Estimating Android app development costs
The Android app development cost will vary depending on the app’s complexity, features, and approach. Let’s break down our Android app cost estimation into three levels of complexity to give you an idea of what to expect.
Complexity is the first consideration when calculating the cost of Android app development. For the sake of simplicity, let’s say there are three levels of complexity: simple, average, and complex.
This system of app categorization is fairly generalized, but it’ll help you understand the full picture. The table below breaks down the Android app cost for each type by the development team’s hourly rates.
Numbers are based on a Goodfirms survey
| ⭐ Our experience
Here’s an app we developed that lets users create wishlists. As you can see, it has a calm color palette. It also doesn’t have unnecessary elements or features that could overwhelm and distract the users. Its simplicity places this app on the lower end of the price range.
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Average-complexity Android app development costs more because of the advanced design and functionality. This category is pretty broad and includes most of the existing applications.
Average-complexity apps can have personal user accounts, real-time data handling, and API integrations. For example, all e-commerce apps must have a catalog, shopping cart, and integrated payment gateway.
| ⭐ Our experience
Talentum, a food delivery app we designed, is an example of a medium-complexity app. What sets it apart from other delivery services is that it lets you order from a specific chef. In Talentum, users can filter through suggested chefs based on their tastes. It has a personal account feature for clients and chefs and lets clients pay for their meals right then and there.
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There is no limit to the complexity of an app. The most complex apps have a fully custom UI and advanced features created by the mobile app development company from scratch. As you’ve probably guessed, these apps are the most expensive to build.
| ⭐ Our experience
Here’s an example of a complex app, We’re All Winners — an app that sells discount coupons and is aimed at the Egyptian market. And despite a tight deadline, redesigns, working with someone else’s frontend, and writing the backend on an unfamiliar technology — we crushed it! It has 130k+ of active users and doesn’t seem to stop. The client’s team worked on the frontend, and we had to take on the development of the backend. We also helped with designing both UI and UX, redoing the logo and color palette on the UI side and the user-flow of the admin panel on the UX.
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What influences the Android app development cost?
Evaluating the complexity of the app is one of the ways to estimate the Android app development cost, but this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Android app development cost depends on many factors, and each case is unique. Let’s take a look at them to help you plan your Android app development budget effectively.
1. Development stages
Of course, you can create a mobile app without doing any prior research or performing any maintenance after the app’s deployment. But this will likely turn your Android app development projects into a disaster.
There is, however, a way to ensure the Android app development process succeeds. But before even thinking about the budget of your future project, you need to make sure that your product will be in demand. Professional app developers do that by conducting Android app development project discovery.
This stage consists of researching your app’s potential target audience. It also includes analyzing its main competitors and the market it will enter. This is when the future users of the Android app are interviewed, and unit economics are calculated.
Project discovery is crucial to protecting yourself from wasting money on something that will die as soon as it is launched.
| ⭐ Our experience
At Purrweb, we once helped our client save over $150,000 on Android app development. Our client wanted to develop a super app for Muslims. Ideally, it would include all the tools Muslims use for religious practices. For example, the app would help them find the prayer time or locate the Kaaba. The initial hypothesis was that most Muslims didn’t like to switch between different solutions. We interviewed the app’s target audience and analyzed their needs and expectations. We found out that the market segment for this app was too small. Spending thousands of dollars to create an app for such a small audience wouldn’t pay off. Thanks to our app development company, the client can now revise their idea and design a more lucrative plan.
Get a professional evaluation of your mobile app idea — hire Purrweb. |
The more stages in the Android app development process, such as market analysis, testing, and maintenance, the higher the Android app cost. But in the end, it will be more cost-efficient than wasting your money on a useless mobile app.
| Development stage | Estimation in weeks | Approximate costs |
| Project analysis | 1 | $700 |
| UI/UX design | 4 | $6,000 |
| App development | 9 – 10 | $40,000-$45,000 |
| QA Testing | concurrently with the development | $8,100-$10,000 |
| Project management | during the whole project | $3,950 – $4,100 |
2. Architecture
Mobile app architecture is the backbone of the app. It usually includes UI (user interface), servers, APIs, and databases. The more complex the relationship between these elements is, the higher the Android app development cost will be.
