Average App Development Cost Per Hour

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The average app development cost per hour will vary depending on location, complexity, and industry. It will also depend on how much of the work goes to an external team and how much the entrepreneur handles by themselves.

Business Analysis

App development begins with a market research process to determine a gap to be filled. A business analysis process will establish the profitability of such an opportunity. This will involve writing down the specific monetization strategy. If an external business analyst is hired, they could charge anywhere between $30 to $60 per hour depending on their experience and location too. Analysts in the biggest cities will charge more due to the higher cost of living there.

The process could take even a month. The output will be a clear definition of the app’s features, a projection of costs, identify project gaps, and develop the metrics for success.

App Developer Costs

The bulk of an app’s costs, however, will go towards paying the development team. Depending on the nature and complexity of the app, coding the user interface and the back-end functionality could take anywhere between one month and six months. The number of hours depends on the app’s core functionalities. For instance, app log-in and sign-on features might be billed as 15 hours. Video streaming, push notifications, product catalogs, maps and navigations, and forms are other examples of features that rack up developer hours.

The development cost can vary significantly depending on the team you decide to work with. Working with a freelancer might be cheaper than working with a full-fledged software development agency. The location of your team also matters. Software engineers in North America earn several times more than developers in Asia, which is a major source of engineering talent today. While software engineers in the USA and Canada earn over $100 an hour, those in Asia average about $25 an hour. In Europe, they earn about $70 an hour.

App Platforms

Your app development costs per hour also depend on the platforms where your app will work. Most apps today, however, have an Android and iOS version. Developers who can develop apps for both environments will charge a higher rate on average. The nature of the app is also quite important. Web apps are cheaper to build than native apps because the latter require use of environment-specific coding languages.

Other App Development Costs

 Besides the developers, you might have other people on board during the development process. A project manager will help track deadlines and act as a liaison between the development team and your business. A project manager in North America earns at least $60 an hour. A UI/UX designer will help review the user friendliness and look of the app. A quality assurance professional can help review the final product against project deliverables. They could charge you $30 to $60 depending on their seniority.

To determine the average app development cost per hour for your app, it’s best to first find out the number of professionals you will need. They will give you an hourly rate and a specific number of hours needed to fulfill their scope of work. Working with a team outside North America might help lower down the average development cost per hour.

 

How Much Does it Cost to Make an App?

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Spoiler: Want to know what your app idea will cost? Use our Mobile App Cost Calculator

The rising internet penetration rates and increasing mobile phone ownership have accelerated the adoption of mobile applications for personal and business reasons. According to trusted sources, the global internet penetration rate is 59.5%, with Northern Europe ranking first with a 97% internet penetration rate. Additional statistics show that the current number of cell phone users is 6.37 billion, meaning that 80.69% of the world’s population owns a mobile phone.

So, with rising phone ownership and internet penetration rates, mobile applications are finding new users on personal and business fronts. For instance, individuals are using applications for communication, networking, and work-related purposes. Mobile applications like Slack and Messenger provide enhanced communication capabilities. While LinkedIn, Indeed, and Zip Recruiter are classic applications to connect with professionals and experts in diverse fields.

Therefore, with these trends, most people, mostly brand managers and enterprises are exploring opportunities for app development. One of the most important questions by individuals and enterprises is how much it costs to make a mobile app.

In this post, we take a long journey in exploring the mobile app development costs. This exploration will help you make informed decisions when choosing your next mobile app developer.

How Much Does It Cost to Create an App?

Many factors influence the cost of a mobile app development project, and depending on the complexity of the app, at $40 per hour, the average cost of mobile app development will be:

  • Simple app development cost – $40,000 to $60,000
  • Average app development cost – $60,000 to $150,000
  • Complex app development cost – $300,000

The cost of developing a mobile app ranges from $10,000 to $150,000 and depends on app complexity. 

App type Estimate cost Time
Simple app development $40,000 – $60,000 2-3 months
Basic app development $60,000 – $150,000 3-6 months
Complex app development From $300,000 9+ months

Therefore, the answer to how much it costs to develop a mobile app can quickly go overboard, depending on the app features and functionalities. Luckily, there are several options to get a rough estimate of your mobile app development project. The most reliable one is to contact an established mobile app developer. But you can also leverage an app cost calculator.

If you send a formal request to a development studio to estimate the typical cost range of custom mobile app development without the terms of reference and proper documentation, the cost will most likely be approximate. In contrast, a cost calculator needs to capture a wide range of mobile app development services and the required time.

The main factors considered in a mobile app development project include:

  • Design complexity and number of supported screens
  • Development process
  • Quality assurance
  • Number of features and functions
  • Feature complexity
  • Database complexity
  • The complexity of third-party configurations
  • Implementation of security protocols such as HIPAA and GDPR
  • Size, level, and expertise of the development team

At NS804, to determine the cost of a mobile app, we follow and adhere to an iterative estimation process. To get a clear idea of the cost of mobile app development, let’s examine the world’s app development statistics.

Mobile App Development Cost Statistics

The world’s mobile app development market determines the popularity of mobile apps and the cost of development. The total number of apps available for free download in the App Store is over 6 million.

Statistics detail the mobile app development market. Below, you can find some vital figures based on different methodologies and different sources.

  • On average, 100,000 new apps are released by Google Play every month, and 30,000 on the Apple App Store.
  • Free mobile applications dominate the mobile app market. The most effective pricing strategy for open-source mobile applications is free and freemium. For instance, free utilities account for 92% of the total applications.
  • The mobile app development market is expected to grow more than 19% by 2026 and the market is expected to reach $407.31 billion by 2026.
  • The mobile app industry revenue reached $580 billion in 2020. If this pattern does not trend, the industry will reach $1 trillion in 2023.
  • People spend approximately 90% of their time on apps. Soon, people will use their phones 4 hours a day, and 90% of this time will be for activity in the applications.

The cost of mobile app development depends on the primary function of the app and the features it encompasses, with several factors influencing the cost of mobile app development. Below we take a look at several factors that affect the pricing of mobile app development.

Factors that affect mobile app development cost

Before developing a mobile application, you need to determine and analyze your business goals and target audience, understand how to develop the app, and choose a coding platform.

The screens, buttons, and other elements make the mobile app engaging, unique, convenient – but each additional piece affects the overall app budget.

Therefore, it’s essential to pre-develop a prototype and think over the functionality to the smallest details. This investigation of functionality in their smallest details influences a range of factors that affect the price.

How much it costs to develop a mobile app depends on three things:

  • Design and structure
  • App complexity levels
  • The platform on which the application will run
  1. The complexity level of the mobile app development

The smaller and simpler the application, the less time you will need to develop it. When it comes to timing the application development, you need to estimate the scale of the upcoming work.

