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How Much Does It Cost to Make an App in 2026?
How much does it cost to make an app in 2026? $124 if you code it yourself, about $724 a year with an AI app builder, or $10K-$50K for most agency projects.
BuildAvelo Team
Editorial Team
How much does it cost to make an app? It depends less on the app than on who builds it.
Coding it yourself costs about $124 in store fees. An app builder costs a few hundred dollars a year. Hiring a freelancer or an agency costs $5,000 to $500,000 or more.
This guide breaks down mobile app development cost by build path, by complexity and by phase. It uses Clutch's 2026 project data, two agency cost guides, and Apple's and Google's own fee pages. It also lists, line by line, what you pay to build and publish an app yourself with an AI app builder.
Short answer: if you hire a team, a simple app costs $5,000 to $60,000, a medium app $50,000 to $180,000, and a complex app $120,000 to $500,000 or more. If you build it yourself, you pay $124 in store fees, or about $724 for the first year with an AI app builder like BuildAvelo.
Table of Contents
How Much Does It Cost to Make an App?
App Development Cost by Complexity
How Much Does It Cost to Make an App Yourself?
Cheapest App Builder Plans That Publish to the App Store
What It Costs to Build and Publish an App With BuildAvelo
Mobile App Development Cost Breakdown by Phase
What Makes an App More Expensive?
Hidden Costs After Launch
How to Estimate Your App Budget
Common Questions About App Development Costs
How Much Does It Cost to Make an App?
Who builds the app moves the price more than any feature does. The same booking app can be a $50-a-month project or a $90,000 one, depending on whether you build it or hire it out.
Build path | What you pay up front | What you keep paying | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
Code it yourself | $124 in store fees for year one | $99 a year to Apple, plus hosting | Developers, or anyone willing to spend months learning |
AI app builder (BuildAvelo) | $0 to start. $50 a month to publish to the App Store and Google Play | The plan, plus the store fees | First-time founders, small businesses, testing an idea |
No-code builder (Bubble, FlutterFlow, Adalo) | $0 to start. $39 to $65 a month for a plan that publishes to the stores | The plan, plus the store fees | People happy to build screen by screen in a visual editor |
Freelancer | $5,000 to $50,000 for a simple app | An hourly rate for every change | A small app with a clear, written spec |
Agency | $10,000 to $49,999 for most projects. $90,780 on average | 15% to 20% of the build cost a year for maintenance | Funded teams, complex apps, regulated industries |
The agency figures come from Clutch's 2026 mobile app pricing data, based on projects its reviewed firms delivered. Most cost $10,000 to $49,999, the average is $90,780, and the average project takes about 11 months. The freelancer range is Bubble's 2026 figure for a simple app built with traditional code, where freelance projects sit at the low end.
Quotes vary this much because each source prices its own path. Agencies quote agency work, and builders quote their own plans. Pick your path first, then read the range for it.
App Development Cost by Complexity
If you hire someone, complexity sets the price. A simple app has a few screens and one main job. A complex app has real-time data, payments, several types of users or compliance work. Two cost guides published in 2026 give these ranges:
Complexity | Examples | Bubble (Oct 2026) | DashDevs (Jun 2026) | Typical timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Simple | Calculator, flashcards, notes, a basic fitness tracker | $5,000-$50,000 | $15,000-$60,000 | 1-4 months |
Medium | Booking app, membership app, anything with user accounts and a database | $50,000-$120,000 | $60,000-$180,000 | 4-9 months |
Complex | Marketplace or social network with real-time data and payments, telemedicine, banking | $120,000-$300,000+ | $180,000-$500,000+ | 9-18+ months |
Timelines are from DashDevs' 2026 cost guide. DashDevs builds fintech apps and prices them separately: $200,000 to $400,000 or more for a regulated fintech app.
These are labor costs for a team writing custom code. They don't include the running costs after launch, covered below.
How Much Does It Cost to Make an App Yourself?
Building an app yourself costs $124 in the first year if you write the code, and roughly $500 to $900 with an app builder plan. You pay in time instead of cash. Here is every line item:
What you pay for | Cost | When you need it |
|---|---|---|
Apple Developer Program | $99 a year | To publish on the App Store |
Google Play developer account | $25 once | To publish on Google Play |
Code editor and framework (Xcode, Android Studio, VS Code, React Native, Flutter) | $0 | If you write the code |
Cloud builds with Expo | $0 on the free plan (up to 15 Android and 15 iOS builds) | If you build with React Native and Expo |
App builder plan | $39 to $65 a month for a plan that publishes to both stores | If you use a builder instead of code |
Backend and hosting | Free tiers cover small apps. Included in every BuildAvelo plan | If the app stores user data or logins |
The store fees are from Apple's Developer Program page and Google Play Console Help. The Expo build allowance is from Expo's pricing page.
Added up for year one:
Code it yourself: $124 ($99 + $25), then $99 a year.
AI app builder (BuildAvelo Starter): $174 for the first month on both stores, $724 for the first year, or $628 billed yearly.
No-code builder: about $590 (FlutterFlow Basic) to $870 (Adalo Builder) for the first year on monthly billing, and less if you pay yearly.
