How Much Does a Mobile App Cost in 2026?
"How much does an app cost?" It is THE question every founder asks. The answer depends on a lot of factors. Here is a transparent guide with real ranges — not marketing estimates.
The three approaches to mobile development
1. Native apps (Swift / Kotlin)
An app built specifically for iOS (Swift) and Android (Kotlin). Optimal performance and full access to the phone's capabilities — camera, GPS, NFC, push. But you have to build and maintain two codebases.
- Budget: EUR 30,000 to 120,000 (for both platforms)
- Timeline: 3 to 8 months
- Best for: high-performance apps, games, AR/VR
2. Cross-platform (React Native / Flutter)
One codebase for both iOS and Android. Around 90% of native performance for about 50% of the budget. This is the approach we recommend for most projects.
- Budget: EUR 15,000 to 60,000
- Timeline: 2 to 5 months
- Best for: business apps, marketplaces, mobile SaaS, e-commerce
3. PWA (Progressive Web App)
A website that behaves like an app. Installable on the phone, works offline, sends notifications. No need to go through the app stores at all.
- Budget: EUR 8,000 to 25,000
- Timeline: 1 to 3 months
- Best for: MVPs, content apps, catalogues, internal tools
Detailed price table by feature
| Feature | Budget | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication (email + social) | EUR 1,500 - 3,000 | 1-2 weeks |
| User profile + settings | EUR 1,000 - 2,500 | 1 week |
| In-app payments (Stripe) | EUR 2,000 - 5,000 | 1-2 weeks |
| Push notifications | EUR 1,000 - 2,000 | 1 week |
| Real-time chat / messaging | EUR 3,000 - 8,000 | 2-3 weeks |
| Geolocation / maps | EUR 2,000 - 5,000 | 1-2 weeks |
| Back office / admin panel | EUR 3,000 - 8,000 | 2-3 weeks |
| Store submission (iOS + Android) | EUR 500 - 1,500 | 1 week |
Concrete budget examples
A simple MVP (Uber-like)
Auth + profiles + geolocation + payments + notifications + admin
EUR 20,000 - 35,000 | 3-4 months
A full e-commerce app
Catalogue + cart + payments + delivery + reviews + push + admin
EUR 25,000 - 50,000 | 3-5 months
A SaaS / business app
Dashboard + user management + reporting + API integrations + multiple roles
EUR 30,000 - 60,000 | 4-6 months
How to cut the budget without sacrificing quality
- Start with an MVP: ship the three or four essential features, validate them with your users, then iterate.
- Go cross-platform: React Native gives you iOS and Android for roughly the price of a single platform.
- Use existing building blocks: Stripe for payments, Firebase for push. There is no need to reinvent the wheel.
- Define a clear scope: scope creep is the number one cause of budget overruns.
Why work with Beyond The Brackets
We have built more than 10 mobile applications for startups and small businesses. Our React Native + NestJS stack lets us ship MVPs in 8 to 12 weeks. We have delivered projects such as Accelerio (a fitness app), My Crib (real estate) and Qllo (social). Every project starts with a free scoping session to pin down the exact scope and budget.
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