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How Much Does It Cost to Develop an App in Australia?

23/09/2024
6 minutes read

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How Much Does It Cost to Develop an App in Australia?

Today, mobile apps are a vital part of our lives and we use them for everything from ordering food to online banking. They also offer lucrative business opportunities as they can reach the masses and allow brands to engage with users directly.

Just like in other parts of the world, the demand for mobile apps is increasing in Australia too. As a matter of fact, as per Statista, the revenue in the app market in Australia is expected to reach AU$12.99 billion by 2028. 

Hence, there is a bright future for app development in Australia. However, when it comes to developing an app, the first and foremost question that arises is – “how much does it cost to develop an app in Australia?” 

This is what we are going to discuss in this blog to help you get a good idea of the cost. This blog will help you understand the cost of developing an app in Australia with a total breakdown of the cost with different factors. 

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Key Factors to Determine the Cost of Developing an App in Australia

Factors Affecting Mobile App Development Cost

Typically, the cost to build an app varies with numerous factors including the app type, complexity, and more. In this section, we are going to discuss these factors and understand how they impact the cost. Let’s check out the key factors affecting the cost of developing an application. 

App Type

The platforms your mobile application aims to target are crucial to the development cost. Hence, whether you want to develop a hybrid or cross-platform mobile app or a native mobile app has a huge impact on the cost of developing it. 

If you want to develop native apps for multiple platforms – Android and iOS, the cost will be higher. Since you will need to invest in two different apps to run on Android and iOS platforms, it will cost you more to build native applications. 

Let’s see how the type of apps affects the cost.

  • Native Apps

Native mobile apps are those that are specifically designed and developed for a particular platform. For example, a native Android app is designed and developed to run on Android devices. Similarly, a native iOS app runs on iOS devices. 

There are many advantages of native apps like superior performance and functionality. However, you will require two separate apps for both Android and iOS devices in this case. As a result, you will need to invest in two app development projects. 

The average cost of creating a native application ranges between AU $25,000 – $300,000. 

  • Hybrid Apps

Hybrid mobile apps are cross-platform apps that can be used on multiple platforms including mobile, desktop, and the web. Moreover, a hybrid mobile app can run on both Android and iOS devices. A hybrid app uses a single codebase that is compiled and built for both iOS and Android devices. 

Since it uses a single codebase and there is only one mobile app for both Android and iOS devices, it is quite cost-effective for businesses. Instead of creating two separate apps like in the case of native apps, you can develop a single app that runs on multiple platforms. Usually, these apps are developed using basic web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. 

The average cost of developing a hybrid mobile app ranges between US $10,000 – $200,000. 

App Complexity

The cost of developing an app in Australia depends on the overall complexity of the app. This means that the more complex an app is, the higher the cost it will carry. It is a critical factor in the app development cost that you must consider to get the right estimate. 

Team Location

The location of the development could play a critical role in the app development cost. In this interconnected world, you are not compelled to choose a development team within your country’s boundaries and you can search beyond it. It helps you choose a team that is most efficient and cost-effective. 

Hence, the location of the development team could affect the cost of building an app in Australia. For example, if you choose a development team where the hourly rates are lower than in Australia, the cost will be lower of such an app. 

Third-party Integration

Another crucial factor that impact app development cost is third-party integration. It entails the functionalities that need to be added by integrating with third-party services. For example, integrating a third-party payment gateway. 

There might be some charges associated with these third-party services that can increase the overall cost of your application. Moreover, if the integration is more complex, it could increase the number of hours spent in the development resulting in incremented costs. 

Customization

App customization is one of the most crucial factors affecting the cost of an application. It involves tweaking and modifying the app to meet specific business requirements such as localization and tailored functionalities. 

The number of hours spent in customization determines the increase in costs. Hence, the more customization you need, the more time it will take in development, increasing the cost. 

Hidden Charges

Apart from expenses that directly impact your app’s cost, there are some hidden charges that influence the app development price. These charges include the cost to submit an application to app store, maintenance cost, expenses on marketing and promotion, etc. They also play a role in determining the overall cost of developing a mobile application.

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App Development Cost in Australia Based on Development Phases

Typically, an app is developed in different phases that cover various aspects of it like UI/UX design, testing, deployment, and more. As you progress with each phase of this process, the cost adds up gradually. Hence, the total cost of a mobile app development can be divided based on the different phases of developing an app. 

Research & Ideation

The first phase of developing a mobile application is the market research and ideation phase. This phase includes brainstorming and ideation. The research includes finding answers to questions like “Who is the target audience?”, market and competitor analysis, project planning, and more. 

It is a crucial phase in the app development process because it provides a roadmap to complete the project. It is an important factor in the app development cost in Australia. This stage takes around 200 hours minimum. The hourly rates for this phase are AU $85 – $140.

Design

After research and ideation, the next phase is app design. This phase involves UI UX design services to visualize how the app will look and function. Developers create functional prototypes to help see how the app will look and work in real-time scenarios.   

This phase starts with wireframing that helps outline the user interface elements and their relations to define the expected UI. Once the wireframe is ready, a workable prototype is produced to validate the app ideas and design of your app. 

