/// LAB — Lab
App development cost calculator
This app development cost calculator turns screens, platforms and features into a range of hours, a timeline and prices across three market rate bands.
What goes into the cost of developing an app
The price is hours multiplied by a rate. On top of the hours for the features themselves, the calculator adds testing (+15–25%) and communication (+10%); without them the estimate would be too optimistic.
Three things move the hours most: a custom backend with an admin panel (in effect a second product next to the app), each extra platform (iPad, Apple Watch and Mac are separate interfaces, not a resized iPhone app) and the number of screens. Subscriptions, widgets and maps add noticeably less.
Why three price bands instead of one number
The rate for the same skill differs by a factor of 5 to 10 depending on the market and the intermediary. So instead of a single average, the calculator shows three bands: mass-market freelance ($16–35 an hour, the Upwork median), vetted freelancers ($61–80, the Arc.dev median) and studios and agencies ($108–165, a Second Talent estimate).
The hours are the same in every band. What differs is who answers for the result, how many people stand around the developer and what the price covers.
What the calculator does not count
It estimates only apps for Apple devices: iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac. Android is not estimated here; I build native apps for Apple and will not guess at work I do not do.
The estimate also leaves out text translation, legal review, marketing, servers and the App Store commission. Those budget lines have to be added separately.
Want an exact estimate?
Tell me what app you have in mind, and after a short brief I will estimate the hours for your task.