Overview of Mobile App Development Services
Smartphone users are growing on an exponential basis, giving rise to the popularity of mobile apps. Before diving deep into the field, let us try to understand the basics of mobile app development. The procedure for developing applications for mobile devices is called mobile app development. Some mobile apps are pre-installed on mobile phones, whereas some need to be installed separately from a play store.
The mobile apps are of multiple types. First of all, native apps are installed from an app store or in-built apps already available on the device. These apps may or may not need the Internet for using them. Then, there are mobile web apps that use a browser for providing service to the user. Internet connectivity is a must for mobile web apps. Lastly, there are hybrid web apps that combine both the mobile web app and native apps. A mobile app development company generally offers development services of all kinds mentioned above.
Why Mobile Apps for Business?
The tremendous rise in mobile users’ count, to the tune of 7 billion by 2021, provides a lucrative opportunity for businesses to focus on the mobile app market, showing an upward trend. The over-dependence of users on mobile phones for their day-to-day activities and an app for almost every aspect of life further strengthens their belief. It is evident that a smartphone user spends more than 90% of his time on mobile apps.
Further, consumers nowadays do not hesitate to splurge money on in-app purchases. As per a study, the spending in the application store is supposed to touch $157 billion by the year 2022, exhibiting a remarkable growth of 92% in 5 years down the line. These statistics justify the move of conglomerates to opt for mobile application development services instead of going for a more conventional approach to building a website.
Platform Used to Build an App
One can use the platforms to build a mobile app that needs to be chosen from either a native app development platform or a cross-platform/ hybrid app development platform. The native medium is selected to develop a mobile app for a particular platform like iOS or Android. The native platform makes use of the tools and languages available local to a specific forum. A hybrid platform is used to develop the mobile app capable of running on multiple platforms with no or minor code changes.
The hybrid apps save a considerable amount of time and money as a similar codebase can be used for various operating systems. On the other hand, different native apps are needed for different platforms that increase the development cost and time involved. A plus point of using a native app is that it provides optimum performance as it has been developed for that specific platform only. The hybrid apps, however, might face application crashes and performance issues due to the generalized approach.
The Complexity of the App: Based on Feature Set
The cost of mobile app development depends upon the complexity level of the app. The mobile apps can be divided into various categories, but complexity level wise, there are three major categories:
- Server-Less Basic Apps: These mobile apps include diet planners, calendar apps, and information providing apps. They do not need any remote data server. The cost of developing these kinds of apps ranges between $1K and $5K.
- Apps with Servers: These mobile apps included financial apps, banking apps, and e-commerce apps. They need to store data on remote web servers and also expect sophisticated coding. The expenditures incurred in the development of this category of apps vary from $8K to $50K.
- Mobile Games: The game apps are challenging to be priced as the cost depends on whether the game is 3D or 2D and whether it uses virtual reality or not. However, a guesstimate of the gaming development cost would be between $5K and $200K; and may even cost higher than that.
The feature set of the app affects the overall app development cost. For example, a push notification feature costs around $4K to $5K. But, the features do not come with a price tag. One cannot expect the feature cost to remain uniform in all the apps. So, one cannot precisely calculate the development costs, depending on the features. It also depends on the mobile application development company hired for developing the app.
The Average Cost of Developing an App: Simple, Medium, Complex
To highlight the variation in cost of developing a mobile app depending upon their feature set and complexity level, mobile apps have been divided into three classes viz. simple, medium, and complex.
| Category | Features | Hours to Develop |
|---|---|---|
| Simple |
|
400 to 500 |
| Medium |
|
500 to 800 |
| Complex |
|
800 to 1500 |
Another parameter plays a crucial role in calculating the app development cost, i.e., the developer’s location. Because the developers’ hourly charges vary from country to country, it can impact the cost of mobile app development to a
significant extent.
How Much Does It Cost for the Maintenance of an App
Once you develop a mobile app and release it on an app store, the maintenance phase kicks off. The maintenance costs should be considered for calculating the overall development cost. The mobile app maintenance generally includes fixing the bugs as and when discovered and updating the mobile app to accommodate the latest OS release. Apart from that, it also provides code optimization cycles and enhances the app’s stability to prevent repetitive crashes. The maintenance is a continuous process and continues throughout the lifecycle of the mobile app. The maintenance costs vary from app to app, but in general, it is around 20% to 25% of the overall app development cost.
Why Choose Nevina for Enterprise Mobile App Development
The development of a mobile app is a meticulous job that needs proficiency and expertise. It is always better to choose a specialist for better results. Nevina Infotech has been at the forefront of mobile app development for years and understands the technical aspects and the commercial aspects of the app. The insights provided by tech buffs at Nevina Infotech would help in the ideation process, but the hand holding is done till its conclusion. Nevina Infotech believes in sticking to the time and budget, following innovative project management processes. The estimation processes at Nevina are the best in the Industry resulting in minimum deviations from the decided budget. Nevina is a name to reckon with as a mobile app development company USA that needs no introduction.
Conclusion
The one size fits all approach doesn’t work in the case of mobile apps. The costs depend on the features required, complexity, and developer’s location, etc., by and large. Different businesses have different goals to be achieved and different target segments for their mobile apps. Apart from this, the use of APIs, payment gateways, type of platform, etc., also affects the cost of developing a mobile app. To conclude, hiring a mobile app development company by businesses is an investment in the right direction.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the cost of developing a mobile app in 2021?
The expense of developing a mobile app in 2021 is dependent on factors such as target platform, complexity level, type of app, features, etc. The mobile app would cost you anywhere between $5K and $125K.
What is the time taken to develop a mobile app in 2021?
The time taken to develop a mobile app depends on the feature set included in the app. The developer’s expertise and complexity level also play a role in the same. A typical mobile app usually takes anywhere between 200 to 5000 hours.
Which approach of app development is better – native or hybrid?
The hybrid approach ensures greater reach at a lesser cost, but performance-wise native apps are better. The choice depends on the time and budget available to develop the same.
Do I need to hire a mobile app development company for development as well as maintenance?
One can opt for hiring a company solely for developing the mobile app, but it is always better to hire the same company for development and maintenance to minimize downtime.
