table of contents
We have helped dozens of clients worldwide develop 100+ world-class, engaging apps without breaking the bank. We consolidated our learnings and experiences from developing these apps over the last few years in this blog, so you know ways to reduce app development costs before you start.
All great products start with an idea—familiar names such as Uber, Airbnb, Groupon, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and many others began with an idea and are indispensable for us today. If you’re an entrepreneur or a startup who has decided to jump the app bandwagon, you will need more than just a great idea. You need to hire a team of app developers that can transform your idea into a product and get it to the masses while ensuring that you have the finances to go through with it. This blog will help you to know how you can reduce app development cost without impacting quality.
Building an app on a diet
If you’re on a shoestring budget, the chances are that you might feel dejected at the average cost to develop an app. To put things into perspective, a survey about mobile app development costs by GoodFirms says that creating a mobile app like Bumble or Tinder can cost around $40,000. Instagram clones can cost nearly $100,000, and high-load, feature-rich apps can cost upwards of $200,000.
Understanding the cost of developing mobile apps
So how much does it cost to develop an app? Before you decide to throw in the towel and drop the idea of creating your app altogether, here’s what impacts the cost of app development:
-
Platforms:
Clubhouse is an excellent example to illustrate this factor. Clubhouse social app initially launched as an invite-only, iOS-only app. Users could download it as long as they had an invite and an iPhone. Choosing one platform gave the Clubhouse team time to see if developing an Android version of the app was viable. If they decided to develop for both platforms in one go, their development and infrastructure costs would essentially double.
-
Technologies:
Choosing the right tech stack will make all the difference in the final cost of your app. Integration with third-party platforms, AR and other extra features can drive up the average cost to build an app.
-
Scope:
Your application feature set will impact costs. Adding features will also drive up costs and take more time to launch your app in the market.
-
Development partners:
If you choose to outsource your development needs, your development partner’s pricing and collaboration strategy will reflect in the cost.
-
Constantly changing requirements:
If you cannot zero down on the initial set of requirements, your development costs can escalate quickly as you constantly iterate to create a “launchable” product. This can also cause delays in implementation and release.
How to reduce app development costs without compromising on quality?
App development can be expensive—especially if you do not know how to go about it frugally and efficiently. Here’s what you need to do to keep your costs down while keeping the quality up:
1. Carefully plan and finalize your product requirements when you start
Entrepreneurs often go with the vision of the end product that they have in mind. However, as your development progresses, your idea of the end product might change, and you may end up increasing the development time and associated costs. Planning the development of your product using a Product Requirements Document or PRD is essential to keep everyone on the same page and set your expectations + budget at the outset. A PRD is critical for your product, whether you’re outsourcing your app development needs or creating your product in-house. A product requirements document will help you to
- Create a finalized list of features you need for your idea (product)
- Add requirements for UI design and the UX of your product
- Set timelines for development stages
- Build estimates for each of these stages
- Define the platforms for your app
Ensure that your requirements document is detailed, specific, and understandable for everyone involved. Volumetree’s excellent PRD template ensures that everyone is on the same page and improves clarity between various teams and vendors (if any).
2. Create prototypes
Creating a clickable prototype of your mobile app is a great way to keep costs low. Your design team can easily dish out a clickable prototype using tools such as Adobe XD or Figma that will showcase the flow of your app. You can use this to fine-tune your user experience and decide if you’re ready to start development.
3. Outsource your app development
If you already have an in-house development team, your work is half done. All you need is to present your PRD to them, get estimates, and begin your idea-to-product journey. However, if you do not have your team or lack the necessary tech skills, it is best to outsource your idea to a reputed third-party development partner like Volumetree.
Outsourcing has many advantages:
- Reduced development costs
- Access to a global pool of talent
- No need to hire your own team
- Scale resources on-demand
Read here about: How to outsource Mobile App development?
Outsourcing development needs to a quality outsourcing partner (like us!) can also decrease common risks associated with outsourcing:
- Communication issues
- Workforce time zone issues
- Hidden costs
- Security risks
- Code quality
- IP theft
- Quality constraints
4. Create an MVP
Building an MVP or a minimum viable product can help you test the waters before creating a final product. MVPs are a scaled-down version of your product with a minimal set of features that satisfy your target group’s expectations. Your MVP will help you to launch in time, get user feedback and improve your final product. Great products such as Groupon, Airbnb, Uber, and many others began with an MVP. Following MVP development best practices can ensure that you create a lean, high-quality product.
Do you how much time needed to create a mobile app? If not then click here.
5. Create cross-platform mobile apps (iOS & Android)
Every entrepreneur who wishes to launch a mobile app faces a dilemma: whether to launch for just iOS, Android, or both. Creating native apps for both platforms is not cost-effective. Creating an app for just one can potentially let you miss out on a large chunk of customers on the other platform.
The best way is to develop cross-platform apps that are essentially web apps that work on both platforms. Twitter is a well-known example of a cross-platform mobile app. Popular technologies for developing cross-platform apps include Flutter, Unity 3D, React Native, amongst others.
6. Use existing platforms
It is better to use a stable existing platform or technology instead of creating your own. Third-party libraries exist for nearly every function that you can think of. For example, using a third-party messaging service or integrating an existing ordering system can significantly reduce development costs and development time.
