“How much does it cost to build an app?” is like asking “how much does it cost to build a house?”: the answer depends on the square metres, the materials and how many floors it will have. Mobile app development cost also stems from a few key decisions, and knowing them in advance protects your budget.
In this article we break down the items that make up the price of a mobile app one by one: scope and features, iOS and Android platform choice, the backend, design, integrations, testing, store fees and post-launch maintenance. At the end you’ll find rough cost ranges and our tips for using your budget wisely.
A note: the TL amounts below are approximate, indicative ranges under 2026 conditions in Türkiye; an exact price can only be given once the feature list is clear.
The main cost driver: scope and feature list
What affects an app’s price most is not the number of screens but the complexity of the business rules. A five-screen app with real-time sync, payments and role-based authorisation behind it can cost more than a simple twenty-screen catalogue app.
Typical features that increase the budget are:
- User accounts and roles: login, password reset, social login, user types with different permissions.
- Payments: in-app purchases, subscriptions or virtual POS integration.
- Real-time features: messaging, live location, push notifications, data synced across multiple devices.
- Hardware use: camera, QR/barcode scanning, Bluetooth, NFC, background location.
- Offline use: entering data without internet and syncing when the connection returns.
- Admin panel: a web-based panel to manage content, users and reports.
Platform choice: iOS, Android or both
In Türkiye, about three quarters of mobile users use Android and a quarter use iOS (Statcounter, 2026). But this ratio varies with your audience; for some premium services, for example, iOS users’ share and spending tendency are higher. For most businesses, the right answer is to be on both platforms.
The real decision that determines cost here is technology:
| Approach | Impact on cost | When does it make sense? |
|---|---|---|
| Native (Swift + Kotlin) | Two separate codebases; highest cost | Heavy hardware use, top-tier performance |
| Cross-platform (Flutter, React Native) | Single codebase; usually significant savings | Business apps, e-commerce, booking, most SME projects |
| PWA (web-based app) | Lowest cost; app stores and some device features are limited | Simple, content-heavy needs |
We compare this decision in detail in our native vs cross-platform article.
The hidden cost: backend, API and admin panel
The app is the face customers see; the real work often happens behind the scenes. The database that stores user data, the API that talks to the app, the notification infrastructure and the admin panel the business will use can make up a significant part of the total budget.
There are two routes here:
- Ready-made services (BaaS): Platforms like Firebase offer ready-made building blocks such as authentication, database and notifications. They are fast and cheap at first, but monthly costs can rise as users grow, and processing data abroad should be assessed separately under KVKK.
- Custom backend: Infrastructure built for your business rules and running on your own server. The initial investment is higher, but control, scaling and integration with your existing systems (ERP, accounting, CRM) become easier.
If you already have a website or software, using the same backend for both web and mobile lowers the total cost. In our own product KATSİS, the web panel, iOS / Android and Windows apps share the same infrastructure; so a feature can be written once and used everywhere. Details are on our projects page.
UI/UX design, testing and quality assurance
Good mobile app design isn’t just beautiful screens: user flows, empty states, error messages, different screen sizes and accessibility are all part of the design. Using a ready-made UI kit lowers costs; a brand-specific animated design raises them.
Testing is overlooked in most quotes, yet it determines whether the app gets low ratings in the store. Different Android manufacturers, older iOS versions, weak internet connections and interrupted payment scenarios should all be tested. When getting quotes, always ask how testing will be carried out and on how many devices.
Whose work is in the price?
A mobile app project usually involves a project manager, a UI/UX designer, one or two mobile developers, a backend developer and a tester. The figure in the quote roughly corresponds to the total hours this team will spend on the project. That’s why asking for “an exact copy of that app” isn’t enough to give a price on its own; the real question is which parts of that app you actually need. Working with a freelancer can lower the hourly rate, but concentrating expertise such as design, backend and testing in one person increases project risk.
The most expensive app is the one that has to be rewritten from scratch after launch.
App Store and Google Play fees and commissions
Apart from development costs, publishing the app in the stores also has official fees:
- Apple Developer Program: USD 99 per membership year (shown in local currency by region). A D-U-N-S number is required to open an account in a company’s name.
- Google Play Console: a one-time USD 25 registration fee. Personal developer accounts opened after 13 November 2023 must run a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 consecutive days before publishing; opening an organisation account removes this step.
- Commissions: If you sell digital content or subscriptions within the app, the stores take a commission. Apple’s Small Business Program and Google Play apply a 15% rate on annual revenue under USD 1 million; the standard rate on revenue above that is 30%. This commission does not apply to sales of physical goods and services (e.g. e-commerce, food ordering).