Two costs catch solo builders off guard. Google Play makes new personal developer accounts run a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 days before the app can go public. And your own time is the biggest cost on this path, so build the smallest version that's useful first.
Cheapest App Builder Plans That Publish to the App Store
Most app builders let you build for free and charge when you publish. These are the cheapest plans on four builders that publish a mobile app to the App Store, as listed on each builder's pricing page. The $99 and $25 store fees come on top of every one.
Builder and plan | Price | What the plan includes |
|---|---|---|
BuildAvelo Starter | $50 a month, or $42 a month billed yearly | An AI agent builds the app from chat. 200 credits a month, iOS and Android releases, and a built-in backend |
FlutterFlow Basic | $39 a month (yearly billing saves about 25%) | Visual builder, one-click App Store deployment, code and APK download |
Adalo Builder | $65 a month ($30 the first month), or $52 a month billed yearly | Visual builder with AI. App Store, Google Play and web publishing for 2 apps |
Bubble Starter Mobile | $42 a month billed yearly | Visual builder with AI. Publishes to the App Store and Google Play from the editor |
BuildAvelo isn't the cheapest plan here: FlutterFlow Basic costs less per month. The difference is how you build. The visual builders center on an editor where you arrange screens and logic, with AI to help. On BuildAvelo, you describe the feature in chat, and the agent writes the app and sets up the backend.
What It Costs to Build and Publish an App With BuildAvelo
BuildAvelo is an AI app builder: you describe the app in chat, and an agent builds it, backend included. Here's what each stage costs, from the BuildAvelo pricing page and the BuildAvelo deployment docs.
Try it: the Free plan gives you 15 one-time credits, no card needed. You can preview the app on your phone by scanning a QR code and deploy it as a web app.
Publish to the stores: App Store and Google Play releases start on Starter, at $50 a month or $42 a month billed yearly, with 200 credits a month.
Accounts you need: an Apple Developer account for iOS, a Google Play account for Android, and an Expo account. A free Expo account works.
What the agent handles: it runs the store build, which takes 10 to 30 minutes, and can submit the iOS build to the App Store for you. For Android, you download the finished build and upload it to Google Play.
Review check: before you submit, the agent can check the app against the App Store and Google Play review guidelines. It's optional and uses credits.
Backend: BuildAvelo Cloud (database, logins, file storage, server functions and realtime) is included on every plan.
Year one, publishing to both stores:
Line item | Billed monthly | Billed yearly |
|---|---|---|
BuildAvelo Starter, 12 months | $600 | $504 |
Apple Developer Program | $99 | $99 |
Google Play account | $25 | $25 |
Expo account | $0 | $0 |
Total | $724 | $628 |
Credits pay for the agent's work. How many an app takes depends on its size and on the agent tier you pick: Low and Medium use fewer credits per step than High and Max.
Mobile App Development Cost Breakdown by Phase
When a team builds your app, writing code is less than half the bill. Bubble's 2026 cost guide splits a traditional app budget like this:
Phase | Share of budget | On a $50,000 app | On a $100,000 app | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Discovery | 10% | $5,000 | $10,000 | User stories, tech choices, early prototypes |
Design | 20% | $10,000 | $20,000 | Wireframes, visual mockups, how each screen behaves |
Development | 45% | $22,500 | $45,000 | Frontend, backend, integrations |
Testing (QA) | 15% | $7,500 | $15,000 | Manual and automated testing |
Deployment | 5% | $2,500 | $5,000 | Store submission and the build pipeline |
Project management | 5% | $2,500 | $5,000 | Sprint planning and status updates |
Discovery and design are the cheapest places to change your mind. Cutting a feature from a mockup costs nothing. Cutting it after it's built wastes the hours already paid for.
On the do-it-yourself path, the phases don't go away. You do them yourself, and an AI builder folds development, testing and deployment into the same chat.
What Makes an App More Expensive?
Every feature adds design, code and testing hours. These add the most:
Feature | Why it costs more | How to spend less |
|---|---|---|
Payments and subscriptions | Store billing rules, receipts, refunds and a lot of testing | Launch with one plan or one product |
Real-time chat or live updates | The backend has to push data to every device at once | Start with pull-to-refresh and add live updates later |
Logins and user accounts | Each sign-in provider needs setup, plus password resets and data rules | Start with email sign-in, or use a backend with logins built in |
Maps and location tracking | Map API usage fees, plus battery and privacy work | Show an address first. Track location only if it's the core feature |
AI features | A usage fee on every request, for as long as the app runs | Start with one AI feature and cap use per user |
Separate iOS and Android apps | Two codebases (Swift and Kotlin) to build, test and update | One cross-platform codebase with React Native or Flutter |
Health or finance data | Security reviews, audits and compliance rules | Work with a team that has shipped compliant apps before |
Location matters too, because the math is hours times rate. A 1,000-hour app costs $25,000 at $25 an hour and $150,000 at $150 an hour. Clutch lists $25 to $49 an hour as the average rate for the app development firms it reviews.
Hidden Costs After Launch
Launch day isn't the last bill. These costs keep coming for as long as the app is live.
