Today, mobile apps dominate the web, and iOS has been a challenging application for innovative developments with a large user base. This iPhone application-hungry audience is all that businesses want to make their applications catering to the development to capture interesting audience attention. 

Cost for developing an iOS app can probably be the first question in your mind if you are planning to develop an application for an iOS phone. 

This blog elaborates on a comprehensive overview of those factors that determine the cost of developing an iOS application, a typical price range, and various tips to optimize your cost while spending on the app development process. The blog will help you find the right iOS app development services based on its cost-effective pricing structures and the skill level of its resources. 

A Bit About iOS App Development

Actually, iOS app development refers to the creation of applications that run on Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS. An iOS application runs on iPhones, iPads, and other Apple devices. These applications are made using programming languages: Swift and Objective-C, development tools: X-code, for example.

The stages of app development vary depending on the application, starting from ideation and ending in planning, design, coding, testing, and delivery. Each step adds up to the overall cost of the project.

Determinants of iOS App Development 

There are multiple determinants that govern the pricing of iOS app development. Let’s examine each in detail.

1. Application Complexity

App complexity is the major determinant of its cost. Simple applications will cost less, whereas an advanced application demands a lot of resources, time, and effort to develop an app for that.

Simple App: Such apps usually have simple features like information-based apps or those with restricted interactivity. For example, a simple restaurant menu app or just a basic news app would fall into this category.

Medium Level Applications: Such applications can have some features that may include an element of social media or location services or chat connectivity. Some applications like these would be those typical fitness apps, e-commerce-related applications, and travel applications.

Complex applications: These are high-end applications involved in a lot of functionality like real-time communication, data processing, or augmented reality. Examples are mobile games, ride-hailing mobile apps like Uber, or applications for financial trading.

2. Application Design and User Interface (UI/UX)

Designing an application is fundamental to making it successful. A well-designed application by an iOS app development company can attract a large volume of users, whereas a badly designed application can lead to high uninstall rates. A complex, custom-designed UI/UX would require more build time and effort, ultimately increasing the costs of development.

Basic Design: Basic UI with standard templates and elements will be the lowest in cost. 

Custom Design: Unique, bespoke design elements with regard to user experience and engagement, like animations or interactive features, can really ramp up costs.

3. Application Properties and Functionality

Adding features to your app means more costly development. All push notifications, payment gateways, chats, social integration, in-app purchase features, will raise the coding as well as testing costs. Backend development for data storage, cloud services, and APIs will push that final cost upwards. More features and functions mean more cost in development.

4. App Development Team

For app development, you can hire either an in-house app development team, or contact an outsource app development company/freelance developer. The experience and expertise with good reputation from developers hired directly impacts the costs of development.

Freelancers: Generally less expensive than companies. However, a freelancer might be charged by the work, which might not guarantee consistency with quality or time.

App Development Agencies: Rather, more expensive than freelancers, agencies provide a diverse team of experts who frequently put optimal resources into ensuring less friction in the process, right from development through design to project management: greater output, higher quality.

Offshore Team: These are located in places that are famous for the low costs of living and thus provide some competitive pricing. They are generally a good option if your need is for a dedicated team over a long term.

5. Development Time 

The time for development greatly affects the cost of the application. A simple application may take a few weeks to a couple of months to create, while a complex project can go on for several months or even more than a year. The longer an application takes to complete, the higher the cost. 

6. After the Initial Launch

The new application will have to undergo some post-launch maintenance and updates. App development doesn’t end at launching the application. Once it’s out there, you will now have to maintain it and update it regularly to fix bugs, put in new features, and improve security. The maintenance cost of an iOS app development agency varies depending on complexity and frequency of updates.

Prices of iOS App Development – An Estimate

There is a high cost variable in the development of an iOS mobile application. However, if you would like to have an approximate idea, one could classify the cost in the below categories.

1. Basic Apps: $ 1700 to $ 5000

Few elements and simple designs of these apps, hence, lesser resources and development time requirements. For example, an informational app or a simple one-page app would generally count as a simple app.

2. Mean Level Apps: $ 5000 to $12,000

A price range within which such applications would fall includes apps with moderate functionality mostly relating to custom design elements, third-party API integration, and basic user-authentication processes. Some examples of this app category are shopping apps, gymnasium-activity-tracking apps, and basic social-networking apps.