How many features will be integrated with this product? How many buttons, screens, and functions will it have? How complex will the business logic of the application be?

The complexity levels of the mobile app depend wholly on the features and integrations you select and how to get an application approved.

Types of applications and their complexity levels

  • Simple apps. These apps are created without any added benefits. You will only have essential features with low-tech screens and all the necessary user interface UI solutions.
  • Mid-level apps. Have a lot more complicated features and functionalities to offer. You can access integration with the application programming interface API, more screens, and a custom user interface. You also access features like real-time messaging.
  • Complex apps. These are apps with embedded multi functionalities. You can get complicated and advanced features like real-time synchronization. You also access additional capabilities such as media processing, chatbot, UI animation, and many more.

A simple app has the least complexity because it entails only a few features, an example is a calendar app. A middle app has an average level of complexity with a few roles, data use, and API. An example of a middle app is the EHR platform. A complex app consists of many roles and complex technological solutions; an example is a telehealth mobile app.

  1. The complexity of the application design

Progressing on how much it costs to develop a mobile app, we have delved into the app design stage. The design stage is considered an integral part of the app development process. You cannot separate the two in determining the cost of mobile app development. Designing is much more like the development part, only that you add more features and the cost rises dramatically.

Similarly, in design, when you decide to use more features, templates, and functionalities, the cost estimate will be restrictive but more customizations mean more time and higher costs. When examining the complexity of the app design, there are several features to look at:

  • User experience
  • User interface and user visuals
  • Branding
  • UX writing
  1. The platform on which the app will run

By knowing how much it costs to develop a mobile app depending on design and complexity, it’s time to consider the platform. In determining the platform, you need to consider two things:

  • Design hybrid or cross-platform application. Hybrid here means that the application will run on either android or IOS devices. It is helpful to know your target audience and identify the cost of either IOS app or android applications. Cross-platform applications provide the benefit of smooth operation, easy-fit, and can use platform-specific features. This helps create a better experience and lowers the “how much it cost” questions about app development. The cost of developing a native app is cheaper than the hybrid app for obvious reasons; you require double efforts and double human resources to build two apps simultaneously.
  • Develop a native app. The second option is to develop a native app. In contrast to a hybrid app, a native app runs on a single platform: IOS or android. Thus, if you want to build an app for both android or IOS using native frameworks, you will need to hire two development teams. One team creates an Android version and the other an IOS version. Since you will need to hire different teams for different applications, the cost will certainly double.

Hidden App Development Costs

There are some hidden app development costs that you need to know about. Precisely, a few additional costs add to the final quotation of how much it costs to create an effective mobile app:

  • Functional costs. These are fees to third-party integrations. For instance, SMS and push notifications, payment getaways, and geolocations.
  • Administration costs. These costs denote management costs such as content manager salaries and content development costs.
  • Infrastructural costs. These refer to the payment for servers, integrations like Redis and CDN.
  • Support costs. These are additional costs to fix a bug, upgrade or update an application, and make future improvements.

Looking at the details, for example, it costs $75,000 to develop a mobile application. Depending on the load and the number of integrations, it can cost anywhere from $5000 to $20000 per year. Maintaining the application would cost 20% per year of the original app development cost which is $15000. The app marketing costs will range from 50% to 100% per year of the app development costs, that’s $75,000 to $150,000.

What are your options when it comes to mobile app development?

The final point to consider in how much it costs to build a mobile app is the team of technicians you choose. The assumption that the kind of environment one adopts does not matter is an invalid one.

On the contrary, choosing the right team of experts has several advantages. One of them is higher quality projects and lower costs. As a start-up or a mid-level enterprise, the need for a unique product is imperative, but the budget is low.

Therefore, if you want the best bang for your bucks, select the right team. The choice of a team will significantly impact how much it costs to create a mobile. Having the right team will drive down the cost of mobile app development. But the wrong team can be a financial drain, draining your business’s money and your employees’ time.

One tip: Always keep three things in mind when hiring developers for your mobile app solution.

  • Focus exclusively on the product
  • Do not mess up with the design
  • Constant outreach and marketing

Below is a description of each item with more detail and depth.

Option 1 – Hiring a local agency

You can always select a medium-sized enterprise that provides customized mobile app development solutions, including SEO optimization.

  • Cost criteria – To develop the app, the development costs by the local company will be higher. Depending on the nation you are starting your start-up in, the per-hour rates of development for a development team or a local studio range from $150 to $200 per hour per specialist.

There are specific pros and cons to hiring a local development team. There’s no doubt that if you hire a local development team, you can always maintain constant communication. In addition, you will access expert quality and the ability to schedule regular checks and improvements. Lastly, a local development team is responsible and accountable for the project from inception to completion.

To access these specialized services of a local development team, you should be ready to spend $40,000 on average. However, this price quotation is bereft of the edits, maintenance, copywriting, and market analysis. If you run a cost-benefit analysis, you will realize that this option is not worth it. For complicated projects, there’s yet another option.

Option 2 – Building an in-house team

An internal app development team is most suitable for middle-level companies where a full-time IT team can handle the support and development of internal information systems.

  • Cost criteria – If you’re someone who wants full communication, transparency, and a trustworthy solution, hire an in-house development team. However, if you ask how much it costs to develop a mobile app using an in-house development team, the answer is shocking. Here, the cost is even higher than delegating the project to a local development team.

Below is a quick breakdown of the basic costs.

  • Full stack developer – $100,000 per year
  • Designer – $85,000 per year
  • IOS or Android developer – $80,000 per year

However, if the developers work for equity from the onset, the founder could save a significant budget. So, in total, the in-house costs and the maintenance costs are twice as much as hiring a local development agency.

Luckily, one of the benefits of hiring an in-house development team is the constant flow of new ideas. The communication is super smooth, and everyone in the team will be fully engaged and dedicated. With this solution, however, all costs come to your shoulders. Quality, responsibility, budget, and employee welfare are in your hands. With this solution, you are looking up at an extra cost for mobile app development.

Should you go with this option? Well, as a start-up, hiring a team also means finding space to accommodate them. If not, you may want to save up some space for the server and other critical IT infrastructure. So, if you don’t want to get a shocking answer to how much an in-house team can cost, it’s better to consider yet another option.

Option 3 – Work with freelancer developers

If you quickly want to test a hypothesis or try out a small project, work with freelancers. If you choose to work with freelancers, you will need more time to communicate with project managers and contractors.

  • Cost criteria. There are two ways you can get ahead with freelancers. First, you can hire them on a contractual basis, and secondly, you can hire them on an hourly basis. In addition, there are plenty of platforms to find freelancers. Websites like People Per Hour, Freelancer, Upwork, and Fiverr are a few examples.

