What a Mobile App
Actually Costs
Most developers make you sit through a call before they'll name a number. Here are mine, in public. These are real 2026 bands for Kerala — the figure you're quoted is the figure you pay.
Simple App
A focused utility or content app. One user role, no payments, minimal backend.
- Up to ~10 screens, single user role
- Flutter build for Android and iOS
- Firebase or a lightweight backend
- Play Store and App Store submission
- Source code handover
- 1 month post-launch support
Standard App
The typical business app: accounts, payments, a custom backend and an admin panel.
- Authentication and user accounts
- Payment gateway (Razorpay / Stripe)
- Custom Laravel REST API and database
- Web admin panel
- Push notifications and analytics
- Store submission for both platforms
- 3 months post-launch support
Complex Product
Marketplaces, real-time platforms, multi-role systems — effectively several apps at once.
- Multiple apps or user roles (customer, provider, admin)
- Real-time features — chat, tracking, live updates
- Third-party and hardware integrations
- Scalable infrastructure and CI/CD
- Load testing and security review
- 6 months post-launch support
Maintenance
Keeping a live app healthy after launch. Priced from the size of the app, not a flat rate.
- Annual Android and iOS OS-compatibility updates
- Bug fixes and crash monitoring
- Store policy compliance and resubmissions
- Dependency and security patching
- Small feature additions
- Budget 10–15% of the original build per year
Bands, not menu prices — app pricing genuinely depends on scope, and anyone quoting a flat figure before seeing your requirements is guessing. After a scoping call you get a fixed written quote broken down by phase, and that number does not move unless you change the scope. For the full 2026 breakdown by app type, see what mobile apps cost in India in 2026.
What actually moves the number
Four things account for most of the spread between a ₹2 lakh app and a ₹15 lakh one. Knowing them lets you steer the budget instead of just receiving it.
How many user roles the app has
The single biggest multiplier. A food delivery app is not one app — it is a customer app, a delivery partner app, and a restaurant dashboard. Each role needs its own screens, permissions, and testing. Cutting a role at the start is the cheapest saving available to you.
Whether it needs a custom backend
Firebase or Supabase covers auth, storage, and simple data for a fraction of the cost. A custom Laravel API becomes worth it once you need complex business rules, reporting, integrations with existing systems, or want to avoid vendor lock-in. That decision alone can swing the total by ₹1.5–3 lakhs.
Real-time features
Live tracking, chat, and instant updates need websockets, presence handling, and infrastructure that stays up. They also take disproportionately long to test, because bugs only appear under concurrency. Budget for real-time separately rather than treating it as one more screen.
How finished the design is
Arriving with a Figma file and clear flows saves weeks. Arriving with "make it look good" means design work is part of the build, which is fine — it is just work that has to be paid for either way. Design typically runs 10–20% of a project total.
Bank transfer, UPI, or Razorpay for Indian clients; Wise or PayPal for international. Invoiced against milestones you sign off on, not against dates.
Repository, backend, designs and store listings are yours on final payment. No lock-in, no licence fee, no per-user charge. Apps can be published under your own developer account.
Bug fixes in the delivered scope are free during the support window. Ongoing OS updates, new features and monitoring move to a maintenance retainer once it ends.
The things people ask about money
Why are these ranges and not fixed prices?
Because scope genuinely determines cost, and a fixed number quoted before seeing your requirements would be a guess dressed up as a commitment. The bands are honest about where most projects land. After a scoping call you get a fixed written quote broken down by phase, and that figure does not change unless the scope does.
Can you build it cheaper than these ranges?
Sometimes — by cutting scope, not by cutting quality. A smaller first version that ships and gets real users is almost always a better use of a limited budget than a full-featured app that arrives late. If your budget is below ₹1 lakh, I will tell you honestly whether it is achievable rather than take the project and disappoint you.
Is a freelancer cheaper than an agency?
Usually 40–50% cheaper for comparable work, because you are not paying for account managers, sales teams, or office overhead. The trade-off is capacity: an agency can put five people on a deadline and I cannot. For most first apps and MVPs that trade is worth taking. For a project that must ship on a fixed date with a large team, an agency is the right call.
Does the price include publishing to the Play Store and App Store?
Yes — store submission, listing copy, screenshots, and handling the review process are included in every tier. You pay Google's one-time developer fee and Apple's annual fee directly, since those accounts should be in your name.
What ongoing costs should I expect after launch?
Server and database hosting runs ₹2,000–25,000 per month depending on scale. Third-party services like maps, SMS, and push notifications often add ₹5,000–30,000 monthly at real usage. Budget 10–15% of the original build cost per year for OS-compatibility updates and maintenance.
Do you charge hourly?
For defined product builds, no — fixed-scope pricing protects you from paying for my learning curve. Hourly billing at ₹3,000–5,000 per hour is available for ongoing retainers, evolving scopes, and consulting where a fixed scope would be dishonest.
What happens if the project runs over?
If the overrun is on my side — an underestimate, a technical problem I did not foresee — the fixed price holds and I absorb it. If the scope changes because you want something that was not in the signed quote, we price that change separately before I start it. You will never receive a surprise invoice.
Scoping call and written quote are free. No obligation.