Maintenance. Budget 15% to 20% of the build cost every year for bug fixes, OS updates and security patches, according to Appinventiv's 2026 cost guide. DashDevs gives the same range. On a $50,000 app, that's $7,500 to $10,000 a year. Our breakdown of app maintenance costs goes line by line.
Store fees and commissions. Both stores charge an account fee and take a cut of digital sales. Free apps with no in-app purchases pay no commission.
Store | Account fee | Cut of digital sales |
|---|---|---|
Apple App Store | $99 a year | 15% if you earned up to $1 million last year (or you're new) and join the Small Business Program. The standard rate applies above that |
Google Play | $25 once | 15% on the first $1 million you earn each year. In the US, UK and EEA, new installs since June 30, 2026 pay a 10% service fee plus a 5% billing fee |
Sources: Apple's Small Business Program and Google Play's service fee page. For the setup itself, see our guide to publishing on the App Store and Google Play.
Backend and hosting. Server costs grow with users, stored data and traffic. Many backends start free and charge as you grow. On BuildAvelo, the backend is part of the plan.
Third-party services. Maps, payments, email, analytics and AI models usually charge per use, so the bill rises with your user count.
OS updates. Apple and Google ship a major OS release every year. Each one means testing the app again, and sometimes fixing it.
Getting users. Store screenshots, a landing page and ads cost money too. Budget for them separately from the build.
How to Estimate Your App Budget
You don't need a calculator to get a usable number. Three steps get you close:
List the must-have features. Write down the one job the app has to do and the features that job needs. Everything else waits for version two.
Pick your build path. The path table at the top sets your range. The complexity table narrows it if you're hiring.
Add year-one running costs. Store fees, a builder plan or maintenance, backend, and any paid services.
Copy this worksheet and fill in your numbers:
Line item | Your estimate |
|---|---|
Build (from your path and complexity) | $ |
Apple Developer Program | $99 |
Google Play account | $25 |
Builder plan for 12 months, or maintenance at 15% to 20% of the build | $ |
Backend and hosting | $ |
Paid services (maps, payments, AI) | $ |
Launch marketing | $ |
Year-one total | $ |
Then check the total against what each budget can buy:
Your budget | What you can realistically build |
|---|---|
Under $1,000 | An app you build yourself with an AI or no-code builder, published on both stores for its first year |
$1,000 to $5,000 | A self-built app, plus paid help on the hard parts, like custom design or a tricky integration |
$5,000 to $50,000 | A simple app built by a freelancer or a small agency |
$50,000 to $150,000 | A medium-complexity app with custom design, user accounts and integrations |
$150,000 and up | A complex app: marketplace, real-time features or compliance work |
Common Questions About App Development Costs
Can you make an app for free?
You can build and test an app for free with free coding tools or the free plan of most app builders. Publishing it costs money: $99 a year for the App Store and $25 once for Google Play. A web version can go live for $0, for example on the BuildAvelo Free plan. Our list of the best free app makers compares the free plans.
Can AI build an app for me?
Yes. AI app builders like BuildAvelo build a working mobile app from a written description, including the screens, a database and logins, and publish it to the App Store and Google Play. You still decide what the app does, test it, and pay the store fees. For apps that handle health or financial data, plan on a developer reviewing the code.
Does Google take 30% of in-app purchases?
Usually not. Google Play charges 15% on the first $1 million a developer earns each year. In the US, UK and EEA, new installs since June 30, 2026 pay that as a 10% service fee plus a 5% billing fee. Subscriptions stay at 15% at any revenue, other purchases pay more above $1 million, and apps with no digital sales pay nothing.
What does the $99 Apple Developer fee get you?
The $99 yearly membership lets you publish apps on the App Store. It also lets you test beta builds with up to 10,000 external testers through TestFlight, and gives you Apple's developer tools and code-level technical support. You can enroll as an individual or as an organization.
Do I need an LLC to start an app?
No. Apple lets you enroll as an individual, and Google Play has personal developer accounts. One extra step: new personal Google Play accounts must run a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 days before the app can go public. Whether to form a company later is a legal and tax decision, not a store requirement.
How much does it cost to design an app?
On a traditional project, design is about 20% of the budget in Bubble's phase split, so $10,000 on a $50,000 app. Templates cost less. An AI app builder designs the screens as part of the build, and you change them by asking in the chat.
How much does it cost to run an app per month?
For a small app, running costs are mostly the backend, the store fees and any paid services like maps or AI. They grow with your users and data. If a team maintains the app, budget 15% to 20% of the build cost a year. On BuildAvelo, the plan includes the backend.
How long does it take to make an app?
With an agency, Clutch's average project takes about 11 months. DashDevs puts simple apps at 1 to 4 months and complex ones at 9 to 18 months or more. With an AI app builder, the first working version can take minutes, and a BuildAvelo store build takes 10 to 30 minutes. Store review time comes on top.
Want to see what your app costs on the cheapest path? Describe it to BuildAvelo and the agent builds a first version on the Free plan, with 15 free credits and no card needed.
BuildAvelo Team
Editorial Team