The hourly rate of a freelancer again depends on which country you are hiring your expert in.

  • United States – $50 per hour
  • Asia – $25 per hour
  • Ukraine – $25 per hour
  • Latin America – $20 per hour

These are the starting rates, and they can hike depending on the experience and expertise of specific freelancers.

Just like other options, there are pros and cons to working with freelancer developers. Hiring a freelancer is not a problem. However, ensuring that the freelancer helps you from the project concept initiation to product completion, and adheres to your specifications can be a problem.

So, we cannot advise going the freelancing way unless and until you have the energy and time to monitor the freelancers continually.

Option 4 – Outsourcing app development

If you have a complex and large-scale project with multiple stages and you’re ready to spend money on the app, it’s easier and more efficient to outsource the mobile app development by outsourcing a mobile app development company.

  • Cost criteria. Countries like Ukraine, Japan, China, and other Asian destinations provide adept design and development teams. These nations ensure a high-quality project and creativity. It boils down to the cost of mobile app development that differs from one country to another. In Ukraine, for example, you will get a local development agency for as low as $30/hour. No freelancers or app development companies charge exorbitant or predatory pricing for app development.

 

There are also pros and cons to outsourcing mobile app development. Outsourcing is a classic option to build a minimum viable product MVP for yourself or your start-up at reasonable prices and with minimal risks. Getting your hands on an excellent agency from another country will earn you a multitude of benefits:

  • Cost-effectiveness
  • High quality
  • Break-free communication
  • Adherence to operating guidelines and compliance requirements
  • No hiccups or fuss
  • Responsible team
  • Accountability
  • Timely delivery

So, besides the low mobile app development cost, you are also getting access to an innovative, functional product.

Should you go for the outsourcing option? Yes, absolutely! Outsourcing app development to a trusted agency will reduce the mobile app development costs. However, before choosing a trusted agency, make sure you leave no stone unturned. Check everything and talk to the app development team. Make sure to check their case studies, past experiences, and references.

In general, the cost of outsourcing a mobile app development project can vary from $30,000 to $50,000. As mentioned above, it all depends on the minimum viable product, operating system, type of app, tools, software, UI/UX design, and applicable features.

What to consider in your mobile app development?

When it comes to mobile app development, you have to consider and analyze several things, including.

  • Project management. Determine the project manager who can design and knit together different stages of the project lifecycle.
  • Business analysis. Analyze your business goals and tie them together in the project development process.
  • Development process. You need to examine the development process from backend to frontend.
  • UX/UI design. Provide an intuitive and interactive user interface to enhance the app’s user experience.
  • App testing. App testing is a critical part of the app development process. After testing, you can identify opportunities to optimize your development process.
  • Deployment. It’s crucial to determine how the app will be deployed, and the necessary deployment requirements and evaluation procedures.
  • App maintenance. The app has to be maintained regularly to detect any upcoming technical issues and adjust to emerging or growing market dynamics.

NS804 – Your Number One Mobile App Developer

NS804 is a trusted mobile app developer with years of experience in mobile (IOS and Android) app development. NS804 ensures that you get the best from your mobile app development, with a customized cost calculator and unmatched expertise in product development.

Contact NS804 to know how much it costs to create your mobile app.

Understanding App Development Cost in 2021 [Full Guide]

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How much does it cost to develop an app from scratch? Perhaps this is the first question that application brands and app ambassadors ask when launching an app development project. Indeed, the app development cost sits at the very bottom of any mobile application development project. Quite often, a business owner finds himself asking this question – how much does it cost to create an app myself, and how much does it cost to hire a professional agency.

Both approaches have their advantages and disadvantages. So, to cast an eye on how each impacts an app development costs, let’s review the two.

After several years, an app development agency or company develops industry experience on mobile app development for multiple platforms. This industry experience enables them to overcome several bottlenecks especially when app projects become sophisticated, involving machine learning, artificial intelligence, the internet of things IoT – and other advanced mobile technologies.

Being smart, app development enterprises learn from the mistakes that occur in mobile app development projects. Working with such an experienced team saves you a lot of time and protects you from repeating the same mistakes. In addition, app development is a multi-stage process involving careful planning and an appropriate timeline.

If you choose to design your app in-house, you cut on the app development cost, at least initially. However, in the long-term, going through a bug fixing caused by a lack of experience may lead to costs amounting to the price tag of an app development agency. Therefore, in-house app development is less costly in the short term but costly in the long term. This is due to the lack of specialty and experience by in-house development teams.

How Much Does It Cost to Create an App?

Well, how much precisely may an app development project cost you? The typical price of designing an application of good quality ranges from $60,000 to $300,000 per platform. Without a doubt, factors like app number, app type, functionality, complexity, and app design drive developers to influence the app price, sometimes to $40 per hour.

  • Simple app development costs. The simple app starts from $60,000 for each platform (e.g. Camera, calculators, photos etc.)
  • Basic app price. The basic app starts from $50,000 to $100,000 per platform (e.g. MacDonald’s Loyalty)
  • Complex, multi-feature app type. The complex app starts from $200,000 (e.g. Uber, Facebook, Instagram).

The app development timelines range from 2-4 months for a simple app, 4-6 months for an app with a basic feature set, and 9-months for a complex app which is considered an ongoing project of immense complexity. Luckily, our software development firm provides an app development calculator that gives you several options to select from and provides a cost estimate of your app.

Benefits of the App Cost Calculator

With our calculator, you will be able to:

  • Effectively track and manage your app development budget
  • Reduce app costs by providing a detailed cost breakdown
  • Pay attention to mobile app cost drivers upfront

Benchmarks of App Development Costs

It makes much sense to launch a mobile app these days because a majority of the population uses apps for their day-to-day activities. Statistics show that 90% of the time on mobile is spent on apps. Messaging and social apps consume 12% of time spent on mobile, YouTube takes 3% of our time on mobile phones, and entertainment apps take approximately 17% of our time. Additionally, gaming is accountable for 15% and utilities 8% of the time spent on mobile.

The most reliable and accurate app development studies provided the following breakdown and quotations of app development costs and their respective timelines:

  • The median app development cost is around $170,400 (at a rate of $150/hour), representing 1145 development hours. According to the 2015 Clutch Survey, this margin could even increase to $727,150 in case of complex app functionality implementation.
  • The average minimum app development project is between $5000 and $10,000. But the typical cost of an app is likely to be higher than this according to a 2017 Clutch Survey.
  • The enterprise mobile app development cost is an average of $150,000 based on the VDC 2017 research.
  • The available app cost calculators quote an average of $267,000 to $350,000 for sophisticated, multi-feature apps.
  • Looking at the app development timeline, 80% of apps take 3+ months to develop; 40% of apps are built-in 6+ months according to the Outsystems Survey.

