(Newswire.net — June 6, 2023) — Building a mobile application has huge potential in terms of benefits, so it makes sense if you’re considering building an app. Customers spend a lot of money on mobile apps, and it’s definitely a viable source of income. However, if you’ve already looked into building an app, you’ve probably noticed the cost is a little high.
You don’t have to spend tens of thousands of dollars just to get a decent app for your business. If you want to save money, here’s how to do it.
1. Go with no-code app development
According to a Clutch survey, just the discovery stage alone can cost between just under $5,000 and $25,000. After that, you have four more stages: design, development, testing and deployment, and finally, marketing. The same survey notes that the development stage can reach beyond $50,000. When you add up the potential cost of every stage, that’s a lot of dough, even on the low end. Although, these statistics are for traditional app development.
The no-code movement is disrupting the app development industry and rendering long, drawn-out, expensive processes obsolete. Now, you can develop an app without code, for less money, with a turnaround time up to ten times faster than the standard timeframe. You don’t need to know anything about programming to use a no-code app development platform.
If you’ve been dreading having to hire a team of software developers to create your app, that’s not necessary. You can do it yourself or assign the task to people already on your team. With a little bit of training, anyone can build an app. All you need to do is pinpoint the features you want.
2. Shop around
Did someone refer you to an app developer with an amazing reputation, but you just can’t get behind the cost? It’s worth shopping around to get different quotes from developers for a couple of reasons.
First, rates vary drastically, and highly skilled, in-demand teams charge more. However, if a smaller development firm can make your app, you don’t need to hire a top developer. Often, developers will already have a framework available to create commonly requested features. There’s no need to pay double or triple for basic work.
On the other hand, if your app has extensive and nuanced requirements, it’s better to go with a top-tier developer. Still, gather quotes from several developers before making your choice.
3. Build hybrid apps if possible
There are two types of applications: native and hybrid. A native app is designed to work only on a specific operating system, like iOS or Android. A hybrid app is made to work on multiple operating systems and is simply wrapped in a native framework.
Native apps provide more functionality and are faster than hybrid apps, but they’re also more expensive since you need to build a separate app for each operating system. Most developers build native apps using popular frameworks like Flutter and React Native, but if you don’t need many features, a hybrid app might suffice.
4. Limit your features
The more features you request, the higher your development costs will be. By limiting the number of features you request, you’ll reduce your app development expenses. The median cost of developing a basic app is $40,000 and a feature-rich app can cost $100,000 or more. To save money, consider your features carefully.
Also, think about it from a developer’s perspective. Most good developers prefer to start with small projects and add features as they become necessary. If you come to the table with 100 features right out the gate, your developer is going to talk you out of as many as possible because they already know you don’t need all of them.
Before you bring your ideas to a developer, self-edit your list of features and narrow it down to what’s necessary. As a general rule, if you can’t tie a feature to a benefit for you or your users, it’s probably not worth keeping.
Don’t choose a developer based on fees
Although the goal is to save money on mobile app development, avoid choosing a developer based on how much they charge. A cheap app developed sloppily is a waste of money. Be intentional with your app budget, and if you can’t afford the app you need, find a way to increase your budget rather than settling for an inferior application.