Level 3 Apps: $12,000 to $ 50,000 or more

Advanced applications by reputed iOS app development company cost more or more wherein advanced progressions in embedded real-time data, connections to other systems, and complex animation are sought by the application. Such applications may be e-commerce based, enterprise solutions, mobile games, or financial applications.

This ranges from $. 12,000 upto $. 50,000 or beyond pertaining to iOS applications, which may demand complex functionalities like real-time data processing services, multiple system integrations, and complex animations. Such applications duals e-commerce sites and enterprise solutions, whereas mobile games as well as financial apps are also within this category.

Hidden Costs to Consider in iOS App Development 

There are a few extra costs associated with the development, with some being app-specific fees for using the app:

App Store Fees: This is basically an obligatory fee paid by everyone willing to publish his or her app on the App Store. It is an annual fee of $99 for the Apple Developer Program, which is a fee applicable to every iOS developer.

Marketing and Promotion: Once the work of an iOS app development company is done, procedures have to be undertaken to ensure that apps reach users. These would be costs incurred via social media ads, paid promotions, influencer marketing, and ASO, to mention but a few.

Quality Assurance Testing: In order to function effectively, the rigorous testing would have to be conducted on the app. QA would contribute most of those dollars toward an app that has many features or the ones that are more complex.

App Maintenance: Maintenance becomes regular bug-fixing, updates, and patches for the ideal state of the app. These costs usually range between 15 to 20 percent of the initial development costs yearly for maintenance of the application.

It should also be kept in mind that many applications in general rely on some of the back-end-side technologies such as cloud storage, databases, or even other specific applications on servers, which will raise additional expenses through ongoing payments of cloud services (AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure).

How to Reduce Costs of iOS App Development?

MVP: Usually, the first version of your app should have only essential features that define the app. This version can enable you to get the market response and feedback without much frontend investment.

Outsource to a Reliable Agency: Freelance workers can give lower prices than often fixed prices of agencies. But the primary difference between them is that more time and resources are consumed in using agencies while using them provides high-quality consistency, project management, and increases cost-effectiveness. So always prefer reputed app development agencies such as Web Panel Solutions. Have a free consultation call with our team to know more about our iOS app development services.

Stay Focused on Core Features: Avoid adding features that may not be beneficial for end users. Everything should be focused on the core features that solve the main problem of the individual users. This keeps the scope of the project small and cost-effective.

Utilizing Pre-Built Tools: Utilizing frameworks, plugins, and third-party tools saves time and costs in development. For example, if you want a chat interface in your app, for this, you don’t need to create one from scratch. You could use the chat SDK from some external service.

Conclusion

It is known that iOS app development costs vary significantly on different considerations such as complexity, features, and other factors that depend on the development teams of your choice. Once you get to learn about the influencing factors concerning price, you will be able to make great decisions about managing your budget as well.

Make sure to contact a reputed iOS app development company. Web Panel Solutions offers best prices compared to other parts of the world. You have to invest in quality, scalability, and user experience if you want your project to be successful. Then it will be easier to create a successful iOS application without breaking the bank as it will be planned carefully, developed with the most absolute requirements, and selected with the right development partners.

FAQs

Why should I choose “Web Panel Solutions” for iOS app development?

We have a large pool of skilled iOS app developers, offering cost-effective solutions without compromising on quality. Web Panel Solutions streamlines the entire development process. We make it easier for clients to track their project, communicate with developers, and receive real-time updates— all at a fraction of the cost compared to others.

What makes iOS app development with Web Panel Solutions cost-effective?

The cost-effectiveness of iOS app development with Web Panel Solutions is attributed to skilled in-house developers. We’ve a vast number of trained developers. Our developers are known for their fast turnaround times without compromising on quality.

How do I get started with the Web Panel Solutions for iOS app development?

To get started:

• Contact the development team: Discuss your project requirements, features, and timeline with the Web Panel Solutions team.
• Provide necessary details: Provide any design documents, wireframes, or specifications.
• Track and collaborate: Communicate with the development team, track progress, and give feedback.