App Development Cost Drivers

Essentially, your app idea, combined with your functional and business necessities, influences your app development costs. However, the most influential factors that determine the final cost of your app include:

  • Vendor type
  • Vendor location
  • Complexity and number of basic app features
  • Back-end infrastructure and any interconnected application interface APIs
  • The complexity of UI/UX design
  • Inclusion of extra branded visual elements
  • Development approach (mobile web, native, hybrid, etc).
  • The number of platforms to be created or developed (web, android, iOS).

How Much It Cost to Build an App in 2021? The Question Remains

Our question is still open: how much does it cost to create an app in 2021? The key finding shows that the cost of an average app ranges from just $10,000 to $400,000 based on up-to-date industry surveys. Our team has also created a detailed investigation on the cost of app development that lists estimates based on design complexity, widely used app features, and software development stages.

Therefore, our findings support the initial finding regarding the cost of developing an app in 2021. An application with a core set of features costs upwards of $60,000, while a sophisticated app development project costs approximately $300,000. The breakdown below provides a range of costs and timelines for app development.

  • Basic app. A basic app with a core feature set and one platform costs between $60,000 and $150,000 with a development timeline of 2-5 months.
  • Full product. A full product app with a basic feature set, a complex design, and one operating platform costs from $150,000 to $300,000; and has a design timeline of 5-10 months.
  • Large apps. A large app with a complex design, integrated support, and development and features more than one platform (android, web, or iOS) costs from $250,000 and takes a timeframe of 9+ months ongoing.

How is an App Development Cost Estimated?

The main app cost driver is the feature. A feature is a special task or activity which an app should perform and give the expected results. The feature can be a sign-up button on the screen or a more sophisticated aspect like music synchronization or video-streaming integration. The number of features and the complexity of design and implementation directly determine the cost of app development. Thus, the formula used to calculate the cost of an app is provided below:

Total Development Time × Hourly Rate = Cost

Before the app development project begins, the software developers usually provide you with a rough mobile app development estimate. This initial quotation is based on the project description, technical specifications, and business requirements. Finally, this information is collected, compiled, and concluded in a preliminary list of product features.

Usually, companies usually estimate your app development cost using primary drivers:

  • Concepts. This represent a sum of features to be accomplished
  • Stories. List all the features necessary to make a particular concept
  • Story points. Show the app development’s complexity and pace

So, are you ready to start your app development project? Do not worry, contact NS804 for any inquiries and get a free quotation and additional product details about your next app development project.

How to Create a Social Media App & How Much It Costs

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Social media apps have changed how we convey information and communicate with each other. Now more than ever, people spend much time online, scrolling news feeds on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. That is not to mention other social media apps that target a specific niche of users and can even motivate users to develop something similar.

The popularity of most social media apps is the freedom they extend to users. Users can share their thoughts, dreams, goals, and achievements with the whole world. Therefore, that is precisely why the social media app development market is one of the leading trends in IT today. People want to exchange ideas, share, and chat with other like-minded users.

So, if you want to know how to create a social media app, continue reading this post.

Types of Social Media Apps

If you’re thinking of starting a social media app, it’s first important to know what type of social media your idea belongs to. First, you need to define your target audience, identify competitors, and offer your targeted users more appropriate functionality in their overall user experience.

Let’s define the specific types of social media apps:

1. Social Networks

The primary aim of this type is to connect people with shared interests and who pursue different goals. For example, LinkedIn helps users find professional opportunities and build professional connections. Facebook offers a lot of thematic groups and more than 2 billion users to connect and befriend.

 

2. Media Sharing Networks

From its name, you can tell that these networks allow users to share different content. Users can share live videos, photos, and images. These days, the margin between social networks and media sharing networks is narrowing because such apps as Facebook are allowing users to share live videos and images.

 

3. Discussion Forums

These social media networks are gaining popularity because they allow users to learn from experts and share opinions on different topics. For example, discussion forums allow users to find the right information on specific topics. In addition, it’s possible to start a discussion, ask questions, and get responses from experts and knowledgeable users. The leading discussion forums include Quora and Reddit.

 

4. Consumer Review Networks

The primary objective of these social networking sites is to let users share reviews, opinions, and thoughts about products, locations, services, brands, and more. Consumer review networks can bring customers to the brand in case of positive reviews. In addition, company owners and stakeholders can get genuine client feedback and improve their products. Examples; Yelp and TripAdvisor.

 

5. Content Sharing Networks

Also called bookmarking apps, content sharing networks allow users to save and organize links to various online resources or websites. Users can save links in different folders according to topics. These platforms host more exciting features. For instance, Pinterest lets users upload their photos. In other content-sharing networks, users can download pictures they like. Most users choose these content-sharing networks to look through creative images and draw inspiration. Examples include Flipboard and Pinterest.

 

6. Blogging and Publishing Networks

Blogging is not as easy as it sounds. First, you must possess creative writing skills to keep your users engaged on a topic. Bloggers need applications that will enable them to pen their ideas from any device. It’s generally not difficult for you to build a social media app like this. YouTube and Facebook are the market leaders in this domain. But over the last few years, several other platforms have gained popularity like WhatsApp, Wix, Bubble, Squarespace, Microsoft Expression Web, and Medium.

Social Media App Development Cost

There are many websites offering clones of the Instagram app. These are templates with a few options for customization. So, it can be tempting to choose one of these and try to save money. However, utilizing them can breach privacy and security. In addition, you will still be required to develop a backend.

The truth is that a social media application development from scratch stands out because of its compelling brand, design, and functionality. But just like any other functional application, it takes time and money to develop. So, how long does it take, and how much will it cost you?

Let’s take a closer look.

Social Media App Development Timeframe

The one-platform version of a social media app may take upwards of 2000 hours to develop, including UI and UX design, app development (client-side and server-side), and accompanying activities like deployment, testing, and project management. In addition, if you want to create a promotional landing page for your app, it may require another 100-200 hours.

Social Media App Development Costs

The cost of a social media app depends on how much you choose to pay your developers. You usually have three main options as outlined below:

  • Freelancers – From $15 per hour.
  • In-house development team – From $90 per hour.
  • Outsourced development team – From $50 per hour.

The problem with freelancers is the difficulty and necessity to coordinate their efforts and the possible lack of expertise which is especially difficult to notice if you’re unaware of the complexities and intricacies of web development. On the other hand, hiring a local development team is way too expensive – it means spending far too much on simple fixtures.