7. Automate manual, repetitive tasks
Automate tasks that are repetitive and have chances of error. For example, tasks such as testing apps before release, sending out milestone emails, change notifications, and many such trivial, yet easily automated tasks can help you reduce costs and save time.
Parting thoughts
Developing an app is a significant decision. Every step you take will impact your mobile app development cost, the time spent creating your app and bringing it to market and your product’s acceptance. Ensuring that you work in a well-organized, well-planned way will get your product to your customers on schedule and reduce unwanted expenditure and delays. At Volumetree, we keep your best interests in mind. We believe that low-budget app development should not equate to low-quality app development.
Our project management teams ensure clarity, efficiency and reliability throughout the development process and beyond. This helps your project stay within budget and release a world-class product that your customers love.
Do you have a fantastic app idea in mind? Schedule a quick 30-minute call to transform your idea into a product today!
Read here:
FAQs:
post tags :
3,711 Comments
Comments are closed.






acquisto farmaci con ricetta: Farmacie che vendono Cialis senza ricetta – Farmacie online sicure
This is undoubtedly one of the greatest articles I’ve read on this topic! The author’s comprehensive knowledge and zeal for the subject shine through in every paragraph. I’m so thankful for stumbling upon this piece as it has deepened my comprehension and ignited my curiosity even further. Thank you, author, for dedicating the time to create such a phenomenal article!
Farmacie on line spedizione gratuita: Cialis generico farmacia – farmaci senza ricetta elenco
Hey there! This post couldn’t be written any better! Reading this post reminds me of my old room mate! He always kept chatting about this. I will forward this post to him. Fairly certain he will have a good read. Many thanks for sharing!
farmacia online: kamagra gel prezzo – farmacie online affidabili
http://kamagrait.pro/# farmaci senza ricetta elenco
comprare farmaci online con ricetta: kamagra gel prezzo – п»їFarmacia online migliore
Pornstar
Porn site
торты на заказ недорого цены заказать торт сегодня
comprare farmaci online all’estero: Avanafil 50 mg – top farmacia online
comprare farmaci online con ricetta: Tadalafil generico migliore – acquistare farmaci senza ricetta
Porn
Buy Drugs
cheap viagra: buy sildenafil online canada – viagra professional
http://tadalafil.auction/# cialis online canada ripoff
viagra cost [url=https://sildenafil.llc/#]Viagra online price[/url] viagra without doctor prescription
Новости высоких технологий http://barbie-games.ru/otec-videoigr новинки компьютерной техники и мобильных телефонов
Свежие новости http://barbie-games.ru/ychenye-sozdali-jidkii-nanolazer-kotoryi-ymeet-meniat-cvet технологий новинки компьютерной техники
Новости высоких технологий http://barbie-games.ru/glavnye-innovatory-rossii-otkryli-novyi-ychebnyi-god-v-moskovskih-shkolah и гаджетов.
I can’t believe how amazing this article is! The author has done a fantastic job of conveying the information in an engaging and enlightening manner. I can’t thank her enough for offering such precious insights that have certainly enriched my knowledge in this topic. Bravo to her for crafting such a gem!
Greetings from Florida! I’m bored to tears at work so I decided to browse your website on my iphone during lunch break. I enjoy the information you provide here and can’t wait to take a look when I get home. I’m surprised at how quick your blog loaded on my phone .. I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyhow, superb site!
Buy Drugs
Sex
buy cialis online free shipping: i need cialis – generic cialis tadalafil 20mg
I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my own weblog and was curious what all is needed to get set up? I’m assuming having a blog like yours would cost a pretty penny? I’m not very internet smart so I’m not 100 sure. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. Appreciate it
https://sildenafil.llc/# order viagra online
Pornstar
Viagra
buy viagra generic: Cheap generic Viagra – viagra vs cialis
Viagra
Porn
https://tadalafil.auction/# cheap cialis canada
buy viagra online [url=http://sildenafil.llc/#]buy sildenafil online usa[/url] viagra price
Pornstar
Buy Drugs
https://sildenafil.llc/# free viagra
online pharmacies for cialis: Buy Cialis online – cialis tablets
Hello there, I found your blog by means of Google whilst looking for a comparable matter, your site came up, it appears good. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
Thanks for your content. One other thing is when you are advertising your property alone, one of the troubles you need to be mindful of upfront is how to deal with household inspection accounts. As a FSBO owner, the key towards successfully transferring your property as well as saving money with real estate agent commissions is know-how. The more you realize, the smoother your home sales effort will likely be. One area where by this is particularly crucial is reports.
erectile dysfunction pills for sale: Cheapest online ED treatment – cheap erection pills
Pornstar
Pornstar
http://indiapharmacy.shop/# top 10 online pharmacy in india
where to buy erectile dysfunction pills
Scam
https://indiapharmacy.shop/# indianpharmacy com
cheap ed pills: Best ED pills non prescription – ed medications cost
A lot of of the things you mention is astonishingly accurate and that makes me ponder the reason why I hadn’t looked at this in this light previously. Your piece truly did switch the light on for me personally as far as this specific topic goes. However there is one point I am not too comfy with and whilst I try to reconcile that with the central theme of the position, let me observe exactly what the rest of your readers have to say.Nicely done.
http://edpillpharmacy.store/# discount ed meds
buying ed pills online
Buy Drugs
Porn site
online shopping pharmacy india: Top online pharmacy in India – indian pharmacies safe