| Complexity | Average Android app cost | Features |
| Low Complexity | $5,000 – $50,000 | Static UI, minimal database usage, limited or no third-party integrations |
| Medium Complexity | $50,000 – $150,000 | User authentication, API integrations (e.g., social logins), real-time data (chat, notifications), moderate database |
| High Complexity | $150,000 – $500,000+ | Cloud computing, machine learning or AI, geospatial data (e.g., maps, GPS), real-time data processing, large-scale databases, scalability requirements |
Google Maps is an Android app development project with extremely complex architecture. It lets you view almost any location anywhere in the world from a 360-degree perspective.
The Google Maps app has to process enormous amounts of data without crashing. That’s why it is powered by cloud computing, machine learning, real-time data processing, and geospatial data management.
Google Maps has real-time navigation and virtual maps
3. Design
There is more than one way to approach UX/UI design in Android app development. One can either create a completely unique Android app design and draw all the elements from scratch, or use templates.
Ready-made solutions are common in Android app development and mobile development in general. But nothing to worry about! A professional mobile app developer can make an app built with templates look original and appealing.
Creating an Android app design from scratch allows for more freedom of expression and can help you get a one-of-a-kind result. However, even a seasoned developer might opt for templates when designing an app to reduce costs.
| Low Design Complexity | $5,000 – $20,000 | Pre-built templates or standard UI components, minimal interaction design |
| Medium Design Complexity | $20,000 – $80,000 | Custom UI design, basic animations and transitions, interactive elements (e.g., buttons, forms), moderate brand customization |
| High Design Complexity | $80,000 – $300,000+ | Complex animations and transitions, advanced UI elements (e.g., 3D models, interactive graphics), branding created from scratch, gamification elements |
4. Features
The more features an app has and the more complex they are, the higher the cost of Android app development will be.
For example, a mobile app that tracks tasks and creates lists is the easiest and cheapest to develop. An app with AI-powered chatbots and push notifications is more difficult to build. There are also advanced-level app features like biometric authentication and augmented reality.
IKEA Place is an app that lets you “try out” a piece before buying it using augmented reality technology
5. Niche
Which problems your app is supposed to solve? Your answer to this one question will influence the cost of Android app development, too.
An e-commerce app will be much easier to develop than a fintech or a healthcare app. Financial apps must be able to process transactions instantly and have advanced security systems. Healthcare apps handle sensitive data concerning people’s well-being, meaning their development is strictly regulated (for example, by HIPAA in the US).
| Low Complexity Niche | $5.000 – $30,000 | Simple lifestyle apps,
fitness trackers, news or informational apps |
Basic UI design, minimal backend functionality, limited user input |
| Medium Complexity Niche | $30,000 – $100,000 | E-commerce apps, fitness apps with tracking and analytics, education or learning apps | User authentication,
payment gateway integration, moderate data handling (e.g., databases, APIs) |
| High Complexity Niche | $100,000 – $500,000+ | Health and medical apps, finance and banking apps, enterprise solutions (e.g., CRMs) | Handling sensitive or regulated data (e.g., HIPAA, PCI-DSS compliance), real-time data processing (e.g., financial transactions, patient data), advanced security features (e.g., encryption, biometric authentication), multi-platform integration |
| ⭐ Our experience
Believe us, adhering to medical data regulations is not easy. We even had to study British medical insurance laws while developing My Therapy Assistant. However difficult, this step is essential in healthcare Android app development.
My Therapy Assistant is an app that matches patients with their ideal psychotherapy professionals Non-compliance with HIPAA regulations is punished by law. HIPAA violation fines can be as much as $25,000 per violation or even result in jail time. |
6. Platform and technology stack
There are two main routes you can follow with Android app development: native or cross-platform development.
Native Android app development often provides a smoother user experience, but it’s usually more expensive. If you want iOS and Android platform users to use your app, you’ll need to make two apps instead of one.