Therefore, the way to go is to outsource a development team. The outsourcing option is a great way to tap into the expertise of a local in-house development team at just a fraction of the cost. For an Instagram-like social media application, you can take the below rough calculations:

Application development: Android/IOS – $25,000

Client-side app development – $13,000

Server-side app development – $25,000

UX/UI design – $9,000

Total Cost: $72,000

Social Media App Features and Their Costs

So, to calculate the cost of a social media app, you need to consider the required features since they affect the cost significantly. In addition, these features must perfectly fulfill the expectations of your target users and seek to solve their problems. There are two main features you must consider: the minimum viable product MVP and advanced features.

Must-have or minimum viable product features stand for basic functionality to satisfy users’ needs and offer them the appropriate user experience. It’s common for developers to launch the MVP version of the social media app, then gain feedback before investing more money in the idea itself. The MVP allows understanding what specific features need improvement. It’s only after this basic understanding that you can add more features.

Basic MVP Features to Build a Social Media App

With an MVP, you have better chances to get investments since a working app earns more trust from stakeholders. To give you a hint, we’ve singled out some MVP features.

  • Search
  • User profile
  • Sign-up feature
  • Chat
  • Newsfeed
  • Push notifications
  • Add post

Advanced Features

  • AR filters
  • Editing
  • Location-based content
  • Post-release marketing

Social Media App Development Trends

Social media is changeable. New app designs come and go. Therefore, the following elements can prove to be a game-changer in the coming years and something to add to your next social media app development project.

  • Interactive content. 91% of social media users are striving for interactive media content. Key aspects of interactive content include 360-degree video, AR/VR, games, quizzes, and many more.
  • Video content. Video is one of the most interactive content forms, and it’s gaining more popularity. Whether it’s short videos like on TikTok and Instagram Live or long videos like on YouTube, the social media video apps are defining the future.
  • Social commerce. Social commerce is becoming the primary way of retailing, whether online or offline. Shortly, this trend will intensify with the advent of an increasing number of social networks offering new sales features.
  • Leveraging social networks to serve customers. This change took place slowly as brands began noticing customers were contacting them through social networks. It’s simply the easiest way to get in touch with some social media users.

Contact NS804 for more inquiries about social media app development costs.

How Much Does it Cost to Make a Restaurant App

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Making an app for a restaurant unlocks numerous opportunities. The average person spends more than 4 hours each day on their phone. Having your app installed on their phone increases the number of times they will interact with your brand. On the app, you can send customers push notifications for offers, new items on the menus, and other important communication. The app will also enable them to place orders, even when in other cities where your brand is available. Customers can also give honest feedback about their experiences with your brand. Though daunting, investing in a restaurant app can help create a legion of loyal clients. 

If you are thinking of investing in an app, here is a breakdown of how much it is likely to cost you. 

Hiring the Right Development Team

The biggest determinant of your restaurant app development costs will be the location of the team you pick. Hiring a software developer in North America will cost upwards of $105 an hour. The project could take 3 months to complete, test, and launch. Hiring a software developer in Europe costs about $75 an hour, while one in India could cost $25 an hour. The difference is quite staggering. Taking time to find an experienced development team outside North America could slash your costs by more than 50%.

The Features

The number and complexity of the features on the restaurant app will affect the timeframe of the project, hence the costs. In an agile development approach, the development team will charge an hourly rate, then bill a certain number of hours for each feature.

A simple restaurant app will have a menu. The menu must have the proper product descriptions, quality images, and categorization. It could also allow users to customize their orders. In that case, it has to be responsive so that users see how customization affects their order total. The app should obviously allow online ordering instead of having to call in for delivery. A payment process integration is also a basic requirement. Most apps have online banking, Apple Pay, and PayPal payment options. 

If your restaurant hosts eat-in clients, the app could allow people to book tables to save on waiting time when they come in. Push notifications are also a basic requirement for marketing reasons nowadays. Such a basic app could take 3 to 4 months to build until completion. Assuming 4 months or 16 weeks of work, it could cost around $64000 when working with a developer in North America. If working with a team in Asia, the cost could reduce to around $20000.

More Complex Apps

More complex apps have more advanced features that rack up development time and costs. For instance, being able to track the status of an order is a complex feature. Having non-conventional payment methods, such as accepting cryptocurrencies is another feature on quite several new restaurant apps. Most apps will have a customer interface as well as the backend where orders are accepted, and progress updated. However, it is possible to have an interface for waiters where they can see the tables they should serve, the status of a customer’s bill and so on.

Making the Right Choice

Before beginning the development purpose, it’s important to have a rough figure of the amount of money you are willing to put into the app. You can consult with a software development project manager to help you put together a team that can deliver your app within the budget. There are a lot of talented developers out there, however, you will need the help of a project manager to identify the team and track the project to completion. 

To find out more on developing your restaurant app, check out NS804 service offerings. 

How Much Does it Cost to Make an App for Your Business in 2021?

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Despite being more than 10 years old, both Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store continue to see a daily increase in apps. More than 300 business apps launch in both of these stores. It shows that people are still investing in apps to reap the more than $139 billion customers are spending annually on and in apps.

However, the first question in investors’ and business managers’ minds is how much it will cost to build an app. Depending on where you look, you are likely to get figures ranging from $5000 to hundreds of thousands. Such a range is not helpful. A better approach would be to understand what really affects the cost of building business apps.

What Affects the Costs of Building an App?

The two biggest variables that affect the cost of making an app are the cost of labor per hour and the number of hours used. The number of hours depends on the complexity of the app, which we shall look at in some detail. The cost of labor depends on the location of the team you are going to hire.

According to Accelerance, hiring a junior developer in the US could cost $105 to $111 an hour. In Latin America, it would cost $35 to $44 while in Asia, it could be as low as $18-$24. The same variance is seen in other roles as well. Your project might need a business analyst, a graphic designer, a lead developer, and a project manager.

Businesses that use offshore development teams can spend up to six times less on labor compared to one that uses a team in North America.

The hours variable depends on how much time goes into business analysis, UI/UX design, project management, and functionality coding or development. You might also want to compare using an agency or a freelance team with a project manager.

Business Analysis phase

Any app idea has to undergo scrutiny from a business analyst. The analyst asks questions to ensure all the core and non-core features are well captured in the documentation. They also compare those features with existing apps in the market to understand what differentiates the idea. They can also help decide on the best technology stack for an app. The analysts remain a core part of the project to ensure development best practices are followed throughout. Their job is to help create a quote or a clear brief for your development team.

At least a tenth of the business’ app budget should be set aside for this phase.

Creating Clickable Prototypes

The next phase after business analysis is prototyping. It helps you go through the app’s UX before actual coding begins. Your development team is likely to use tools such as Adobe XD and Invision to do this. A further 10-15% of your budget will go to this phase.

