A Guide to Android App Development Cost: Factors and Estimates

Today, Android is the most popular mobile operating system with over 70% share of the world OS market. It means there is a vast user base of smartphones running on the Android platform. As a result, there is a huge potential for businesses to generate revenue with feature-rich Android apps.

However, developing an Android app requires a lot of considerations including the cost of developing such a mobile app. Therefore, understanding the cost is a crucial first step to developing an app. 

Moreover, talking about Android app development costs, the average prices range between USD 20,000 and USD 450,000. Moreover, the actual cost varies significantly with different factors and parameters. 

Whether you are an app investor or an entrepreneur, this article will help you understand the cost of building an Android app and the factors affecting it. It will provide an in-depth analysis of the cost. Keep reading to grab the details for an informed decision. 

Understanding the Key Cost Factors for Android App Development

Firstly, we must consider the different factors that affect the Android app development price to determine the cost. These factors directly affect the cost. You can plan your budget for developing Android applications after considering these factors. Let’s check out the cost factors below.

Type of App

The type of Android application you want to develop affects the cost of developing it. The platform you aim to target determines the app type. For example, it could be a native app, a hybrid app, or a PWA. 

Native apps are those apps that are specifically designed for a certain platform. So, native Android apps are those apps that are specifically designed for Android platforms and cannot run on any other platform. 

Hybrid apps are those apps that can run on multiple platforms like Android, iOS, and the web. PWA or Progressive Web App is a kind of application that runs inside dedicated browser windows and they are websites at the core. 

Here is a table showing the cost based on the type of Android app. 

App Type	Estimated Cost
Hybrid App	$10,000 – $150,000
PWA	$10,000 – $25,000
Native App	$50,000 – $250,000

App Category

The next important factor that affects the cost of developing an Android app is the app category. Today, there are millions of apps on the Google Play Store falling into different categories such as eCommerce, sports, entertainment, gaming, social media, food delivery, and so on. 

The category of your app can have a significant on the cost because requirements vary with different apps. Let’s check the estimated costs for different categories of Android apps in the following table.

App Category	Avg. Development Time (In hours)	Examples	Estimated Cost
Social Media	1200	Instagram, Twitter, Facebook	$200,000 – $500,000+
Food Delivery	900	Uber Eats, DoorDash	$35,000 – $45,000
E-commerce	1200	Amazon, eBay, Alibaba	$50,000 – $250,000
Gaming	1800+	Pokemon Go, Robolox	$50,000 – $250,000
Education	900	Duolingo, Udemy	$40,000 – $160,000
Productivity	1200	Google Drive, Dropbox	$45,000 – $250,000
Healthcare	1200	Fitbit, Health	$50,000 – $200,000

App Complexity

Complexity is an essential factor in Android app development costs. The higher the complexity of an app, the greater the cost of that app. The time and resources invested in developing an application determine the cost of building an Android app. The more time and resources consumed in the development process, the higher the cost. 

An app’s complexity depends on several things such as its architecture, design, compliance, functionalities, and more. Hence, depending on the level of complexity involved in your app, the cost could vary significantly. Let’s see the estimated costs on different complexity levels in the table below.

Complexity Level	Estimated Cost
Low	$20,000 – $45,000
Medium	$35,000 – $80,000
High	$50,000 – $300,000

App Technology

The choice of hybrid or native apps and the selection of tech stack also contribute to the Android app development cost. Indeed, they play a vital role in determining the cost. For example, the cost can be lower when open-source technologies are used. 

On the contrary, the cost can be higher when paid frameworks, platforms, or libraries are used. Thus, the tech stack used to develop an Android application can affect the cost of developing the app. 

Nowadays, third-party integration such as payment gateways has become necessary for apps. These integrations might cost some amount that could increase the cost of developing an app. The choice between libraries, programming languages, frameworks, and other technologies affects the overall cost. 

Native app development can cost around $25,000 – $50,000. Plus, developing a hybrid application can cost around $15,000 – $85,000. It shows the variations in the cost depending on the underlying technology. 

Type of Development Team

The type of development team you choose to create your Android app is another crucial factor in determining the cost. When it comes to developing an app, you can either build an in-house team or outsource your project to an Android app development company. 

Depending on whether you build an in-house team or outsource your project, the cost can fluctuate drastically. In the case of an in-house team, the cost can be significantly higher because you will have to spend on salaries, insurance, rent, and other expenses. 

These expenses will be a significant part of the cost. Indeed, the average salary of Android developers is around $90,000 – $110,000 annually. It means you will be paying a lot in salaries. On the other hand, choosing a company to outsource your project can save these expenses. 

You can lower the cost by paying for what you get. Outsourcing your project helps you pay for resources on an hourly, weekly, or monthly basis. It can help avoid expenses related to salaries, insurance, rent, and more. 

Plus, you might be required to invest in additional infrastructure and hardware components to build in-house which can put an extra burden on the budget. This is readily available as the outsourcing option without additional expenses.