This won’t be an issue if you only need to develop an Android app. However, cross-platform development is generally a more cost-efficient solution. This way, you can get an app that performs well on both platforms and reaches more users.
| Complexity | Average development cost |
| One platform, basic stack | $5,000 – $30,000 |
| Cross-platform, moderate stack | $30,000 – $100,000 |
| Multi-platform, advanced stack | $100,000 – $500,000+ |
Personally, we recommend going with the cross-platform route.
| ⭐ Our experience
For example, this is how Purrweb built Energo, a mobile app for a power bank renting service. Our developers faced a lot of challenges while working on this app. For example, they had never previously worked with IoT, so this was a learning experience. In the end, our team managed to create a highly functional app that exceeded the client’s expectations.
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7. Maintenance
Android app maintenance is also a part of the development process. Even though it happens after deployment, it should always be accounted for when estimating the Android app cost. The more complex an app is, the more it will cost to maintain.
Even if your app was built by a professional app development company, there still might be issues to fix after the app launch. In addition, most apps have to eventually update and get new features to keep up with the market.
On average, maintenance costs around 15-20% of the initial Android app development charges per year. For example, if you pay $20,000 for Android app development, you might expect to spend around $3,000 – $4,000 per year on app maintenance.
8. Development team
Another thing you should keep in mind is that teams around the world have different hourly rates. Companies in Western Europe and the US tend to be more expensive than the ones in Eastern Europe or Asia. Also, no matter the location, the more experienced the app development company is, the higher its hourly rates will be. Paying for additional experience is usually worth it in the long run.
Teams are made up of different specialists. Every mobile app team must have developers, designers, analysts, managers, etc.
| Role | Hourly Rate (USD) |
| Backend Developer | $40 – $100 |
| UI/UX Designer | $50 – $120 |
| Project Manager | $50 – $120 |
| QA Engineer/tester | $30 – $90 |
The detailed app development cost breakdown
Let’s go over the stages of the Android app development and approximate the costs of each one.
1. Research ($3,000 to $10,000)
The research phase lays the groundwork for the app. It involves understanding the target audience and defining the core app features. It also includes analyzing competitors and picking the best technological stack. A thorough research phase is crucial to ensure the Android app design and features will resonate with users.
The research phase is typically handled by a product manager, an analyst, and a market researcher. Depending on the complexity of the research and the team involved, this stage can take a couple of weeks. Android app development charges at this phase can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000.
| Research Activity | Estimated Time | Estimated Cost |
| Market research | 1–2 weeks | $2,000 – $5,000 |
| Target audience analysis | 1–2 weeks | $1,000 – $3,000 |
| Defining features | 1–2 weeks | $1,000 – $3,000 |
| Strategy | 1–2 weeks | $1,000 – $2,000 |
2. Design ($6,000 to $10,000)
The design phase is where the Android app developers create the look and feel of the app. Designers start off by mapping out wireframes. Then, once those are approved by the client, they create high-fidelity prototypes. Once all the design elements are made, they’re compiled into a UI kit. Design plays a crucial role in user retention, so investing in a quality design is key for app success.
| Design Activity | Estimated Time | Estimated Cost |
| Wireframing & Prototyping | 2–3 weeks | $2,000 – $4,000 |
| UI/UX Design | 3–4 weeks | $3,000 – $8,000 |
| Visual Design (Icons, Splash) | 1–2 weeks | $1,000 – $3,000 |
3. Development ($40,000-$45,000)
During this stage, Android app developers write the code for the app’s backend and frontend and integrate the needed APIs. Android apps are often developed using frameworks like Java and Kotlin. However, more and more developers are leaning towards cross-platform frameworks. The two most popular examples are Flutter and React Native.
At Purrweb, we generally separate our development process into two-week sprints. Ideally, we will add a new feature to the app within those two weeks. After each sprint, we report on our progress to the client to make sure we’re on the same page.
| Development Activity | Estimated Time | Development Costs |
| Frontend Development | 4–8 weeks | $5,000 – $25,000 |
| Backend Development | 4–8 weeks | $5,000 – $50,000 |
| API Integration | 2–4 weeks | $2,000 – $15,000 |
| User Authentication & Security | 2–4 weeks | $3,000 – $10,000 |
4. Testing ($8,100-$10,000)
During the testing phase, QA engineers check the app for bugs. The software has to be continuously tested during development, as well as when the app is almost ready for deployment. Manual, automated, and performance testing help ensure the app runs well on all devices and OS versions.
| Testing Activity | Estimated Time | Estimated Cost |
| Functional & Usability Testing | 2–3 weeks | $2,000 – $5,000 |
| Performance & Load Testing | 2–3 weeks | $1,000 – $3,000 |
| Security & Bug Fixes | 2–4 weeks | $2,000 – $5,000 |
5. Post-launch maintenance (from $10,000)
Once the app is launched, the maintenance phase begins. Android app developers update the app and fix mistakes that couldn’t be spotted before.
