Being a professional iPhone app developer, one of the most common questions people asked me is “How much does it cost to develop an iPhone app?” But do you know that giving a right answer to this question is not easy without discussing the requirements of the project?
by Arum Som
A developer can’t provide an exact cost of developing an application without any detailed information about the application like the type of the app, features & functionalities to include, the number of screens to develop, detailed information on the app, etc.
Apart from this, the cost is depends on the looks and feels of the application as these two things also can also make a huge difference in the cost and time that needed to develop an app. If you are also looking forward to developing an iPhone application for your business and want to know the approximate cost of developing, this post can give you an idea of how much you need to raise to develop your iPhone app idea.
Different Types of iPhone Applications That You Want
- Simple Table-based Apps
If you want to develop a simple table-based application, it usually cost $1000-3000; however, it is necessary for you to provide all the content, clear direction and example applications of what you want it to do.
In case, if you are familiar with Photoshop, you can supply the graphics that will keep this project at $1500. Some of the extra amounts are when you want to GPS locators, Social media integration or bells like that.
- Database Apps
When it comes to a Database application, it is one such type of app that mainly stores the data and information on the users’ device or on a remote server. And it is quite complex than simple table-based apps.
However, the database apps also enable your users to register or sync their data or information between different devices, safe lists, sign-in etc. Generally, such types of cost between $5,000 and $30,000.
- Gaming Apps
Developing gaming applications have the huge complexity, starting with something as simple as a PONG type of functionality all the way up to 3D physics engine that does high-speed air racing. There is a huge demand for all types of gaming applications like Pokemon Go, a simple snake game to angry birds. Developing gaming apps can cost from $7,000 to $200,000.
- Top-Shelf Apps
An application that is entering an existing market like RSS reader or photo editing app needs to be unique and high quality to compete with the already existing apps. Generally, such apps require extensive UI design, lengthy rounds of usability testing, and graphics work.
Before you begin to approach the needed level of polish, you should go through different iterations of development and testing & rework. Some of the other applications that come under this price range would be one with complex custom cloud services.
In such cases, you should go with developing a complete, fully-featured cloud application like database/file storage, web service interface, back office administration tools, and iPhone app. However, the most common cited example of app development cost in this category would be Stack Overflow answer from one of the developers of Twitteriffic. It usually cost $100-$200K+.
Features & Functionalities That You May Want to Include
If you are estimating the cost of your iPhone app idea, it is highly essential that you consider the below-given features and functionalities that you might want to include. These features and functionalities can vary the cost of iPhone application:
In-app Purchase:
In-app purchase functionality enables your users to purchase new content or full versions of the app. Integration into an interface and methodologies. You can consider it as a quite complex functionality as in-app purchase needs various tasks to perform to implement it. Usually, this feature costs from $500 to $1500 to you.
Web Services:
Web services have taken the content to a remote access point, allowing you to update your application with XML files rather than raw code changes. However, the degree that you need varies; however, it is recommended to have such conversations with your developer before you get too deep. It can save your huge time and headache. This feature can cost you between $500 to $1000.
Game Center:
Apple has done a wonderful job by making this integration easy with the SDK. You can integrate it easily if you keep the numbers clean and spotless.
Share Capabilities:
Share capabilities are mainly for social media and emailing like Facebook and Twitter; however, there can be some other integrations too. For example, WordPress websites can be counted as one. There are various other options and platforms have interactive APIs to make it work wonderfully. The feature costs you approximately $500 to $1500.
Hardware Components:
Today, the latest and expensive smartphones are built with different hardware components like NFC, gyroscopes, Bluetooth, GPS, accelerometers, heart rate sensors, barometers and more. The hardware set also varies on the device type and manufacturer. It also affects the cost of developing an application.
So, these are some of the points that can affect the cost of developing an iPhone application. If you are also estimating the cost, you should consider these points in your mind and then evaluate the cost. In case, if you wanted to get an advice from experienced developers about your idea, you can contact a professional iPhone app development company that has a team of skilled iPhone app developers to discuss your requirements.
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