Android App Development Cost Breakdown Based on Stages

You have seen the estimated costs based on different factors that affect it. Now, we will look at the breakdown of the cost based on the different stages of developing Android apps. In the app development process, stages are distinct steps that development teams go through to build the app. 

Conceptualization

The first stage of an app development process involves planning and brainstorming. Market research plays a crucial role in this phase to understand user demands, and pain points, analyze competitors, and do other assessments. It helps to define the project scope and build a plan to develop the app. The possible cost for this phase could be $2,000 – $10,000. 

Design

After completing the research, the next comes the role of UI UX designers, who design app prototypes according to the plan and defined requirements. The UI/UX design involves defining the user interface elements like buttons, containers, fonts, colors, and more that determines the look and feel of the Android app. The design could cost around $10,000 – $20,000. 

Development

This is where your app concept is converted into reality with coding. Android app developers will work on the front end and back end of your mobile app to create the user interface and the business logic. So, basically, the cost to build an Android app based on development can be divided into front-end and back-end costs. 

Typically, front-end development for Android apps can cost around $10,000 – $35,000. On the other hand, the backend can cost around $15,000 – $55,000. Hence, the overall cost in app development could be anywhere between $25,000 – $90,000 and more. 

Quality Assurance

This phase involves rigorous testing to identify and resolve any issues like bugs or errors. Quality Assurance is an essential process to ensure the app’s quality and performance. QA teams test mobile apps on various factors to find and fix issues. It costs around $5,000 – $10,000. 

Deployment

Deployment involves steps to make the Android app ready to be published. It entails creating a developer account, configuring the application, and ensuring that the app meets Google’s guidelines and other compliances. It could cost around $500 – $2,000.

Maintenance

Once an Android app is developed and launched, it requires constant maintenance that involves updates, bug fixes, security patches, etc. Maintenance is an essential stage to ensure the app remains functional, secure, and up to date. The cost of maintenance could be 15-20%/year of the total cost of an Android app development project. 

What are Hidden Android App Development Charges?

Apart from the common cost factors like design, development, testing, and deployment, there are also some hidden charges that are associated with the cost. These charges can significantly affect the cost. Hence, you must understand these elements of cost before budgeting for development.

These are costs related to launching your app and marketing it. An app has to go through various checks before it is launched into the market. It must align with standards and meet specific requirements before being made available to the general users. 

You need to allocate monetary resources to run marketing campaigns for your app to ensure it stands out in the market. Marketing will help you promote the app and get traction for it. 

Your marketing campaigns may include social media ads, influencer marketing, google ads, and more. Besides, you may need a team to handle the promotion and marketing of your application by spreading word of mouth. 

User acquisition costs are a part of marketing expenses. This involves acquiring new customers through promotional or advertising activities. Pre-launch marketing and app store optimization are also a part of marketing that involves some expenses. 

All in all, launching strategies and post-launch marketing are a part of the overall cost of creating Android applications. These costs are hidden because they are not considered in the development. However, they are part of developing and running an application. 

What Can You Do to Minimize Android App Development Costs?

The cost of developing an Android app could rise significantly. It could be expensive for small or medium-scale businesses. So, what can they do to optimize the costs and keep it under their budget? Though there is no silver bullet to control the cost, there are some workarounds to minimize the Android app development charges. The following are some tips to reduce the costs.

Prioritize Features

Instead of starting with a full-fledged Android app, you can begin with the most essential features and then build it iteratively as you grow. This is when you should go with MVP development. 

MVP is an app with basic functionality that is enough for early adopters. More features are integrated with user feedback. Hence discuss with your team the essential features you can implement. 

Create a Requirement Document

Proper planning can help you save costs and avoid waste. Start with creating a product requirement document that includes comprehensive information about the tech stack you would use to build the app and the features you need in the app. 

Apart from this, the document should also include other details like the goal of the Android app, budget estimates, company background, platform requirements, and timeline. 

Select a Reliable Tech Partner

Choosing the right Android app development company is also helpful in creating apps on a reduced budget. Such a company having professional experience can utilize the best tools, technologies, and methodology to build your app on a reduced budget. 

Make it a Success with MultiQoS

Developing an Android app requires immense experience, knowledge, attention to detail, and other attributes. At MultiQoS, we have the most talented Android developers who are proficient in creating awe-inspiring Android mobile applications with amazing features.

As an award-winning Android app development company, we have been recognized for exceptional work in this domain and featured on multiple platforms. With our expertise in everything in Android, we are suitable to build a wide range of apps. 

We have already created a wide array of Android apps for different businesses that are generating impressive revenues. Our developers are well-versed in the latest technologies to craft phenomenal mobile apps that ensure higher user engagement.

Don’t hesitate to contact us and start a brief discussion to understand how we work and what we can do for you. Our team is seamlessly available to you and help you throughout your journey with us. We also appreciate your valuable feedback.