A way to reduce the time spent in this phase would be to provide screenshots of apps you like to the development team. This helps them understand more quickly what you would like.

Coding of the App’s architecture and Functionality

A bulk of your budget will go into hiring the core development team to code the functionality and architecture of your app. At the minimum, you will need a mobile developer, a UI/UX designer, a project manager, and a quality assurance engineer. Having a team take on their specific roles simultaneously shortens the time to market for your app.

The team you choose to work with should agree to an agile development approach. The project manager should involve you in weekly meetings with the team to check on deliverables. The project manager should be your point of contact and they should always communicate in a timely manner. The development phase takes around 60% of the total costs.

Extra Features That Might Affect Cost

Requesting extra features on your app directly impacts the total development costs. However, some of these features might be necessary for a business to have a ‘Minimum Viable Product’ based on the market you are targeting.

A good example would be optimizing the User Interface of your app for tablets. Many apps do not support tablets due to the high cost of optimization. However, if a tablet version will help add extra features or your app is so popular that a tablet version is inevitable, then you must budget for such optimization.

During the business analysis phase, you must decide on the oldest Mobile Operating systems you will support. More than 18% of Android Users are still using Android 6.0 Marshmallow or an older operating system. More than 15% of iOS users are using i0S 12.4 or older. The older versions your app will support, the steeper your development costs will be. On the upside though, you will cater to a larger demographic of potential users. If your app is really for a niche sophisticated market, you might not have to worry about this.

Including an offline mode for your app is also likely to rack up the development costs. The developers must design a way to sync app data with servers and this might cost anywhere between $8000 and $12000 more. If the app will have push notifications to increase user engagement, more hours will be added to the development phase. Other features to consider would be analytics, payments integration, in-app messaging, and mobile ads.

Behind the Scenes Costs

In planning for your business app development, you must factor in server costs. This will be the case if the app loads content from a database. Common server solutions include Amazon Web Services and Google’s Firebase. Costs can vary from $6000 to $28000.

You will also need to get your paperwork done correctly. An app is your intellectual property, and you should patent it. A legal team should help prepare the Terms and Conditions of Use as well as Privacy Policy.

In the planning phase for your app, it’s crucial to have a marketing strategy in place. First, you will need to publish your app in major stores and have it reviewed. A proper description together with images is essential for App Store Optimization. It would be advisable to publicize the app in tech communities, invite journalists and tech reviewers to test the app, and publish reviews on their platforms. You will need to publish your own trailer for the app on your social channels.

It is also crucial to take the cost of updating and maintaining your app into consideration. On average, these costs average out at around 15-20% of the initial development budget.

Ways to Cut Your Business App Budget

As seen, the cost of a business app development varies greatly depending on the nature of the app. The Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for a simple business app could take as little as 1 month with a proper team. Enterprise apps with complex features take around 3 months to complete. Scalable mobile apps intended for mass marker consumers can take more than 4 months.

To minimize your budget, you could opt for frameworks that enable cross-platform development. These include Ionic and Xamarin. Cross-platform development can minimize development budgets by 30%. However, consult with an experienced software developer to ensure that cross-platform development will not hurt your app’s functioning. Apps with a lot of animation are best developed using native frameworks for iOS and Android.

Other cost-cutting measures include coming up with a Minimum Viable Product first and then improving upon it as it is being used in the market. In addition, you can use off-the-shelf functionality solutions as opposed to coding everything from scratch. Always go for SDKs with official support and not just any code snippets. 

 

How Much Does It Cost To Develop A Social Media App?

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One of the most asked questions by businesses is how much does it cost to create a social media app. So, the average cost of designing an application like LinkedIn, Tumblr, and Facebook, can range from $15,000 to 50,000+ depending on app types, elements, features, design, complexity, and software development.

From Twitter to LinkedIn and Facebook to Instagram, all have become a social sensation that is booming the internet these days. Furthermore, with the projection that social media users will reach 4.6 billion by 2025 from 3.6 billion in 2020, it is fair enough to surmise that social media applications will take the world by storm. So, the existing social media platforms have revolutionized the way people communicate these days. And they are becoming an integral part of everyday life.

Cost of A Social Media App

In calculating the cost of a social media app, it is important to factor in three fundamental elements. These elements include; the complexity of the app, features, and the operating platform. The first level of complexity is the simple social media app. This level has embedded app features such as sign-in, text messages, profile editing, and push notifications. In addition, it provides access to in-device features like camera and storage. The simple social media app uses a single-platform operating system and costs $15,000+.

The medium app entails the following features: profile editing, sign-in, push notification, user profile, sharing stories, and video sharing, and costs $20,000+. The advanced social media app entails superior app features like text chat, voice notes, video sharing, push notifications, and more. The advanced app utilizes a cross-platform operating system and because of this, it costs $25,500+ on average.

Minimum Viable Product Cost

According to the best practices of mobile app development, it is important to start your project with a minimum viable product. The MVP will help you see whether your product meets the market demand because users interact with the minimum viable product. It provides an overview of how effective your marketing strategy is. The minimum viable product provides much output from the least input. As a result, developers and app owners can see the potential benefits, costs, and expenses of the social media app long before it is developed.

After determining the cost of the MVP, you can proceed to coordinate your marketing and development efforts with the results obtained from the MVP study. Essentially, an app MVP is a great tool for reaching out and keeping in touch with your intended audience.

This leads us to the question: So, if you build a minimum viable product for a social media app, how much will it cost?

Well, the cost will depend on a combination of factors like the set of features you want to implement. These features include; technology stack, deadline, project design, and the operating system. A simple ten-screen app is likely to be cheaper than a ten-screen application with a complex design.

Features of a Minimum Viable Product

Research shows that a minimum viable product with a basic feature set could feature the following functionalities:

  • Sign up
  • Private messages
  • Post feature
  • Personal profile
  • Feed
  • Search
  • Comment feature
  • Group

So, as you embark on your journey, remember that creating a successful app is not easy. Luckily with app development experts like NS804, you can take your shot. The world has witnessed small ideas materialize into great apps, your story could be similar. Visit NS804, your app development partner, to know how much it costs to create a social media app.

Social Media App Development: The Overview and Trends

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The social media revolution has dominated the first ten years of the online world. Therefore, there is no doubt that with the widespread use of smartphone devices and the advancement in tech solutions, people want to create a social media application.

Users across the world are active on social networking platforms. Users are keeping in touch with distant relatives and friends, sharing professional information on LinkedIn, and exchanging all sorts of information. Social networking has emerged as a new frontier in the online space. In recent years, the situation continues to take a fresh turn due to an increase in the number of smartphone users.

