"How much for an app?" is a bit like asking how much a house costs. A one-bedroom flat and a bungalow are both houses. A simple booking app and a food delivery platform are both apps, but the second is really three apps (customer, restaurant and delivery partner) plus live tracking, payments and an admin panel.
So instead of one magic number, this guide walks through what drives the cost, gives you realistic starting points, and covers the running costs that catch first-time founders off guard.
What drives the cost
Platforms: Android, iOS or both
Most smartphone users in India are on Android, so some businesses start there. But if your customers skew premium, iOS matters too. Building two separate native apps roughly doubles the work. Cross-platform frameworks like Flutter or React Native cover both from one codebase, which is why many startups use them. We explain the trade-offs in native vs cross-platform apps.
Features
This is the biggest factor. Some features are quick to build. Others take weeks.
| Feature | Typical effort |
|---|---|
| Sign-up, login, user profiles | Low |
| Product or service listings, search, filters | Low to medium |
| Online payments | Medium |
| Push notifications, in-app chat | Medium |
| Maps, live location tracking | High |
| Video calls, streaming, AI features | High |
| Multiple user types (for example customer and vendor apps) | High |
Each connection to an outside service adds work too. One 2026 breakdown by an Indian development company puts each third-party integration at roughly ₹50,000 to ₹2 lakh, depending on complexity.
The parts you don't see
Almost every app needs a backend (a server and database) and an admin panel so your team can manage users, orders and content. These are easy to forget when you're picturing the app on your phone, and they can be a big share of the budget.
Design
Standard screens built from common components cost less than a fully custom interface with animations and a distinctive look. Good design isn't decoration, though. It's what makes people keep using the app.
Realistic budgets and timelines
Exact prices depend on the team and the scope, but here's a sensible way to think about it.
- A focused MVP (a first version with 3 to 5 core features, one platform and a simple backend) often lands around ₹3 lakh to ₹5 lakh, according to the same 2026 breakdown. It typically takes about 4 to 6 weeks for a simple app.
- A mid-complexity app with payments, several integrations or more than one type of user usually costs several times an MVP and takes around 2 to 3 months.
- Large platforms like marketplaces, delivery apps or enterprise tools often run 4 to 6 months or more, with budgets to match.
Rule of thumb: if a quote seems far below these ranges, check what's been left out. The backend, admin panel and testing are the usual suspects.
Costs after launch
Launching is the start, not the end. Plan for:
- Maintenance and updates: new phone and OS versions arrive every year, and apps need updating to keep working. A common estimate is 15% to 20% of the original build cost per year.
- Servers and cloud services: these grow as your user base grows.
- Third-party services: SMS for OTP logins, map usage, email and payment gateway fees.
- Store accounts: Apple's Developer Program costs US$99 a year. Google Play charges a one-time US$25 registration fee.
How to keep costs under control
- Start with an MVP. Build the smallest version that solves the main problem, launch it and learn. Version two will be better because real users shaped it.
- Consider cross-platform if you need both Android and iOS.
- Use proven services for payments, logins and notifications instead of building them from scratch.
- Write a clear brief. Every feature that changes halfway through costs more than one that was planned from the start.
- Build in phases with a fixed scope for each, so the budget never runs away from you.
Questions to ask an app developer
- Will we own the source code and the App Store and Play Store accounts?
- Is the backend and admin panel included in the quote?
- What support do we get after launch, and for how long?
- How do you handle changes to the scope?
- Can we see apps you've built and talk to a past client?
Ready to plan the launch itself? Read from idea to app store: how to launch your first app.
Got an app idea?
Share it with us and we'll suggest a sensible first version, a timeline and a clear quote.