How Much Does It Cost to Build a Mobile App in 2026?

Short answer: a simple mobile app costs $5,000–10,000. An app with a backend, payments, and real-time features typically costs $15,000–40,000. Enterprise-scale apps can exceed $100,000.

What drives the price

The biggest cost drivers are scope, platform, and backend complexity:

• Simple app — a few screens, no login, no backend: $5,000–10,000.
• Standard app — user accounts, API integration, push notifications: $10,000–25,000.
• Complex app — payments, real-time sync, IoT, or AI features: $25,000–40,000+.
• Platform — native Android + iOS roughly doubles build cost versus a single platform or a PWA.

Why some quotes are much cheaper

Cheaper quotes usually mean templates, offshore code, or an app without a real backend. You'll often pay for it later in rework. A fair price reflects custom code, real architecture, and support after launch.

How to control costs

• Start with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) — launch the core feature, then iterate.
• Reuse what exists — integrate off-the-shelf payments and maps instead of building them.
• Choose a PWA if you don't need deep device features or app-store presence.

What's included in a good quote

Design, development, testing on real devices, app-store submission, and a support window. Ask for these explicitly — they're often where hidden costs hide.

Need an exact figure? Send me your requirements and I'll respond within 24 hours with a scoped quote. I've shipped apps reaching over 1,000,000 active users — see my work for examples.