How Much Does It Cost To Build An iPhone App?

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There are more than three million apps in the Apple stores. This speaks about the popularity of iPhone apps. It has been proven that iOS apps generate more revenue although the share of android is more in the market. The impressive ROI, the unequaled quality, increased chances of the international market, best UI, high scalability, and uncompromised security make iPhone app development a favorite. It is a wise decision for businesses to take advantage of the global popularity of iPhone apps.

How much does it cost to build an iPhone app – This is not an easy question to answer. The cost of developing an app depends upon the time spent developing the app. It is difficult to estimate the cost without knowing about the features and other requirements. It is not fair to give an answer without knowing how big the app is and what type of technology is involved etc. Moreover, it depends upon the complexity of the app and the profile of the developer. However, if you are too concerned about the cost of building an iPhone app, here is a guide to help you make a rough estimate.

Formula To Calculate The Cost of Building iPhone App

Time taken x hourly rate of developers is the formula.

The time taken can be further split into UI and UX hours, app development hours, and backend server hours. So the formula can be given as:

(UI and UX hours) + (app development hours) + (backend hours) x Time is taken x hourly rate of developers

The time taken varies from one app to another depending upon the features and complexity of the app and the hourly rate varies depending upon the location, experience, and profile of the developer.

Stages In iPhone App Development

The stages involved in developing an iOS app are:

1. Validation of app idea

2. Analysis of the app

3. Development of an app

4. Testing of the app

5. Publishing of app

6. App maintenance

Costs of iPhone App Development in All Stages

1. Validation of App Idea

To validate and justify the app idea several things should be taken into consideration. What are they?

● Market research - Research is done based on similar apps already existing in the market. This includes research on devices used by the potential buyers, the features that they love, the elements that affect the UI, and competition.

● Analyzing user persona – Studying the behavior of users and analyzing why they are taking certain decisions is important. This is useful to figure out certain features of the app like its size, UI and UX features, etc.
Features of the app – Some basic features do not affect the cost of development of the app but some features like navigation, payment getaway, and advanced search options, etc. can have a significant effect on the cost. These features are essential for business-driven apps and they are sure to increase the cost. The more the features, the more will be the cost of the development of the iPhone app. If you need just the basic features of your app you will not need a team of developers with high expertise knowledge and lots of experience. This will bring down the cost.

● Hours of development - This should be roughly estimated at this stage. The time taken will determine the number of developers you will need to complete the project. If you need just the basic features of your app you will not need a team of developers with high expertise knowledge and lots of experience. This will bring down the cost.

2. Analysis of App

After validating the idea of the app the next step is to analyze the functions, features, and technology to be used in the app. What are the things to be analyzed?

● The complexity of the app
Many factors determine the complexity of the app like the backend, third-party integration, admin panel, and many more. How do they affect the cost of the development of an iOS app?
Custom backend development costs more than ready-to-use backend architecture.
Basic apps don’t need third-party integration. Most of the apps need third-party integration for payment or signing into social media accounts etc. The cost of iPhone apps that need third-party integration is more expensive.
In-app purchase is another factor that will increase the cost of development of the app. It refers to the purchase of an app from inside of an app. If your app needs an in-app purchase the cost will be more.
At this stage, you have to analyze if your app needs access to the functions of the device like GPS, camera, and Bluetooth, etc. The cost for these apps will be more.

● Categories of the app
There is a wide array of categories of apps like e-commerce, healthcare, enterprise, social networking, education, gaming, and entertainment, etc. The cost of the development of an iPhone app varies from one category to another.
Apps like social networking, enterprise, e-commerce, and on-demand apps are costlier.

3. Development of The App

The next stage is the actual development of the app. What are the steps involved?

● Design of The App
The design of an app is important because that creates the first impression on the users. A good design facilitates the discovery of the app and increases the chances of app-sharing. There are three main designs and the cost is different for every design. The design can be flat design or material design or skeuomorphism design. Flat design is preferred for iPhone apps. It is a minimalistic approach and it is easy for designers to design this. Hence, it is a little cheaper than the material design.

● Prototype
It refers to the visualization of how an app will function through demos of layout and working principles. This step is essential for user-centric design and development.

● Animations
Not all apps have animations. Animations are additional features but it is a significant factor to be taken into consideration while estimating the cost. It is a complicated process for the developers and so if the app needs animation extra costs are involved.

4. Testing of The App

Testing of the app is done to ensure that it provides the best UI and it is free of bugs. Developers use several tools to test the app. Testing of the iPhone app is faster and more concise when compared to the android app but its cost should be taken into account.

5. Publishing The App

Apple app store has strict guidelines and high standards to ensure safety and security and make sure that the apps offered in their store are always of high quality. The yearly membership is $99.

6. Maintenance of The App

The development of an app does not end with development and launching. It needs to be maintained and updated regularly. The maintenance of an app involves changes in design, updating, and troubleshooting bugs. They are not provided by the developers free of cost. Hence, the cost of maintenance should also be considered while calculating the cost of developing an iPhone app. If the app needs to be updated frequently and if changes to the design have to be done frequently the cost will be more.

The cost of building an iPhone app depends on many factors and it cannot be the same for any two apps. You have to make a rough estimate depending upon your choice of design and features etc.