It depends on what the app needs to do, who it is for and what it has to connect to. Answer a few questions and you'll get an estimate you can check, not a figure from a pricing model.
Built for clients including Tata Steel, M&G Investments, Digistore24, Toppers in Concert, Bar-le-Duc and Loogman
Cost check
Work out what your app costs
A few questions, then a request for an estimate you can check. No obligation.
Step 1 of 8Takes about two minutes
What drives the price
What drives the cost of an app
Two apps with the same name can differ in price many times over. These are the six things that make the difference.
Platform and technology
One cross-platform app for iPhone and Android, two native apps or a web app in the browser. The choice depends on what the app needs to do, and makes a difference to both build and maintenance.
Number of screens and features
Every screen has to be designed, built and tested. Payments, working offline or an AI feature weigh more than a form or a list.
Integrations with what's already running
An app that puts orders into your ERP or pulls customers from your CRM is only as good as that integration. How many systems there are and how good their APIs are determines a large part of the work.
Login, roles and security
One type of user is simpler than three groups each with their own permissions. Sensitive data takes extra work on security and logging.
Design and user testing
An app people open every day has been tested beforehand with the people who will use it. That takes time in the design phase and saves rework later.
Maintenance after go-live
Apple and Google release new versions every year. An app that doesn't keep up drops out of the store. That belongs in the budget, not as a surprise afterwards.
From question to quote
How we arrive at a price
1
Your answers
The cost check tells us what you want built, who it is for and which parts it needs.
2
A short call
We call you back, ask what it needs to achieve and what is already in place, and tell you if an off-the-shelf package would suit you better.
3
A quote you can check
Scope, timeline and price on paper before anything is built. If the budget doesn't fit, we show you what to build first.
The questions we hear most often before someone has an app built, with the answers we also give in a first conversation.
1
How much does it cost to build an app?
The honest answer: it depends on the scope. An app with a handful of screens for one type of user is a different project from an app where customers order, pay and track their status, connected to your ERP. And that is different again from a platform with several user groups, an admin environment and its own backend.
That is why we don't quote a figure on this page. A price from a pricing model is almost never right for custom work, and a wrong number sends you in the wrong direction. With your answers from the cost check we can give you an estimate you can check, and in a quote we fix scope, timeline and price before anything is built.
2
Why quotes for an app vary so much
Two quotes for the same app can differ several times over. The difference is usually not in the hourly rate but in what is and isn't included. Is the backend included, or just the screens? Is it tested on real devices? Is submission to Apple and Google included, and what happens after go-live?
Ask what falls outside the quote, not just what's in it
Ask who gets the source code and where the app is hosted
Ask what maintenance after go-live costs per year
3
Start small without throwing work away
A first version with just the core is often the smartest start: you learn from real users before you build everything. The risk is that the first version is put together so quickly that it has to be rebuilt afterwards. We build the first version narrow, but on foundations that last: the data model, the login and the integrations are right from the start.
4
Cross-platform or native: what's the difference?
With one cross-platform codebase the app works on iPhone and Android, and you maintain one app instead of two. Building natively for each platform only pays off if the app relies heavily on device features, such as intensive use of the camera or sensors. And sometimes you don't need an app at all: if a good mobile website does the same job, it's cheaper to build and maintain. We'll tell you that too.
5
What does an app cost after go-live?
An app isn't finished at handover. Apple and Google release new versions of iOS and Android every year, set new requirements for privacy and submission, and integrations with other systems change too. Add hosting, monitoring and further development.
How much that costs depends on the size of the app and how often you want new features. We agree it in advance, so you know where you stand.
6
How to keep costs under control
The biggest cost is work that has to be redone later. You avoid it by being clear up front about what the app needs to achieve, starting with the process that makes the most difference, and holding back features added just in case until someone asks for them.
Start with what it needs to achieve, not a list of features
Build in phases, with a working version after each phase
Use standard components where possible, custom work where it makes the difference
Amsterdam
Who you'll talk to
You talk to the founders
No salespeople. We read your answers and call you back. Then you build with a permanent team from our office in Amsterdam.
It depends on the platform, the number of screens and features, the integrations with your systems and what is needed after go-live. The cost check on this page lets you share that in two minutes, and you get an estimate you can check. In the quote we fix scope, timeline and price before anything is built.
Why isn't there a price on this page?
Because a price from a pricing model is almost always wrong for custom work. We would rather give you an estimate based on your answers, from people who have read them, than a figure that sends you in the wrong direction.
Is an app for iPhone and Android more expensive than for one platform?
With a cross-platform app you build one codebase for both, so the difference is smaller than two separate apps. Building natively for each platform costs more to build and to maintain, and only pays off if the app relies heavily on device features.
What does app maintenance cost per year?
That depends on the size of the app and how often you want new features. Fixed elements are the yearly updates for new versions of iOS and Android, hosting, monitoring and keeping integrations up to date. We agree that in advance.
Can I start small with a first version?
Yes, and that is often the smartest start. We build the first version narrow, but on foundations that last: data model, login and integrations are right from the start, so the next phase builds on it instead of starting over.
How long does it take to build an app?
That depends on the scope. We work in short cycles with a working version after each one, so you see early on what is being built. The timeline is in the quote.
Who owns the app once it's finished?
You do. The source code lives in your own repository, the environments are in your name and there is documentation, so another team can also take it on.
When is a web app smarter than an app?
When users mainly look up information or fill in forms, and there is no need for push notifications, working offline or the camera. A web app works on any device, doesn't have to go through the app store and is cheaper to maintain.
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