Mobile Apps
How much does mobile app development cost in the UK?
Published UK estimates run from around £8,000 to well over £300,000. Here’s what puts an app at each end of that range, and what you’ll pay after launch.
Most of the numbers you’ll find online for app costs come from companies selling app development, and they vary widely. Rather than give you one misleading figure, here’s what the published guides say and, more importantly, what puts your app at one end of the range or the other.
What published UK guides say
Overall ranges from 2026 guides run from about £8,000 to over £300,000, according to TekRevol, or £15,000 to £500,000 and more, according to DITS. Softomate Solutions puts a basic MVP at about £15,000 to £40,000, and says that most small to mid-sized business apps land between £40,000 and £100,000.
| Type of app | Rough published range | Typical features |
|---|---|---|
| Simple app or MVP | About £8,000 to £40,000 | A few screens, one core feature, basic accounts |
| Typical business app | About £40,000 to £100,000 | Accounts, payments, notifications, admin tools, integrations |
| Complex platform | £100,000 to £300,000 or more | Marketplaces, real-time features, compliance, multiple user types |
These bands are drawn from those guides, and they aren’t a Techpedia price list. We’d quote once we understand your app.
What really moves the price
- Features, not platforms. The feature list drives cost more than anything else. Each login method, payment type and user role adds up.
- The back end. Most apps need a server, database and an admin tool. This is often as much work as the app itself, and it’s where cheap quotes usually cut corners.
- Native or cross-platform. Two native apps cost more than one shared codebase, but savings vary. See our cross-platform guide.
- Design. A custom interface with animation costs far more than standard components.
- Device features. Bluetooth, background location, offline sync and camera processing all add complexity and testing.
- Integrations and compliance. Connecting to your CRM or payment provider adds time, and regulated sectors like health and finance add much more.
- Who’s building it. One guide reports UK senior mobile engineers at £50 to £95 per hour. Agency rates, London premiums and offshore teams all differ.
Costs after launch
| Item | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Apple Developer Programme | An annual membership fee (check Apple’s current price) |
| Google Play | A one-off registration fee (check Google’s current price) |
| Store commission | Apple and Google take a commission on many digital sales, with lower rates for some smaller developers and subscriptions |
| Maintenance | Softomate suggests budgeting 15 to 25 per cent of the build price each year |
| Hosting and services | Servers, push notifications, maps, SMS and analytics, rising with use |
Apps need updating as operating systems and store rules change, so that maintenance budget isn’t optional. See mobile app maintenance for what it covers. Marketing is a separate budget too, because the stores are crowded and a good app won’t get discovered on its own.
How to reduce the cost
- Ask whether you need an app. A mobile-friendly web application can do a lot of what people assume requires an app, for far less.
- Start narrow. Launch with the one thing that proves people want it. Add the rest once you’ve got evidence.
- Prototype first. Testing a clickable design with real users is far cheaper than building the wrong thing.
- Use standard components and services. Don’t build your own login, payments or chat if you don’t need to.
- Be ready with decisions and content. Delays on your side cost money too.
Why quotes differ so widely
Look closely at what each quote includes. Does it cover the back end and admin tool? Testing on real devices? Store submission? Post-launch support? Who owns the code? A low quote might exclude these, or might be based on a much shorter feature list. Ask each supplier to list their assumptions, and be cautious if somebody gives you a firm price within minutes.
If you’d like to talk through your own idea, tell us about your app, and include your budget range if you can. We’ll tell you what’s realistic and what we’d cut first.