After launch: maintenance, server and update costs
The budget doesn’t end when the app goes live. Apple and Google release new operating system versions every year, and store rules and minimum SDK requirements change. An app that isn’t updated may start crashing within a few years or be removed from the store.
Plan for these items in your annual budget:
- Servers and services: hosting, database, notifications, SMS and email services, map APIs.
- Technical maintenance: operating system compatibility, library updates, security patches, bug fixes.
- New features: improvements based on user feedback.
- Store renewals: Apple’s annual membership fee.
A common rule of thumb in the industry is to budget roughly 15–20% of the initial development cost for annual maintenance. This ratio varies with the app’s complexity and how quickly you want to add new features.
Mobile app prices: approximate ranges for 2026
The ranges below assume cross-platform development for both platforms, a basic admin panel and release support. They are approximate, based on conditions in Türkiye as of 2026, and vary with the team’s experience, design level and integrations.
| App type | Example | Approximate budget | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple / MVP | Catalogue, appointment request, information app | 250,000 – 600,000 TL | 2–3 months |
| Medium | Membership, payments, notifications, panel and reports | 600,000 – 1.5 million TL | 3–6 months |
| Complex | Real-time sync, multi-role structure, ERP integration, marketplace | 1.5 million TL and above | 6 months and above |
Very low quotes are usually lightly modified ready-made templates; items such as the backend, testing and source code delivery may not be included. When comparing quotes, check whether the scope is the same rather than just the total figure. If you are looking for a similar breakdown for a website budget, see our article on website prices.
6 smart ways to reduce mobile app costs
Reducing cost does not have to mean compromising on quality. Most of the budget is lost to uncertainty and decisions that change later. The most effective savings we see in projects are:
- 1. Start with an MVP: Make the app do one core job as well as possible. A large share of features built before real user data arrives are never used.
- 2. Choose a single codebase: If your product doesn’t rely heavily on hardware, cross-platform development lets you ship both platforms with one team.
- 3. Reuse existing infrastructure: If your website or internal software has an API, connecting the mobile app to the same infrastructure is far cheaper than writing a backend from scratch.
- 4. Put the scope in writing: A few pages listing the screens, user roles and sample flows make quotes comparable and reduce mid-project “let’s add this too” requests.
- 5. Choose off-the-shelf services wisely: Using mature services for maps, payments, SMS and notifications shortens development time; but calculate up front the monthly cost that will arise as your user base grows.
- 6. Plan staged payments and deliveries: Payments tied to milestones such as design, the first test build and store release make it easier to see progress and change direction when needed.
Finally, make sure the quote states who will own the source code and intellectual property. An app whose source code is not handed over to you may have to be rewritten from scratch if you later want another team to develop it, and this is the biggest hidden risk to your budget.
- Have features been split into “must-have / later”?
- Are the target platforms and technology (native / cross-platform) decided?
- Are the backend and admin panel included in the quote?
- Are the testing process and scope in writing?
- Will developer accounts be opened in the company’s name?
- Who will own the source code and intellectual property?
- Have post-launch maintenance and server costs been planned?
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to build a mobile app?
A simple MVP is usually completed in 2–3 months, and a mid-sized app with payments and a panel in 3–6 months. Complex integrations and multi-role structures extend this. Timely progress on content and approvals also directly affects the schedule.
Is it paid to publish an app on the App Store and Google Play?
Yes. The Apple Developer Program costs 99 US dollars per membership year. Google Play Console charges a one-time registration fee of 25 US dollars. If the app sells digital content, a commission also applies.
Is building both an iOS and an Android app twice as expensive?
With native development, two separate codebases are written, so the cost can approach double. With cross-platform technologies such as Flutter or React Native, a single codebase is used, so two platforms usually cost noticeably less than twice a single platform.
How much does it cost to maintain an app each year?
A common industry rule of thumb is to set aside about 15–20 percent of the initial development cost for annual maintenance and minor improvements. Add to this the monthly fees for services such as servers, SMS and notifications, plus Apple’s annual membership fee.
Are free app builders any good?
No-code tools can be useful for validating an idea or for simple internal apps. But when custom business rules, integrations, performance and scaling are required, you quickly hit their limits and become locked into the platform.
Final word
Mobile app development cost is not a single number but the sum of your decisions: what goes into the first release, which technology you choose, how you build the backend and how you look after the app after launch. Clarifying these decisions up front prevents budget surprises and ensures the app actually gets used. At CYF Tech, in our iOS and Android mobile app development service we first clarify the scope with you, then present a transparent quote. To talk about your idea, write to us.
- Apple — Developer Program enrolment and fees
- Apple — App Store Small Business Program
- Google Play Console Help — Developer account registration
- Google Play Console Help — Testing requirements for personal accounts
- Google Play Console Help — Service fees
- Statcounter — Mobile operating system market share in Türkiye