One of the most frequent questions from startup founders is: "How much does it cost to build a mobile app?" The short answer is: between $800 for a validated MVP and $15,000+ for a complex multi-platform ecosystem. Here is how that budget breaks down in reality.
1. Native vs Cross-Platform Cost Comparison
Choosing the right technical foundation can cut your initial launch budget by up to 40%:
- Flutter / React Native (Cross-Platform): Single codebase running on both iOS and Android. Best for 90% of SaaS, marketplaces, and fitness apps. MVP cost: $800 - $2,500.
- Native Swift & Kotlin: Dedicated separate codebases for Apple and Android. Best for high-performance 3D gaming or deep hardware sensor access. MVP cost: $2,500 - $6,000.
2. Cost by Mobile App Complexity Tiers
- Simple Prototype / MVP (3-5 Screens, Auth, Basic API): $800 - $1,800 (1-3 weeks delivery)
- Medium Complexity App (Payments, Push Notifications, Social Feeds): $2,000 - $4,500 (3-6 weeks delivery)
- Enterprise Scale App (Real-time WebSockets, AI Integration, Video Streaming): $5,000 - $12,000+ (2-3 months)