Price of iOS App Development: When Choose iOS and How Much Does It Cost

If you decided on the platform where you want to release your app and now you’re wondering how hard it is to develop an iOS app and how much time and money it will take, we’ll guide you through the estimation process and factors that influence the cost of iOS app development.

Most mobile startups start from building a basic version of their app for just one platform to implement the core value and learn how the audience responds. If your first app performs well and you aim to increase the number of users, you might expand by adding features and building a separate app for another operating system. 

We explained the major benefits and costs of Android app development, and for now, let’s explore what are the advantages of iOS and how much does a custom iPhone app cost. Statistically, more mobile entrepreneurs start from iOS to build a prototype and then gain recognition and collect further investments.

User demographic is the major factor that must impact your decision. Even though Android possesses a bigger market share and wider geographic reach, Apple App Store outperforms Google Play in revenue greatly: in 2018, app marketplaces reached $46.6 billion and $24.8 billion respectively. Based on the dynamics of the previous years, experts predict that Google Play will experience a greater increase in its revenue but will still lose to Apple App Store.

Various surveys show that iPhone owners generally earn more and, what might be essential for your app’s monetisation strategy, are ready to spend more on mobile programs and in-app purchases. If you want to make a paid app, then you should definitely start from iOS. iOS devices are also more appealing to entrepreneurs and are widely used for and in business.

Learn from the business models of your competitors from the same niche and category to know what to expect with paid options presented in the app. Also, learn your audience during the discovery stage: for example, if you don’t think global and people in your target area use Android devices more often, it doesn’t make sense to choose iOS even if all the other factors tell you to.

The iOS testing tool is generally faster than the Android emulator. Even though it’s considered that the Android emulator offers a more realistic representation, you will have to spend way more time on testing an Android app because of fragmentation. Fragmentation of Android-powered smartphones is what slows down the overall process of development, including design and testing. Some estimates show that Android app development takes over 30 per cent more time.

Apple’s focus on security creates a reliable environment where new apps are meticulously screened before getting published on the App Store and old iOS devices continuously get security updates and fixes. Security is also among the factors that developers appreciate: apart from that, they rank iOS higher in the development environment, documentation, and revenue potential.

iOS can be considered safer for a number of reasons. Firstly, it’s a closed system, unlike Android that releases the source code for app developers. Secondly, Android suffers from delayed OS updates that can compromise security. Thirdly, Android devices might be a more popular target for hackers because there are many more of them.

To estimate the cost of iPhone app development, you need to know the time it will take and the rates of professionals that are required for your particular project. The estimation is not that dependant on the platform as it is on the app’s complexity, external integration, custom design elements etc. The average iOS app development cost is no different from Android – it will range from $10,000 for an MVP or a very simple product to $1,000,000 and more for complex, feature-rich applications.

Many companies count the number of hours for implementing each required functionality. At MadAppGang we use Agile methodology and iterative planning where the process is divided into two week-long sprints and each sprint delivers a working version of the app. To get the idea of how different sets of features influence the iPhone development cost, see how much we’ve spent for iOS projects:

The set of features you want in your app will also define the development team you need. Here’s a minimum team for carrying out an iOS project and prices of iPhone app developers:

A great thing about iOS development is that you can always expand the iPhone app to other Apple devices. To do so, you need to take into consideration their screen sizes and specific features. For example, there’s a growing demand for WatchOS applications – there’s even a separate app store for Apple Watch now.

The Difference Between $5,000 and $5,000,000 Apps

How Much Does It Cost to Develop an App: Answers to All Your Concerns

Have the iOS app idea in mind? Drop us a line and we’ll discuss your project to give you the cost estimation.

02 November 2020