The short answer
A mobile app for both iOS and Android typically costs $35,000 to $120,000 and takes eight to sixteen weeks. A focused cross-platform app with one or two core flows and a simple back end sits at the low end. Apps that need a new back end, legacy integration, offline use, AI features or regulated data sit at the high end.
The app on the phone is often less than half the work. The back end, the integrations and the release process make up the rest.
Where the money goes
| Phase | Share of effort | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Product definition and design | 15–20% | User flows, screen design and platform conventions for iOS and Android |
| App build | 30–40% | Screens, navigation, state, device features and notifications |
| Back end and integrations | 25–35% | APIs, database, admin panel and connections to existing systems |
| Testing | 10–15% | Real-device testing across screen sizes and OS versions, automated tests on key flows |
| Release | 5–10% | Store listings, review submissions, crash reporting and analytics |
Teams usually budget for the screens and forget the back end. If customers place orders in the app, something has to receive, validate and route those orders, and that something often has to talk to an older system.
What pushes a project to the high end
- Legacy systems. Our tire warehouse ordering app combined a B2B and B2C ordering app with modernization of a legacy API, which is typical of where mobile budgets grow.
- Health data. Apps like our AI symptom assessment and patient onboarding app need HIPAA safeguards, BAAs with vendors and careful wording around what the AI does and does not do.
- AI as a core feature. A consumer app built around AI output needs evaluation, cost control and graceful handling of slow responses. AI also adds a monthly model bill; see what it costs to run an AI agent.
- Offline and sync. Field and warehouse apps that must work without signal need local data and conflict rules.
Cross-platform or native
Most business apps are a good fit for a cross-platform framework, because one codebase for iOS and Android cuts build and maintenance cost. The choice between Flutter and React Native depends on your team’s skills, the device features you need and any existing web code you want to share. Our Flutter vs React Native comparison covers where each wins. Fully native apps are worth the extra cost for graphics-heavy products or deep platform features.
How to keep the cost down
- Prove the idea on the web first when you can. A web MVP is cheaper to change while you learn what users want.
- Launch one core flow. Ship the action users open the app for, then add features based on usage.
- Reuse your back end. If you already have a clean API, the app becomes much cheaper. If you do not, building one serves your web app and future integrations too.
- Skip offline until you need it. Many apps can require a connection at launch and add offline support later.
- Plan for annual OS updates. Budgeting for them up front avoids an emergency fix when a new iOS or Android version breaks something.
How Lumeor prices mobile apps
We scope each app as a fixed-price project after a short discovery call, with a written list of flows, platforms, integrations, back-end work and what is out of scope. Apps are published under your developer accounts with the code in your repository. Ongoing updates and support are priced separately.