There is no single price for an app, and anyone who gives you one without asking questions is guessing. But the cost is not mysterious either. It is driven by a small number of decisions. Understand those and you can estimate your own project within a sensible range.
What actually drives the budget
- Scope of the core. One thing done brilliantly is far cheaper than five things done adequately. The number of genuinely distinct features is the biggest lever.
- Platforms. iOS only, Android only, both, plus web. Each surface adds build and test cost. Cross-platform can reduce this, at a trade-off.
- The AI part. Using an existing model through an API is affordable and fast. Training or fine-tuning your own, handling sensitive data, or needing on-device inference moves the number up sharply.
- Back-end and data. Accounts, payments, real-time features, and integrations are where hidden hours live.
- Design maturity. A considered, distinctive interface costs more than a generic template, and is usually worth it.
The line items nobody quotes for
Most surprises are not the build itself. They are the things around it:
- App Store and Google Play review, including privacy policy, support page, and compliance.
- The running cost of the AI itself. Model calls are a per-use expense, not a one-off. This needs a sensible budget and guard rails.
- Analytics, crash reporting, and monitoring, so you know when something breaks before your users tell you.
- Maintenance after launch: OS updates, dependency updates, and small fixes. An app is a living thing.
Ask any studio to show you the post-launch line items. The answer tells you how honest the quote is.
Realistic timelines
A focused first version with a real AI feature is usually a matter of weeks, not months, when the scope is disciplined and the team is senior. Ambitious products with custom models, heavy integrations, or regulatory requirements take longer, and should. The fastest way to blow both budget and timeline is an unclear scope that grows in the middle.
How we keep it predictable
We fix the scope and the timeline before we start, quote the running costs honestly, and use AI to move quickly through the parts that used to be slow. You get a working version early and a clear number, not a moving one. If the first milestone does not land, you do not pay for it.
Want a real estimate for your idea? Bring us the brief, or read how we approach app development.