How Much Does an App Development Cost in India?

Across the globe, the cost of app development in India is economical without compromising the quality of code structure, skilled resources, and on-time delivery.

The minimum cost range for a mobile app developer in India is between $18 and $50 per hour in 2024. Although 40$-50$/hour is the hourly rate of junior designers, developers & QA's hourly wages in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, German & many more tech-centric countries.

This blog comprises the mobile app development india costing structure to give you a brief idea of how much does it costs to develop an app in India.

Keep on reading to uncover the actual app development costing rates in India and why IndianAppDevelopers is prime to work with as a mobile app development company in India!

App Development Cost in India Break down By Project Type

Currently, we have a sound understanding of the variability of the app development cost based on several factors. The cost of developing a basic mobile app in India ranges from approximately $10,000 to $35,000 (₹830,000 to ₹29,05,000+). However, the exact figure depends upon the complexity of the project and the features.

Based on the complexity and features, we can categorize app projects into three principal ones: simple apps, standard apps, and complex apps. Let's look at the cost and development time of these three categories of apps. From the chart below, you can evaluate which category your proposed app project is likely to fit.

So, the app features, app architecture, complexity, project size, and required skills play a crucial role in determining the development time and cost of an app project. Most apps generally fall between the first two categories, and only a handful of apps belong to the third one.

To go beyond this gross estimation, you need to develop more details corresponding to the project requirements, features, and all other attributes. At IndianAppDevelopers, our experts can provide a precise cost and time estimate for the project by utilizing a meticulous calculation method.

Now, let us give some approximate figures on the development time and cost of some popular niches of apps. This will give you a rough idea of the heather development cost and time for different app projects.

Overview of Cost Based On Mobile Application Features

Understanding the Tremendous Variability of the App Development Cost in India

Before we indulge in the development cost details, you need to have a clear idea about the huge variability of the cost figures. App development cost varies tremendously across regions and is based upon a plethora of factors. Even for app development costs in India, these variable factors are tremendously at play. From the complexity of the app project, chosen platforms and types of apps and feature set to the preferred technologies and tools, a lot of variable factors play a key role in determining the app development cost.

As we have already mentioned, for lowering app development cost India is sought after as an outsourcing destination all over the globe. Over the years, India has emerged as the destination with the most competitive development farms quoting cheaper estimates than their Western and other international counterparts. The best thing is, the thriving IT market, globally recognised talent pool and the highly competitive domestic small business market made India a truly lucrative destination for outsourcing.

Taking the right decision on app monetisation is also important to make up the development cost of an app. Free apps in the App Store make a whopping 92% of all apps. Though as of now free apps are the most successful ones, offering a simultaneous premium version with some gated features can be more effective in meeting out the cost. In-app ads is the most common monetisation most free apps rely upon.

[Also Read: Game Development Cost in India]

At IndianAppDevelopers, we boast of many of these quintessential cost-competitive characteristics that Indian IT outsourcing companies are worldwide known for. As a senior developer, my personal experience with outsourcing projects allows me to know these attributes in more detail. More than anything else, the experience in dealing with domestic small business projects ultimately helped us to sharpen skills and approaches for low-budget app projects. This is why in a market where development costs can vary between a few thousand to more than a million-dollar, Indian development companies offer a safe bet.  

Here we are going to explain the principal factors for app development cost, other cost factors apart from the core development and some tips to remain in total control of the app development cost.

Top Factors for App Development Price in India

Calculating the app development cost primarily depends upon the variable factors. Without considering these varying factors, you cannot develop a proper and neat estimate of the project budget. If you are looking for a comprehensive guide on app development costs in India, it is always advisable to go through these variable factors in detail. Here below, we explain the key cost factors for app development.

The App Type and Target Platforms (Android/iOS/reach native/Flutter)

What type of app you want to develop and what OS platforms you want to target will have the biggest bearing on the development cost? If you're going to build one single app that runs on all mobile platforms as well as the web, creating a hybrid app will be the best option. While the hybrid apps will drastically lower the development cost, you have to compromise user experience.

