cost around $3000 – $8000 and high complexity app design costs around $8000 – $22,000.

App maintenance is crucial for ensuring your Android app remains functional, bug-free and highly secure. On average, you must allot 10 – 20% of your overall app budget for maintenance annually. App maintenance cost is dependent on factors such as –

• Code Optimization 
• Bug Fixes and Improvements 
• Support for the latest Android versions 
• Adding new features 
• Updating third-party libraries 

Keep these factors in mind when calculating your Android app development cost for your custom Android app development project. Develop your cost-effective Android app by outsourcing your project to a trustable mobile app development company with proven experience in Android development.  

Author Bio

Ronak Patel is a CEO and Founder of Aglowid IT Solutions, an ever-emerging Top Web and Mobile Development company with a motto of turning clients into successful businesses. He believes that Client’s success is company’s success and so that he always makes sure that Aglowid helps their client’s business to reach to its true potential with the help of his best team with the standard development process he set up for the company.