Search for "how much does a mobile app cost" and you get ranges that differ by a factor of a hundred. They are not wrong: they describe apps that have nothing in common. A booking app for a hair salon and a national social network share the word "app", not the workload.
So I will not add yet another range. I will give you the fixed fees you can check (Apple's and Google's, read on their official pages), then the items that make up the price, so you can read a quote and estimate your own. If your app is mostly meant to replace a spreadsheet, start with replacing Excel with a custom app: sometimes a web app is enough.
In short. Apple developer account: 99 USD per membership year (shown in local currency when you enroll). Google Play account: 25 USD, paid once. For a company, both require a D-U-N-S number. The rest of the price depends on the app itself: screens, accounts, integrations, offline use, and maintenance.
How much does it cost to publish on the App Store and Google Play?
These are the only fees that are the same for everyone. I checked them on October 17, 2026 on Apple's and Google's pages.
| Store | Fee | How often | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| App Store (Apple Developer Program) | 99 USD | Every year | Shown in local currency when you enroll. Fee waivers possible for nonprofits, accredited schools and government entities that meet certain requirements. |
| Google Play (developer account) | 25 USD | Once | One-time registration payment. |
Three conditions matter as much as the price:
- The D-U-N-S number. To enroll a company (rather than an individual), Apple and Google both require a D-U-N-S number, issued by Dun & Bradstreet. Google notes that applying is free and can take up to 30 days. Apple also asks for a public website in the company's name and a work email on its domain. Plan for this at the start of the project, not in launch week.
- Google's testing requirement. For a personal account created after November 13, 2023, Google requires a closed test with at least 12 testers opted in continuously for at least 14 days before production access. A company account avoids this step, one more reason to open the account in the company's name.
- Apple's review. Apple's guidelines (section 4.2) require an app to offer more than a repackaged website. An app that only displays your site may be rejected.
The accounts must be in your name. If the developer publishes the app on their own account, you depend on them for every update. Check this in any quote.
What makes up the cost of a mobile app?
An app quote almost always breaks down into these items. Their relative weight changes from one project to the next, which is what explains price gaps.
| Item | What it covers | What makes it vary |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping | Understanding the need, defining version one | How clear the need is at the start |
| Mockups and design | Screens, user flows, visual identity | Number of screens, existing brand guidelines or not |
| App development | The screens on iPhone and Android | Number of screens, one shared codebase or two separate ones |
| Server and database | Accounts, data, files, admin screen | Roles, business rules, need for a back office |
| Integrations | Payment, calendar, CRM, invoicing | Whether an API exists, one-way or two-way sync |
| Phone features | Offline mode, camera, GPS, notifications | Offline mode above all, which needs careful syncing |
| Testing and publishing | Tests on real phones, store listings, submission | Number of target devices, review back-and-forth |
| Go-live | Data migration, onboarding, documentation | Volume and state of existing data |
One item often forgotten: the admin screen. A booking app needs a place where the owner sees appointments, blocks time slots and edits services. It sometimes weighs as much as the app itself.
Why do app prices vary so much?
- The scope is not the same. Two quotes for "a booking app" can include three screens or thirty. Without a shared document, comparing them is meaningless. A mobile app requirements document, even a short one, solves that.
- One codebase or two. Building separately for iPhone and Android means building two apps. One shared codebase (with React Native or Flutter, for example) lowers that cost and suits most small business apps.
- Back office included or not. Some quotes only price the app, and the admin screen comes later as an extra.
- Maintenance included or not. A first year of support changes the price on the quote, not the real cost.
- The developer's setup. A ten-person team and an independent developer do not have the same overheads. What matters to you is what gets delivered, who owns the code and who handles what comes next.
What costs come back every year?
An app is not a one-off purchase. Here is what recurs:
- The Apple account, renewed every year. The Google account is paid only once.
- Hosting for the server and database. For a small app, the entry plans of common hosting services are often enough at first; cost then follows the number of users and the volume of files.