This phase can take approximately 340 hours with the per-hour cost at AU$200 – $450.

Development

The next phase in developing a mobile application is the development phase. It involves coding the app with the right frameworks, tools, and technologies. Coding can be cross-platform or native depending on the type of mobile app you have chosen to build. 

Hybrid or cross-platform coding involves creating a single codebase. So, you require only specific developers who specialize in cross-platform coding. On the other hand, you will require different experts to develop native apps. Hence you will need iOS developers and Android developers to create native apps for each of these platforms. 

Apart from this, the app’s complexity also shapes the development process. The more complex app requires a bigger team size which will increase the cost of developing an app. On the other hand, a simple app will require 1-2 developers to complete the project. Hence, the cost will be significantly lower in this case. 

It will take around 480 hours or more in this stage depending on the project’s complexity. The cost depends on the hourly rate in the range of AU $250 – $450. 

Quality Assurance

Quality Assurance or Testing is the subsequent phase in the development process. This phase involves using test cases to identify the bugs, errors, and other flaws that could affect the app’s functionality, performance, security, and other parameters. It is an essential phase to ensure quality apps. 

This phase could be around 140 hours long. The cost depends on the hourly rates which could be in the range of AU $100 – $150. 

Deployment

This is the phase where your mobile application is available in the production environment. It means, the app can be accessed by the end users and they can use it with all the features and benefits. Deploying your mobile app requires you to submit it to the relevant app store. 

In the case of a native application, you will need to submit two apps separately for Android and iOS platforms. However, in the case of a hybrid app, you can have a single app that can submitted to iOS and Android app stores. 

Moreover, the cost of deploying an app on the App Store is US$35 and the cost of deploying it to the Apple App Store is US$130. 

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Post-Development

Post-development is a phase that involves all the activities performed after developing and launching an app. This phase involves marketing, maintenance, and promotional activities. Marketing and promotional activities help you to increase the user base of your mobile app. 

Maintenance is a continuous work that ensures your app runs smoothly and flawlessly all the time. Checking your app for bugs and errors, software updates for the underlying infrastructure, and performance optimizations are essential functions involved in this phase. 

The cost of this phase can vary drastically depending on the resources involved. Moreover, typically, the cost depends on the hourly rates within the range of AU$50 – $150. 

To Wrap Up

Understanding the cost of developing an app in Australia will help allocate an appropriate budget and arrange the required resources. However, it isn’t fixed how much it will cost for a particular app development project because every business has unique requirements. 

Hence, you must consider various factors and cases specific to your business to calculate the cost. For a rough estimate, the cost of developing an app in Australia could range from US AU$10,000 – $150,000 or more. 

At MultiQoS, we build cutting-edge mobile apps with advanced features. You can rely on us to develop your app with great features and an engaging user interface. Our team is readily available to you over a phone call to discuss the requirements and get a free quote.

FAQs on Mobile App Development Cost in Australia

When it comes to developing an app, there are a lot of factors that influence its timeframe and cost. An app can be built in a few weeks if it is basic and requires simple features. As you can guess by this example, the timeframe will extend as the app becomes more complex and feature-loaded. 

Hence, the answer to how much time an app can take to develop in Australia depends on a multitude of factors. Without knowing what your requirements are, answering this question is quite difficult. Typically, developing an app in Australia can take from a few weeks to more than a year. 

You can provide detailed information about your project and we can provide the exact timeline for the project after considering all the things. Just contact us to get an estimated timeframe based on your requirements. 

There are a few simple steps you can follow to create an app for your business in Australia as given below. 

  • Research: The first step in developing an app is the research your target audience, market, competitors, and objectives to get a clear outline of your project. It will help you determine what you need clearly. 
  • Design: Once you have documented your requirements, you can visualize your idea with wireframing and prototyping. Wireframing will help you create a rough outline of an app. Prototyping provides a workable solution that can help you check the feasibility of the idea. 
  • Development: Create the app’s logic and UI with coding in the required programming language. Develop the front-end and back-end of the application with the desired tech stack, you have chosen for the app. 
  • Testing: Once the app is developed, it goes through the testing phase to check for bugs and errors. Finding and fixing these bugs and errors improves the quality and performance of the app.
  • Deployment: The app is launched by deploying it to different platform’s app stores.

Choosing an app development company in Australia is not difficult and you can do it in a few simple steps as given below.

  • Research: The first step in choosing a company involves research that helps you discover the most suitable companies for your business. It will help you create a list of suitable companies that will narrow down the options. 
  • Evaluation: The next step in choosing a company is evaluation. It means you need to evaluate different options for companies based on their expertise, services, experience, and more. 
  • Selection: Choose an app development company that aligns with your business goals and helps you meet your requirements. 

Parth Thakkar

Written by Parth Thakkar

Parth Thakkar is Chief Information Officer at MultiQoS, boasting a rich background in successfully executing intricate projects and fostering collaboration across diverse teams within Agile and Waterfall project frameworks. Renowned for his adeptness in navigating complex and dynamic settings, he is deeply committed to leveraging technology to address business hurdles and drive innovation.

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