App development cost runs from a few thousand dollars to several hundred thousand, depending on what the app does, how many platforms it runs on and who builds it. A well-planned app keeps your business on your customers' home screens and brings them back again and again. Here is what it costs to develop an app in 2026, what drives the price, what continues after launch, when a business benefits from an app, and how we build them. Prices as of September 2026.
How much does app development cost?
Between $5,000 and $300,000 for most apps, by complexity. Business of Apps, which tracks the app industry, puts the price tag of a simple app at $5,000 to $50,000, a medium-complexity app at $50,000 to $120,000, and a complex app at $120,000 to $300,000, with US development rates that "typically hover around $100 per hour" (Business of Apps, App Development Cost, June 15, 2026). A simple app has a handful of screens and standard features. A medium one adds accounts, payments or integrations with other systems. A complex one has its own back end, real-time features or heavy data.
| App type | Typical price (Business of Apps, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Simple | $5,000 – $50,000 |
| Medium complexity | $50,000 – $120,000 |
| Complex | $120,000 – $300,000 |
What drives the cost to build an app?
Mostly the development itself: Business of Apps finds that between 40% and 50% of an app budget goes on the development stage, with the rest across discovery, design, testing and deployment. Four choices move that number most. The number of platforms, because iPhone and Android are separate native builds. The features: accounts, payments, maps, chat and notifications each add screens, testing and often a server. Integrations with systems you already run, such as a booking tool or a CRM. And who builds it. The strongest first versions focus on what customers will use every week, which also makes them faster to launch and simpler to maintain.
How much does it cost to make an app for iPhone and Android?
Two native builds, one per platform, plus the store fees. Apple charges a "$99 annual membership" for its developer program (Apple Developer Program), which you need to publish on the App Store. Google charges "a US$25 one-time registration fee" for Google Play (Google Play Console Help). Both accounts should be in your business's name, so the app and its reviews stay yours. We plan both platforms from the start, even when you launch on one first, so the second is a build and not a rewrite.
What does an app cost after launch?
An app needs updates for as long as it is live: Apple and Google release new operating systems every year, and apps have to keep pace with them. Business of Apps puts the cost of security updates alone at $1,000 to $2,500 a year, before new features or the servers some apps need, and Apple's $99 annual membership renews with it. We price updates per version, $499€499 per update, per platform, so you pay when you want a new version, with no monthly retainer, and you know the price before any work starts.
Does a small business need an app?
When customers come back often. App development for small business pays off when the app makes something customers already do every week faster: rebooking a regular appointment, reordering, checking a loyalty balance, or getting a notification they want. An app keeps you on their home screen, which no website can, and earns its cost through repeat business. For everything customers do monthly or less, a fast website serves them best, because there is nothing to install and search engines can read it. Many businesses start with the website and add an app once regular customers ask for one.
How do we build apps?
Natively, for each platform: Android, iPhone and iPad, and Mac and Windows. Mac and Windows count as one, because they come from one codebase. Every app is published under your own store accounts, so it stays yours, and it is designed to match your website. The build is $1,499€1,499 per platform, once, charged when the app is accepted; each new version after launch is $499€499 per update, per platform. An app sits on top of any website plan; it is not a plan of its own. See every price, or start with your free website design.
Common questions
- How much does it cost to make an app?
- Between $5,000 and $300,000 for most apps. Business of Apps puts a simple app at $5,000 to $50,000, a medium-complexity app at $50,000 to $120,000 and a complex one at $120,000 to $300,000, with US rates around $100 an hour (June 2026). The platforms, the features and the integrations decide where an app falls.
- How much does it cost to make an app for iPhone and Android?
- Two native builds, plus the store fees: Apple charges $99 a year for its developer program, and Google charges a one-time US$25 registration fee for Google Play. With Fablence, each platform is $1,499€1,499, once, charged when the app is accepted, and both apps are published under your own store accounts.
- How much does an app cost to maintain?
- Business of Apps puts security updates alone at $1,000 to $2,500 a year, before new features or servers, and Apple's $99 developer membership renews every year. Our updates are $499€499 per update, per platform, paid only when you want a new version, with no monthly retainer.
- Does a small business need an app?
- When customers come back often: rebooking, reordering, checking a loyalty balance or getting a notification they want. An app keeps a business on their home screen. For anything customers do monthly or less, a fast website serves them best, with nothing to install.