“Shouldn’t I make my own app?” – such a thought nowadays comes to many people. Mobile programs are now going through the same evolution that websites went through: once they were a luxury, now they have become the norm for almost any business. Also, more and more people are now thinking about creating an application, because every business, entrepreneur, brand or even just a person with an idea has a chance to find their audience in the world of tablets and smartphones.

However, there is a big chasm between the idea and the finished product.

We are faced with different cases, but they all boil down, one way or another, to two basic situations:

1. The first is that the idea of ​​creating a program for smartphones is hatched for a long time, and months, if not years pass before the person who cares and cherishes this idea gets his hands on the calculation of the sums. In fact, you shouldn’t hesitate: talking about the forecast does not oblige you to anything, and during the consultation with an experienced specialist you are able to discuss the details of the technical implementation of the idea, which could affect not only the accounts, but also the functionality of the design.
2. The second situation is the opposite – a creator has a very general idea of ​​the app, there is no understanding of the target audience, the peculiarities of using gadgets by representatives of these customers, ways of monetization, KPIs, principles of engagement, passion and retention. In general, when there is nothing really, a person turns to the developer company and wants to hear the cost, and even focuses on this cost as the main criterion for choosing a mobile program developer. And since our market is in the process of formation, you may find freelancers and even companies that promise mountains of gold.

On the other hand, a professional never announces the price right away. An experienced specialist first works through a large layer of issues related to both the business part of the plan and the technical one. Moreover, the business part is primary in relation to the function, and it makes no sense to evaluate the functionality if the design is inherently untenable. A smart programmer never gives advice on investing in a product that is not viable.

Regardless of the situation in which you find yourself, you should not hesitate to estimate the forecast

First, many agencies provide an initial financial plan for free. To do this, you need to fill out the application form and order feedback from a specialist. Introducing the company first of all clarifies the features of the enterprise. This is necessary for the selection of references and similar implemented examples. Based on the proposed data, an estimate of future work is formed. You have to understand that this is just an initial assessment, and it can be rather rough: guidelines are given, which are then, of course, corrected.

Second, consulting an experienced professional helps identify the key features that are critical to launching the first version of an application, platforms, and many other issues.

How to evaluate the amount of work the company-developer does?

We make no secret of how we evaluate the requests for the development of a mobile product that come to us. If the client’s goal is to find out the estimated cost, we may give a “fork” (minimum and maximum) within 1-3 days. If the client requires a detailed assessment of a large project, the preparation of such an offer can take from three days to 2-3 weeks. What happens over such a long period of time, how exactly the assessment is carried out and what should be expected at the end – all this will certainly be told by the consultants of the company that undertakes the implementation of the concept.

Money loves to be counted: what should the customer expect?

On average, the development of a custom application from drawing up a technical assignment to the release of a finished result in the AppStore or GooglePlay costs from 40 000 USD and more. If we are talking about one-off concepts (for example, for an event or promotion), the amount is much more pleasant – about 3000-10 000 USD, and for long-term projects involving the release of several versions of the program for different platforms. or performing complex technical functions, the price tag usually exceeds several hundred thousand dollars. And besides functionality, 3 factors affect the price.

1. Degree of concept readiness

Two, at first glance, very similar ideas could be strikingly different in the degree of readiness for implementation. Some customers come with a simple description of what they want to see at the end. Others attach detailed terms of reference to the letter. Still others refer to ready-made app sketches or even a well-designed visual.

Often the owners of existing mobile apps who need improvements, adding new functions, turn to specialists. For them, the question is also relevant, what part of the costs are services for user interface design and creating itself.

In our experience, for the average application, the development cost is reduced by 30 percent if you already have a finished design, and this does not require additional processing of the interface of the finished creation.

2. Operating systems

It is worth considering for which platforms the program is written and how many launches are planned. If we are talking about only one operating system, then adapting the result for a tablet within one OS increases the financial estimate by 15-60%. Traditionally, working with Android costs 10-20% more than with iOS. This is largely due to significant device fragmentation, screen inconsistencies, and a large number of unnamed devices.

3. Integration

Also not obvious to many people far from programming is such a factor as integration with a server or other third-party systems. Almost all proposals require a server, and some are simply not viable without it.

As examples of other systems, it is worth considering the most common APIs of social networks: in fact, the integration of the app with each social network is a separate level of work. And since popular social networks change how their servers work at their discretion, it is often a seemingly simple task that takes weeks and automatically increases the account by 2,000-3,000 USD.

Understanding how integration with other systems works helps to avoid unnecessary losses. Choose only targeted networks that your target audience will definitely like.

Future plans

So, the budget estimation process is clear, 3 cherished factors influencing the final price of the product are known. Another noteworthy factor is the publicity of the design: for agencies whose rating and popularity directly depends on the level of completed cases, it is important to share a description of their work on the website and in the portfolio. Therefore, as a rule, the price of closed samples that are not available for publication is estimated slightly higher than that of open ones.

The last thing to consider is your plans to promote the app after its release. Standalone products (either end-user oriented or branded) are usually not created in one go, but involve several separate iterations. Programs for the AppStore or GooglePlay must be constantly updated and supported in response to demand and user feedback, so we advise you to divide the project into several releases and, accordingly, form the price of each of them separately, taking into account all the above factors.

Summing up, we want to note that usually the client has to revise the amount of investment in the project several times in one way or another: not all the little things can be taken into account in the initial request, and some functions can be invented and implemented along the way. But do not take it as a problem or inaccuracy in planning: this is the normal state of any growing enterprise.

Find programmers whom you can be sure of: they will help you to plan the initial account, and save money, and correctly calculate the amount of investment in subsequent versions of the application. Be prepared for your idea to be like a long movie from several episodes, relax and have fun, but do not forget to follow the plot line. Then you will definitely succeed.