As our long-term practice shows, the cost of mobile application development is a sensitive issue and a key point in negotiations. You must have noticed that the price spectrum for the development of custom mobile solutions is extremely wide and difficult to calculate on your own. In this article, we’ll show what major factors influence the final development costs and introduce the Innowise Group’s cost optimization approach.
Mobile app development is a complex process, which is influenced by numerous factors, from the choice of a platform to the type of monetization. At the same time, mobile app development follows standard processes for custom software engineering. Each development step requires time and specific expertise. Below, you can find typical stages of the software development process based on the Scrum methodology.
It stands to reason that the higher the complexity of the mobile application, the more time engineers spend developing it. Accordingly, the cost of app development also increases. The level of complexity is largely determined by the functions of the application, as well as their number and type. The cost is also directly affected by app compatibility with modern gadgets, including smartwatches, glasses, bracelets, and other wearable devices that are integral parts of everyday reality.
On top of that, you should bear in mind the features based on advanced technologies such as webRTC, AR/VR/MR, blockchain, machine learning, IoT, etc. Even app monetization methods (in-app purchases, freemium, etc.) affect the project’s duration and cost. For instance, if you consider in-app subscriptions, software engineers should think through and implement the logic of updates, cancellations, payment options, etc.
Possible integrations that can affect the cost of mobile app development include:
The crucial issue is the project team’s lineup and expertise level. Each mobile development project needs particular human resources to be involved: mobile developers, QA engineers, project managers, business analysts, UI/UX designers, architects, and possibly others.
One of the most important factors is the deadline. If you are on a tight schedule, you need to expand the team of developers. However, keep in mind that there will be a bit more time required for code review, CI/CD process, and communication.
With each potential client, our company negotiates on a win-win basis. We provide several alternative options for project implementation, offer various cooperation models, and draw up the corresponding price proposals. Thus, business owners have several project implementation roadmaps with all details explained and various cost estimates on the table.
Innowise Group provides IT outsourcing development services and offers multiple cooperation models, including turnkey software development, dedicated teams, and staff augmentation. Outsourcing the mobile development project can significantly reduce the final cost: namely by 10-40% and even more. Such high rates of cost reduction are based on the clear benefits of IT outsourcing: access to extensive expertise, time-saving, flexibility, risk reduction, and more. Besides, the hourly rates of IT specialists in Central Europe compare favorably with the wages of developers in the United States.
With Agile methodologies, it’s more convenient to manage large- and mid-scale development projects, as the whole scope of work is divided into smaller tasks, phases, and modules. Using Agile development practices, Innowise Group’s team leverages crucial benefits to mobile app development, including fast engineering, increased transparency, flexibility, and risk mitigation. This approach allows you to effectively control the project budget, product quality, and team performance. Therefore, Agile models have a positive effect on the final cost of the developed mobile application.
A minimum viable product (MVP) is a launchable prototype of a mobile application empowered with core functionality. The MVP release can help notably reduce software development costs in various ways. For instance, an MVP is an excellent way to impress potential investors in the early stages of development and raise money for further project implementation. According to Innowise Group’s experience, an early MVP release can help identify fundamental flaws and fix them as well as attract the target audience and get feedback from it.
The key factors that influence the cost of mobile app development include development type (cross-platform or native), project complexity, required integrations, and project team. With these aspects in mind, you can better understand the perfect way to develop and release your mobile application. If you need to get an accurate estimation for your mobile app development, feel free to turn to Innowise Group’s team.
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