In 2020, the world has gone mobile with 3.5 million mobile users globally. Just 200,000 shy of the world’s population uses their mobile phones to play games, surf the internet, and most importantly communicate and share information with other users. Targeted social media platforms have already transformed the development field. This has caused a surge in social media usage across the world.

The extremely high demand for superior social media apps results in new products being developed at every turn. In addition, new apps are being launched on the market daily. The revamped competition combined with the presence of big boy brands like Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram forces start-ups to seek new solutions. Furthermore, it forces enterprises to keep up with new trends to win clients.

Overview Of Social Media Development

For time immemorial, humans have always been social creatures. As such, people have developed ways of communicating with one another – from the use of smoke signals to advancements ushered in by the ever-growing internet use. All these styles of engagement make up the history of social media development as demonstrated by the following sequential stages. So, let’s take a quick glance.

  • Ancient History – Chinese, Greeks, and Egyptians used smoke signals by day and beacon fires at night to convey information. The first regular postal system was established in Iran in 550 BC.
  • Beginning of the 18th – 19th Century – The use of the telegram system in 1792, pneumatic post in 1865, radio 1891, and telephone 1890 were the main highlights of this century.
  • 20th Century – Christened “the dawn of the new century”, the 20th century ushered in exciting developments. These developments included: Extensive of Email 1966, Arpanet 1969, Usenet 1979, Six Degrees 1997, LISTSERVE 1986, and Blogger 1999.
  • Millennium – The millennium was the cornerstone of 21st-century communication. This period saw massive developments in innovative technologies such as Wikipedia 2001, LinkedIn 2003, Friendster 2002, YouTube 2005, Facebook 2004, Twitter 2006, Netlog 2009, and Google+ 2011.

The social world has solidified the definition of social media as to where social interactions are powered by the online world. Social media provides a digital space that facilitates online engagements, making it possible to build small communities of friends and peers.

Social Media Development Trends

To design a social media app that will be competitive, you need to equip it with trendy features that will make it stand out. These trendy features and designs are becoming a necessity particularly for start-ups that want to ignite touches with online users. So, what important social media development trends should you look out for?

Let’s take a look:

1. Messengers Outdo Mobile And Desktop-oriented Applications

In 2020, the creatively adaptive design of social media websites is not adequate to cut it anymore. Communication resides in messenger – rapid, mobile and focused around a specific product feature that distinguishes each from other available apps. A desktop version of your social media app will find its audience. However, the focus must be shifted towards rounding off the corners of your mobile version to reap maximum benefits.

2. Virtual Social Platforms

In the past decade, virtual and augmented reality features embedded in social media apps used to be quite unfathomable. However, in 2020, with the advent of KitKat and the ARCore for android, app developers now have a classic opportunity to introduce virtual elements. In social media, the demand for virtually supported social media elements is on the rise but there’s still a lot of space for innovation since these technologies are at their nascent stages.

3. P2P Payments

Online payments systems are being integrated into virtually all pieces of software due to their convenience. A social media application might seem like the least likely place to benefit from. However, peer-to-peer payment systems are an incredible feature particularly when you want users to interact with other people. Snapchat, Skype, and Facebook messenger are already using embedded online payment systems, with WhatsApp planning to incorporate the same.

4. Cross-Platform Development

Native development has its advantages. Unfortunately, it also has its downside and costs that businesses can avoid if they opt for cross-platform development. Unless you want your social media application to be tailored specifically to a particular platform, you can access platforms like Xamarin, Flutter, React Native and other tools to see if they can suit your needs. Most importantly, platforms make the design process faster and easier without compromising on the quality of your design. For app development solutions from experienced vendors, you can contact platforms like NS804, your development partner from conception to completion.

5. AI-Powered Functionality

Artificial intelligence and machine learning can improve user experiences, reduce expenses and improve business analytics. In social media applications, these technologies are most useful in technical support, chatbots, and other platforms requiring facial recognition. Embedding machine learning and AI-powered tools will yield better functionality in terms of security, user experience, and customer relationship management.

6. Content With A Short Life Cycle

The estimated concentration span for desktop content is 2.5 seconds, compared to mobile phone users who spend 1.7 seconds on any piece of content. The concentration span users have on social media continues to decline each year as documented by reliable sources. Keeping aside these statistics, account for this fact when developing any social media app. You need to account for both how large a piece of content is, and how long it’s available for viewing. Keeping the content focused and succinct will garner more viewership as targeted users browse the social media channel for feeds.

7. Functionality For Business Accounts

Content marketing is inevitable. So, businesses must learn to use available social media platforms to promote their products. Therefore, apps that embed this particular functionality are likely to win a broader audience and gain loyalty points. Business functionality can greatly vary depending on the type and nature of social media applications. Therefore, give your users sufficient tools to track likes, visits, reblogs, and similar activities inherent in your platform.

The Growing Relevance of Social Media Apps

Single-purpose apps offer a wealth of benefits particularly to enterprises that want to gain an edge. The first advantage is there is a 100% chance of hitting your target market. It’s also easier to find relevant and necessary information, whether product information, price, or promotional information.

The social media app is a convenient way to promote and to stay in touch 24/7. Social media applications extend a classic opportunity to connect and pool together brand enthusiasts, creating a group of like-minded individuals. For users, it is possible to create helpful, entertaining, and interesting media content, anywhere and anytime. You can share it with friends, colleagues, and anyone else – anytime.

Contact NS804 for a timely solution in your social media app development journey.

Everything You Need To Know About Agency Development Practices

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A Quick and Comprehensive Rundown of Agency Development Practices

Risk is an aspect of everyday life because it’s always present. In other words, there’s no way to completely eliminate risk. However, there is a way to manage risk. This is the goal that many businesses and enterprises aim for. By balancing risk on a large scale, businesses can make huge profits and huge progress. The other side of this coin is quality control. Without quality control, risk can quickly get out of hand. Agency development practices bridge the gap between risk and quality control, allowing for the highest quality, lowest-risk results.

Of course, agency development practices often require more than a single developer or programmer. This level of scale comes with a cost, which can elevate the service’s cost as a whole. Breaking the cost down further though, agency development fees prove well worth their salt.

A Look At Agency Fees

When considering agency development vs freelancer development, the upfront cost of freelancers is certainly appealing. There are a variety of factors that bring the cost of a freelance developer down, but choosing the freelance development route for a large-scale project, comes with a hefty set of risks. Some of the risks associated with freelancers include looser timelines, less experienced development skills, and oftentimes, a lack of quality guarantee. These are major risks to take with a professional-grade project. Not only that, but some freelance developers will present a finished project that’s dysfunctional and riddled with bugs. Finally, some freelancers charge so little that in turn, they take on more projects than they can handle.