Post-launch maintenance is essential. The app has to stay functional, secure, and up-to-date. Maintenance costs vary depending on the complexity of the app and the frequency of updates.
The hidden Android app development costs
We covered the main factors that influence Android app development costs. However, there are still some hidden costs left that are less obvious but still important to consider. Let’s go over a couple of them.
Compliance and legal fees
Legal fees and compliance shouldn’t be left out when estimating the cost of Android app development. This includes legal consultation costs and compliance with data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR).
Marketing and promotion
Marketing strategies (SEO, ASO, and advertising) will also increase the overall Android app development cost. However, they are essential for any app’s success.
Research shows that 97% of Android apps on the Google Play Store are free. This means you’ll have to find creative ways to monetize your app and draw in profit.
In-app ads are a common solution for free apps. But if no one watches or interacts with the ads, you will not get any revenue. The better you promote your Android apps, the more active users you will have and the more money you will make.
Integration with third-party services
Third-party service integrations (e.g., payment gateways and analytics tools) also cost money. While most integrations these days can be easily done with the help of APIs, this process can take up a large chunk of Android app development time.
For an e-commerce app like Etsy, payment service integrations are a must-have
Why Is Android a preferred platform for app development?
Market share
According to statistics, Android has a global market share of 71.65%. This makes Android users the primary target audience for mobile application developers. However, most Android app developers prefer to kill two birds with one stone. A way to do that is to develop cross-platform solutions that work on both Android and iOS.
Looking at the statistics — it’s not even close
Flexibility and customization
In comparison to iOS app development, Android has more customization options. This has to do with the fact that Android is open-source. It allows users to modify their workspaces and the look of Android apps. This platform has a huge community of users who are always inventing new ways to enhance their experience with Android apps and devices.
How can you reduce Android app development costs?
Cross-platform approach
We are firm believers in cross-platform development. It’s a time-tested way of reducing Android app development costs without compromising quality. We recommend this approach to all our clients because it lets you do more while spending less.
We create high-performing, robust applications that provide a native-like, smooth user experience. To do that, we use frameworks like React Native and Flutter.
MVP Approach
Creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) can help you develop an Android app without overspending. MVP is basically a stripped-down version of your final product that only has the essential features.
This is the gist of how it works: prioritize features that would let you start making money, and then keep adding to it, using the money project already made
That way, you can first test your idea quickly and painlessly, gather user feedback, and adjust your strategy.
Outsourcing
In general, it’s a more cost-efficient solution. This is especially true for businesses that don’t already have an in-house team and don’t want the Android app development costs to go through the roof.
With an in-house team, you’d pay each development team member a regular wage, insurance, taxes, and benefits. With outsourced Android app developers, the only thing you’ll have to pay for is the set price for the project you have discussed prior.
Prioritizing Features
Don’t make your app too heavy, and focus on its core features. Minimalism works best when it comes to saving money. Instead of loading up your app with all the latest trends, it is better to choose features that make the most sense for your goals.
You might be unsure which app features to prioritize from the very beginning. Professional developers can help you narrow down your options by conducting thorough research.
Conclusion
Android app development can seem expensive, but there are always ways to reduce the mobile app development cost without hurting the quality of the end product.
Choose the right development tools, focus on core features, and embrace agile methodologies. These principles will help you optimize the time and money you invest in your Android app development project.
➡️At Purrweb, we specialize in creating Android apps of various complexity and in diverse niches. Whether you’re a startup with limited resources or an established company, our development team is here to guide you every step of the way.
Ready to start your Android app development journey? Contact Purrweb today to discuss your Android app development project and get a free estimation. Let us help you bring your vision to life without breaking the bank.
If you’d like to see more examples of our work — take a look at our portfolio.