- Usage-based services: sending emails or text messages, maps, online payment. They are billed by volume, on each provider's price list.
- Maintenance. Apple and Google release new system versions every year and update their rules. An app that is not updated eventually breaks, then gets removed from the stores.
- Store commissions, only if you sell digital content inside the app. Apple, for instance, applies a reduced 15% commission to developers in its Small Business Program (up to 1 million USD in proceeds a year). However, if your app sells physical goods or services used outside the app (a booking, a service visit), Apple requires a payment method other than in-app purchase, and Google forbids using its billing system for those purchases. Those commissions then do not apply to you.
How can you cut the cost without ruining the app?
- 01
A small first version
The screens used every day, nothing else. Statistics, options and rare cases wait for the next version, once real use shows what is missing.
- 02
One codebase for iPhone and Android
For a booking, loyalty or field service app, it is usually the right balance between cost and quality.
- 03
A web app for the office
The back office does not need to be a mobile app. A web app in the browser is enough and costs less.
- 04
Connect to your tools instead of rebuilding them
Your calendar, invoicing software and CRM often have an API. Connecting them costs less than rebuilding their features.
- 05
See the screens before you sign
A mockup lets you change course before development. A change on a mockup takes an hour; the same change in code can take days.
That is how I build apps, as described on my mobile app development page: one codebase for iOS and Android, two-week sprints with a version to test on your phone, and developer accounts in your name.
How do you estimate the budget for your app?
You can do a good part of the work yourself, in an hour:
- List the screens your users need every day.
- List the types of users (customer, employee, owner) and what each can do.
- List the tools the app must connect to, with their exact names.
- State whether the app must work without network.
- Send the same document to two or three developers, and compare what each quote includes rather than the total alone.
With me, that document can even come later: a free 30-minute call, then a free mockup built around your case, and a fixed-price quote at the end of the demo. You know what you will pay before I start.
When is it better not to build a mobile app?
- Your customers will open it once. An app downloaded for a single order ends up deleted. A good website is enough, and it costs less: I cover those budgets in how much a business website costs.
- The need is mostly admin. A tool used in the office works better as a web app, which can also be opened on a phone.
- Off-the-shelf software already does the job, with its own app. Better to adopt it and connect it to your tools.
- You want to "be on the stores" with no clear use. Apple rejects apps that only display a website, and an app nobody opens twice earns nothing.
Want to know whether your idea justifies an app, and what the first version would look like? Book a 30-minute call.
Sources checked on October 17, 2026
- Apple Developer, enrolling in the program (99 USD per membership year, D-U-N-S, fee waivers)
- Apple Developer, compare memberships (distribution requires a paid membership)
- Apple, App Store Small Business Program (15% commission)
- Apple, App Review Guidelines (sections 3.1.3(e) and 4.2)
- Google Play Console Help, create a developer account (25 USD, one-time)
- Google Play Console Help, D-U-N-S number
- Google Play Console Help, testing requirements for new personal accounts
- Google Play Console Help, Payments policy (physical goods and services)
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to put an app on the App Store?
The Apple Developer Program costs 99 USD per membership year, shown in local currency when you enroll. Membership is required to distribute an app on the App Store.
How much does it cost to put an app on Google Play?
A Google Play developer account costs 25 USD, paid once at registration. For a company, Google also requires a D-U-N-S number, which is free but can take time to obtain.
Do I need to build an app for both iPhone and Android?
Most of the time yes, because your users have both. With one shared codebase for both systems, such as React Native or Flutter, you avoid building two separate apps.
How much does mobile app maintenance cost?
It depends on what is included: bug fixes, updates for new iOS and Android versions, hosting, new features. Ask for the quote to spell it out, and check that maintenance is offered, not imposed.
Can I build a mobile app for free?
You can test an app for free on your own iPhone with an Apple account, but distributing it on the App Store requires the paid membership. No-code tools often have a limited free plan, to check on their pricing page.