There’s an age-old phrase that goes, “you get what you pay for.” And that sentiment is no truer than it is when it comes to app development. Agency development practices aim to address the gaps that many freelancers cannot. This is also where the price starts to climb. First of all, agency development practices normally assign a full team of developers to any single project. This not only creates efficiency but also weaves a natural quality control into the process. Additionally, each of the team members assigned to a project typically has a certain specialty that they’re contributing. However, the presence of more manpower also creates a higher cost.

Not only are there more people working on the project, but those professionals are specialists, as mentioned above, which means they have a higher level of training, education, and experience than the average freelance developer; this too, adds cost. Finally, both the quality and the timeline of the project are guaranteed when it’s brought to an agency developer.

Final Thoughts

The costs associated with agency development are often higher than going through a freelance developer. However, those costs contribute directly to the quality and care with which your application is built and delivered. There’s no reason to take unbalanced risks with your application. Instead, trust true professionals, and go with an agency, it’s often the right choice.

For more information on agency development practices or anything else related to app development, keep browsing NS804’s content library. NS804 is the app developer of the everyday appreneur.

Why Lower Cost Android Freelance Projects Aren’t Actually Cheaper Than Agencies

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The True Cost of Cheap Android Freelance Projects Development

Cost is a funny thing because while there is always a cost, it isn’t always obvious. Hence, this is where the difference between value and cost comes into play. Since the beginning of 2020, when the pandemic started, the application market has been one of the few to not only survive, but thrive. As the world embraced a more digital economy, app developers capitalized on the robust influx of user-traffic. In turn, this created ample space for new appreneurs, existing developers, and first-time app designers to enter the market. While it may be tempting to contract a freelance developer for your android freelance projects, but before you do – make sure to conduct your due diligence.

Undoubtedly, when you compare prices between an agency development firm and a freelance developer; the freelancer will almost always be the cheaper of the options. However, as mentioned above, upfront cost doesn’t always paint the whole picture. When it comes to your android freelance projects, consider what will be best for the end result, and for the user.

Pulling Back The Freelance Veil

Freelancing is often a bit of a shadow-realm it feels. It doesn’t have to be, though. Freelance android developers seem an inexpensive option up-front, but in reality; that inexpensive cost comes with a much higher price. The average rate of an android freelancer is around $60/hr. This is a relatively low cost when compared to the prices of an agency, but this low of an hourly rate should raise a few red-flags.

Firstly, that low of an hourly rate in app-development likely means that the freelancer may be less experienced, or just simply not as talented as agency developers. In turn, this translates to a sloppy finished product that may be low-quality. All because the freelancer didn’t pay as much attention to the details of your android freelance projects as was necessary. A poorly designed application won’t help you gain traction or users, has potential to be riddled with bugs and errors, and will certainly end up costing you time and money, essentially all for naught. By choosing an agency developer, however, you protect yourself, and your project, against the freelancer liability with a quality guarantee.

Don’t get tripped up by the appearance of low-cost development, and remember that the true value is in the end result.

Up-Front Cost Vs. True Value

When it comes to app-development, quality and user experience are two of the highest priorities. Understanding this is integral to developing applications that are user friendly and attract a wide user-base. By creating a user-friendly application, the user-experience is immediately enhanced. An enhanced user-experience is good because it leads to longer log-times on the application, in addition to other important performance KPIs. A dedicated and robust user-base that consistently engages with your application is the ultimate goal for developers. To get there, though, takes more than just a good app-idea. It also takes strong execution.

Having a good app-idea is only half the battle, poor management or subpar execution on that idea might lead to failure. That’s why it’s important to know the implications of choosing your app-developer. While it may be enticing to bring freelance android projects to freelance developers due to their low cost of development, keep in mind what exactly it is for which you’re paying. Everyone, especially business owners and app-developers alike, are trying to save money where they can. Though, the best app-developers know full-well the areas that continue to need full-throttled-funding; and agency app-development is one of them.

The Vitality of Quality

Quality over quantity is one of the most common expressions of all-time. Simply put, this phrase emphasizes the importance of quality in our ventures and personal lives. In the context of mobile-app-development, this means putting the quality of the application over the upfront cost of the development.

Once again, while freelance developers come with an attractive rate, keep in mind that app-development aims to solve problems and deliver value to the end-user. You sacrifice quality by selecting a cheap developer for your android freelance projects. This, in turn, leads to an underdeveloped application that will frustrate users and send them to your closest to competitor. Worse yet, by developing a low-quality application, you may just open the door for another developer to execute the same concept in a much stronger fashion by paying more attention to user-experience and overall app quality.

Developing applications with an agency, on the other hand; comes with a quality-guarantee, continuous feedback rounds, and a dedicated team of experts. Meaning from start to finish, you application is in good hands. Not to mention, agency developers have insights into current user-trends and app store data. These insights allow them to build apps that will innately have a higher chance of success by leveraging app-store strategies and tactics from the onset of development.

Common Obstacles With Android Freelance Projects

Beyond quality and the true-cost of freelance android developers, there are other common issues that arise with freelancers as well. Since freelancers often work for themselves there is a much less rigid schedule to which they must adhere. Not only does this mean that they are likely taking on a handful of projects simultaneously; but that they may be rushing through some of those projects in order to ‘just get the work done’.

Such a liquid schedule can lead to a few complications with your android freelance projects. For instance, if  you don’t require any check-ins, or progress updates from your freelancer; there’s a chance that projects get delayed and pushed back several weeks, even months from their initial due dates. In fact, there’s a slight chance they never finish the project at all. Ultimately, leaving you to hire an agency after all.

On the other hand, since freelancers don’t always have a steady income, some of them have a tendency to rush through their projects and deliver accelerated timelines. This, while on the surface seems like a good thing, once again circles back to the lack of quality and attention that freelance developers are capable of dedicating to your project.

Wrapping Up: Freelance Development Vs. Agency

There’s a lot to consider before jumping into app development. However, anyone and everyone is capable of having the next great app-idea and becoming a rockstar appreneur. Yet, execution is just as important as the idea itself. Prioritize quality and the user-experience in your app development and you’ll see the true-value of your investment in the end-product. There are plenty of ways to cut-corners in life. Short-cuts if you will. Taking them, though, doesn’t always work out the way you expect. In app development, there are no short-cuts.

By choosing a freelance developer for your android freelance projects you take the risk of spending more in the long-run, hiring an agency to fix the poorly designed app or start from scratch, and opening yourself up to freelancer liability. Choose an agency developer and rest assured that your application will be designed with quality and the user experience as the top priorities.

For more information on app development, agency vs freelance developers, and anything else related to app development, keep browsing NS804. NS804 is the proud agency of the everyday appreneur.