App development cost runs from a few thousand dollars to several hundred thousand, and the range is wide for real reasons: what the app does, how many platforms it runs on, and who builds it. Here is how much it costs to develop an app in 2026, what drives the price, the costs that continue after launch, when a small business actually needs an app, and what our app development costs, per platform. 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 hovering around $100 an hour (Business of Apps, App Development Cost, 15 June 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. So the useful question is not what an app costs in general, but which of those three yours is, and how many platforms it has to run on.
| App type | Typical price (Business of Apps) |
|---|---|
| Simple | $5,000 – $50,000 |
| Medium complexity | $50,000 – $120,000 |
| Complex | $120,000 – $300,000 |
| Fablence, per platform | $1,499, once |
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 split 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, because rates differ several times over between countries and between a freelancer and an agency. Keep the first version to what customers will use every week; an app launched with ten features nobody asked for costs more to build and more to maintain, and usually ships later too.
How much does it cost to make an app for iPhone and Android?
Twice the build, because each platform is its own native app, 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, not the developer's, so the app and its reviews stay yours if you ever change developer. Cross-platform tools can share code between the two, but each store still needs its own build, testing and review. Plan for both platforms from the start, even if you launch on one first, so the second one is a build and not a rewrite.
What does an app cost after launch?
Every year, for as long as it is live. Apple and Google release new operating systems every year, and apps that are not updated eventually break or are removed. Business of Apps puts the cost of security updates alone at $1,000 to $2,500 a year, before bug fixes, new features or the servers some apps need. Add the $99 Apple membership each year. Budget for updates from the start: an app is closer to a small product you run than a project you finish. It also needs a reason for customers to open it again, or it is uninstalled and forgotten. Our updates are priced per update and per platform, $499 each, so you pay for a new version when you want one rather than a retainer every month, and you always know the price before any work starts.
Does a small business need an app?
Only if customers would use it every week. An app earns its cost when it replaces something customers already do often: rebooking a regular appointment, reordering, checking a loyalty balance, or getting a notification they actually want. For everything else a fast website does the job better, because nobody has to install it and search engines can read it. The honest test for app development for small business: list the three things a regular customer would do in the app, and count how often. If the answer is monthly or less, spend the money on the website and its search rankings. If it is weekly, an app keeps you on their home screen, which no website can, and it can pay for itself through repeat custom rather than new customers.
What does our app development cost?
$1,499 per platform, once, charged when the app is accepted. The platforms are Android, iPhone and iPad, and Mac and Windows; Mac and Windows count as one because they come from one codebase. Every app is native and published under your own store accounts, so it stays yours. After launch, each new version is $499 per update, per platform, and you only pay when you want one. The app sits on top of any website plan; it is not a plan of its own. So a business with its website on our Basic plan adds an iPhone and an Android app for $2,998, once, against the $5,000 to $50,000 the market charges for a simple app. See the pricing, or start with a free homepage redesign.
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). Fablence builds a native app for $1,499 per platform, once.
- 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, an iPhone app and an Android app cost $2,998 together, once, charged when each app is accepted.
- How much does an app cost to maintain?
- Business of Apps puts security updates alone at $1,000 to $2,500 a year, before bug fixes, new features or servers, and Apple's $99 developer membership renews every year. Our updates are $499 per update, per platform, paid only when you want a new version, with no monthly retainer.
- Does a small business need an app?
- Only if customers would use it every week: rebooking, reordering, checking a loyalty balance or getting a notification they want. If they would use it monthly or less, a fast website serves them better, because nobody has to install it and search engines can read it.