Building native apps separately for iOS and Android is more expensive. But because of the platform-specific approach of native development, the app user experience will be much better. In between the hybrid and native development, you can now opt for a middle path called cross-platform development. Technologies like React Native or Flutter allow you to reuse more than 80% of code for both iOS and Android. For the rest, you can resort to platform-specific UI development for a more native look and feel.

[Also Read: Flutter app development cost in India]

Offline Access

These days, apps are embracing offline accessibility to stay ahead of traditional internet-dependent apps. Cloud computing and advanced localized caching allow app users to access certain features and app contents even when internet connectivity is not available. Any offline changes will be updated as soon as the connection is restored. This may involve a little bit of additional cost.

App Features

Finally, the features consume all the development hours for an app project. While the number of features will determine the development cost, sometimes even a few complicated and advanced features may consume a considerable cost. In a step by step guide to creating an app, feature development takes the central place. Though the features represent what your app wants to deliver to the users, you can always start with the key features and add other features based upon user feedback over a while. This can reduce your initial development cost.

App Design Price Per Screen

If you are developing a large app with too many screens, this can substantially add to your app's cost burden. By using fewer number screens, you can easily keep the cost in check. For the first roll-out, only create screens that are elementary for the app's functioning. You can add others later through subsequent updates.

App Architecture & Backend

In-app projects where many data and critical data security measures are involved, complicated backend and app architecture building can consume a considerable cost. Creating a custom backend can be expensive, but it can deliver more controls on backend operation and security. If security concerns are not too grave, you can always opt for more affordable backend as a Service or BaaS solutions that deliver ready-made architecture.

Third-Party APIs

Most apps these days for various value-added features rely upon third-party APIs. From social login features to payment gateways to chatbot features to AI algorithms, you can use third-party APIs for most of these features. Many of these third-party APIs add to the development cost.

UI Design, Graphics, and Animation

Finally, the UI design, graphics, animation, and interactive elements consume a considerable cost. The project will incur a higher development cost with more advanced gestures, interactive features, complex UI elements, and graphics you use. UI design based upon complexity can take 100 hours to 500 hours of the time of the design and development team.

[Also Read: Logistic App Development Cost Guide]

The Cost Estimate of Hiring Developer Resources

For the development cost and budget considerations of any app project, the cost of hiring remote developer resources always takes the central place. Reducing app development costs in India stays ahead of other outsourcing destinations because of the low hourly rates charged by the Indian developers compared to the West. In entire North America and Western Europe, the maiden salary of developers is at least ten times higher than that of Indian developers.

Moreover, because of catering to a market dominated by small businesses and startups, Indian developers have better command of cost-competitive tools and technologies. You can hire full stack developers in India who are most experienced in building an app from start to finish.

Quotation of Web & Mobile App Maintenance

We mostly concentrated on the core development cost and the variable factors related to this. But we should also have a solid understanding of the recurring app maintenance cost. You can opt for flexibly billed multi-cloud hosting services like Amazon AWS, Google Cloud, or Microsoft Azure. Many of these hosting solutions will only bill for the services and bandwidth used by the app.

Another cost component refers to the cost of subsequent mobile and web app updates. Apart from the regular security patches, features, UI/UX improvements, and other value additions can continue to the incremental cost of maintenance and updates. There are also costs of licenses for using certain technologies.

How to be in Absolute Control Over the Software Project Budget?

Now that you have a comprehensive idea of various variable factors for app development cost and budget considerations, you need to consider some tips and measures to keep a check on the development cost. For a complete guide on app development costs in India, we provide here some of the most tried and tested tips.

• First of all, make a detailed and meticulous project requirement document explaining everything. This will help you make a more precise estimate.
• Make two alternative project requirements to compare the pros and cons and their costs. This may work like A/B testing of the requirements against your budget.
• After finalizing the basic project requirements, create an MVP development plan with priority features and UI/UX elements for initial roll-out. The rest is reserved for incremental updates based upon user feedback.
• Lastly, don't compromise on core app features and user experience attributes for the sake of cost. Only after choosing the best development options can you compare their cost.

Conclusion

App development cost in India is lower than in other parts of the globe. Despite this, there is a competitive quest to find more effective ways to lower development costs further. As the app market is extending to small businesses and startups, these cost reduction measures are becoming more important than ever before.