App quotes ranging from £15k to £150k confuse everyone. This guide explains what drives mobile app development cost — features, platforms, backend, compliance, and post-launch support — so you can budget realistically before talking to agencies.
“How much for an app?” is a fair question with an annoying answer: it depends. Not because agencies hide pricing — but because “an app” can mean a five-screen MVP or a regulated fintech product with KYC and push notifications. Here is how CrixSol scopes mobile projects so clients know where money goes.
Ballpark ranges (UK / international agency rates, 2026)
These are ranges for custom builds with a professional team — not template reskins:
- Simple MVP (login, 5–8 screens, basic API): £25,000 – £45,000
- Mid-complexity (payments, maps, offline mode, admin): £50,000 – £90,000
- High-complexity (real-time, video, HIPAA/GDPR-heavy, native + web admin): £100,000+
- Ongoing: plan 15–25% of initial build annually for maintenance, OS updates, and minor features
What increases cost fastest
Integrations multiply hours: Stripe Connect, Twilio, Apple Health, legacy ERP APIs with poor documentation. Real-time chat, live GPS tracking, and offline sync each add design, backend, and QA time. Compliance (health, finance, children’s data) requires legal review, audit logs, and penetration testing — budget for it explicitly.
Cross-platform vs native: cost vs trade-offs
Flutter or React Native typically costs 30–40% less than separate Swift and Kotlin apps for the same feature set — one codebase, one QA cycle. Native still wins for bleeding-edge OS features or ultra-low-latency graphics. Most startups we work with ship cross-platform first, then consider native modules where profiling shows bottlenecks.
Hidden costs founders forget
Apple Developer and Google Play fees are minor. The real extras: backend hosting, error monitoring (Sentry), analytics, app store assets, privacy policy updates, and customer support tooling. Launch is not the invoice — it is the start of operating cost.
How to get an accurate quote
Bring user flows (even wireframes), a prioritized feature list (must-have vs phase two), and examples of apps you like. Agencies quote faster and more accurately when discovery is structured — vague “Uber for X” briefs produce vague estimates.
Key takeaway
Spend discovery time upfront. A paid architecture workshop costs a fraction of a rebuild after a misunderstood scope.
