Seasoned Founders
Can't Believe
This is AI-Generated Plan

The app cost calculator runs on GPT-4o and GPT-4o-mini, trained on 10,685 real development projects. For visual estimation, it also uses DALLE-3, helping you understand how design choices impact the budget.

Unlike generic tools, it doesn’t just guess based on keywords. We’ve engineered 5,000-token custom prompts to reflect real startup logic, team workflows, and industry benchmarks.

This means you’re getting an AI-powered estimate that thinks like a product lead — fast, reliable, and tailored to your specific idea.

With clear input, the calculator delivers results accurate to within ±10–15% of what most dev agencies would quote. For early-stage planning, that’s more than enough to budget, pitch, or prioritize features.

It’s powered by AI trained on real-world project data, not generic assumptions. In fact, it’s been shown to reduce estimation errors by up to 95%, especially for MVPs.

Instead of chasing dev shops for ballparks, you get a credible cost plan in 3 minutes — no back-and-forth, no fluff.

• Plan Your Budget: Get a clear breakdown of development costs — no guesswork.
• Pitch Investors: Add real, justifiable numbers to your pitch deck or financial plan.
• Build the Right Team: Know which roles you need (mobile, backend, frontend, QA) and what each will cost.
• Prioritize Features: Focus on MVP essentials. Cut what doesn’t move the needle.
• Move Fast: Skip the agency ping-pong. Your estimate’s ready in 3 minutes — not 3 meetings.

This app development cost calculator saves time, adds credibility, and helps you build smarter from day one.

Your idea stays private. The app cost calculator runs fully on AI — nothing is stored or shared unless you choose to continue working with our team.

We don’t save your inputs, we don’t train on your data, and we definitely don’t resell ideas. What you type is used once to generate your estimate and then disappears.

If you want to go deeper later, we’re happy to sign an NDA. But for this tool, your idea is yours — and stays that way.

• Feature Breakdown: Lists modules, user roles, and logic (e.g., login, payments, dashboards) so you can clearly define app scope.
• Tech Stack Suggestions: Recommends technologies like Flutter, Node.js, or MongoDB based on your project goals.
• Phased Timeline: Maps each stage — from design to launch — with realistic durations, making your Scope of Work (SoW) crystal clear.
• Team Composition: Shows which roles you’ll need (e.g., frontend, backend, QA, AI) and how much time they’ll spend.
• Cost per Phase: Lets you connect time, features, and cost — ideal for planning sprints or pitching to dev partners.

You can use it as a baseline when briefing developers, comparing proposals, or drafting your own SoW. It’s technical clarity — delivered in minutes.

App development costs in 2025 typically range from $30,000 to $150,000+, depending on complexity, tech stack, and features:

• Basic MVPs: $30K–$70K (login, payments, UI kit design)
• Custom/Complex Apps: $90K+ (integrations, real-time features, custom UX)
• AI-Powered Apps: $30K–$150K+ (chatbots, GPT-based logic, smart analytics)

Use our app cost calculator to get your custom estimate in 3 minutes — or explore our detailed guide with examples to see what drives cost the most.

Expect to spend $220–$500/month to keep your app running. Here's the typical breakdown:

• Hosting: $20–$60/month
• Push Notifications: ~$10/month
• Payment Gateway: Up to $149/month + fees
• App Stores: $25 (Google Play) or $99/year (Apple)

Plan for ~20% of your initial development budget annually for updates, server costs, monitoring, and support.

Don’t just budget for building the app — budget for keeping it alive and stable.

Yes — and it's growing. The global mobile app market is projected to hit $781.7B by 2029.

• In-App Purchases – dominant in gaming and tools
• Subscriptions – think Spotify, Headspace, Duolingo
• Freemium + Ads – high user volume, monetized via engagement

Success today = smart monetization + real retention.

Profitable apps don’t just earn — they retain users better and cheaper than paid ads ever could.

Building an AI app in 2025 costs anywhere from $30,000 to $150,000+, depending on complexity, model integration, and training needs.

• Basic AI App: $30K–$60K
  → Uses off-the-shelf models (e.g., OpenAI API, Google Vision)
• Intermediate AI App: $60K–$120K
  → Chatbots, image recognition, custom fine-tuning
• Advanced AI App: $120K+
  → Real-time processing, large datasets, custom models

The price depends on how much data you need to handle, what kind of ML training is required, and how tightly the AI integrates into your core UX.

Want a precise AI app estimate? Try our AI app cost calculator — 3 minutes, no signup.

Hiring costs range from $20,000 to $150,000+, depending on who you hire and where they’re based. Here's a breakdown:

• Freelancers: $20K–$60K
  → Great for MVPs and smaller apps
  → Rates: $30–$100/hour
• Agencies: $40K–$150K
  → Best if you need structure, speed, or complex features
  → Rates: $50–$200/hour (U.S.), $30–$70/hour (Europe/Asia)
• In-House Team: $100K+ per year
  → Full control, but highest long-term cost

If you’re unsure what fits your budget, use our app cost calculator to get an estimate based on your scope — and see what hiring model makes sense.

Yes — Android apps are profitable, especially if you’re targeting global or emerging markets.

• Massive Market: Android powers over 70% of smartphones worldwide
• Lower Entry Cost: Google Play fee = $25 one-time (vs. Apple’s $99/year)
• Revenue Channels: Ads, subscriptions, and in-app purchases work well on Android
• Global Reach: Android dominates in Asia, South America, Africa

While iOS users tend to spend more per person, Android gives you scale — perfect for freemium apps, ad-based models, or virality-driven growth.

Android works best when your monetization depends on user volume. For premium B2B apps or high-ticket niches, consider iOS first.

• Cross-Platform (One Codebase for iOS + Android):
  → Flutter: Fast, beautiful, Google-backed. Great for MVPs and scale.
  → React Native: Fast dev cycle, big community. Ideal for startup teams.
• Native (Best performance + full control):
  → iOS: Swift + Xcode (Apple’s official stack)
  → Android: Kotlin + Android Studio (optimized for Android UI/UX)
• Web Apps:
  → React.js, Vue.js, Angular — for dashboard-style apps or desktop-first tools

Not sure what fits your timeline or budget? Use our app cost calculator — it suggests the best stack based on your product idea.

Yes — you can build iOS apps for free, but you’ll pay $99/year to publish them on the App Store.

• Free tools: Xcode (Apple’s official dev tool) is 100% free
• Mac required: You’ll need a macOS device — no way around it
• Publishing cost: Apple charges $99/year for a developer account

If you're on a budget, consider:

• → using open-source iOS templates
• → testing your app via TestFlight
• → or building a web app MVP first, then converting it to iOS

• → You hit platform limits — e.g. real-time features, complex logic, or external integrations
• → Performance drops — the app feels slow, especially with more users
• → Design flexibility is too limited for your UX needs
• → You're fundraising — and investors expect long-term scalability
• → You’re ready to own the stack — for security, IP, or control

Start by rewriting just the bottlenecks — like backend or auth. The app cost calculator can help you scope what to rebuild first (and what to keep).

• Gaming apps lead global revenue — thanks to in-app purchases, ads, and repeat play.
• Entertainment apps (Netflix, Disney+) → thrive on subscriptions
• Social platforms → ads + premium features
• Finance & Fitness → growing via user demand & niche value

Want to make serious money? Choose a proven monetization model and build for scale.

Check out the top 6 most valuable apps to learn how they did it.

1. Research competitors → Spot gaps & positioning
2. Define MVP features → What’s essential now vs. later
3. Sketch UX flow → Wireframes, not full design
4. Pick your tech stack → Based on budget, timeline, scale goals
5. Map the build plan → Phases, team roles, delivery checkpoints

Use our App Cost Calculator to generate a ready-to-send scope of work in 3 minutes.

Yes, you can build an app for free — using no-code tools like Glide, MIT App Inventor, or Thunkable.

1. → Pick a free no-code platform (e.g., Glide for mobile, Bubble for web)
2. → Drag & drop your UI, define logic, and connect basic data
3. → Test it with users before launch
4. → Publish on Google Play (one-time $25) or use web/PWA for free

Start small, validate fast, and iterate.

Need help choosing the right tool for your app idea? Here’s a full guide →

• 🔍 How Much Does App Development Cost by Category
  → Compare app pricing for games, FinTech, AI, and more
• 💸 Best Practices for Reducing App Costs
  → Cut up to 40% on dev without killing quality
• ❌ Top Mistakes That Kill App Startups
  → Learn what not to do from real founder fails
• 🛠 Top 10 Custom App Development Companies in 2025
  → The vetted shortlist — agencies that ship
• ⚡ Top Flutter Development Companies
  → For fast, cross-platform MVPs on a budget
• 📱 iOS vs Android: Cost Comparison
  → Build for the right platform from the start
• 🤖 How to Build an App with ChatGPT
  → Use AI to speed up design, UX, and dev planning
• 💰 How Much Money Can You Make from an App
  → Real-world monetization models with revenue stats