Introduction
How much does it cost to maintain an app? or mobile app development cost? If you have these type of questions in mind, then probably you are aware of the fact that only developing an app is not enough to survive the competitive app stores.
The Apple App Store and Google Play Store constantly monitor apps to find out the ones that have not been maintained for a long time and eventually abandoned them.
To avoid being abandoned by the Play Store and ensure that your apps are downloadable at all times by users, you need to maintain it properly.
So your Mobile app development cost is not the only cost that you are going to incur throughout the lifetime of your app but also maintenance and support costs.
Before we move on to app maintenance cost, let us understand mobile app development cost. Developing an application can be extremely lucrative but it will require upfront costs. The Android mobile app development cost will greatly depend on the complexity and size of the app that is being developed. Some apps may cost hardly $5000 to develop while some may be as expensive as $1 million.
The more feature-rich and complex your app is, the more costly it will be to develop. Decide on the development timeline and budget before you start looking for an mobile app development company.
Factors Affecting the Mobile App Development Cost
Various factors can influence the mobile app development cost, including the app complexity, type of app, region of the developer, hiring of developers, and hidden costs.
# The app complexity
- Simple apps having basic app functionality can cost around $10,000 to $40,000 or even more depending on the features and complexity.
- Complex apps such as e-commerce or social media apps can cost around $30,000 to $500,000 or even more.
- High-end apps with enterprise-level features and complex functionalities such as healthcare or banking apps can cost more starting from $500,000.
# The Mobile App Hosting Platform
The app hosting platform will also influence the development cost:
- Hybrid (iOS + Android) can cost around $13000 to $16000
- Single-platform apps can cost you around $8000 to $14000
- Web development can cost you around $13000 to $16000
# Mobile App Type
The type of mobile app that you want to develop will also impact the development cost. Generally, applications can be grouped into the following ways:
- Social media apps such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
- Gaming apps such as Candy Crush Saga, PUBG, and Among Us
- E-commerce apps such as eBay, Flipkart, and Amazon
- Education apps such as Udemy, Coursera, and Byjus
- Fitness and Healthcare apps such as MyFitnessPal and ZocDoc
- Travel apps such as TripAdvisor and Airbnb
- On-demand apps such as Lyft and Uber
- Productivity apps such as Evernote and Trello
Here is a table to help you better understand the costs:
| App Type | Estimated Cost | Estimated Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Travel and Hospitality | $25,000 to $300,000 | 3-8 months |
| Gaming | $30,000 to $500,000 | 2-12 months |
| Social Media | $50,000 to $500,000 | 6-12 months |
| E-commerce | $30,000 to $500,000 | 4-12 months |
| Education | $25,000 to $200,000 | 3-6 months |
| On-demand | $50,000 to $300,000 | 4-8 months |
| Productivity | $25,000 to $200,000 | 3-6 months |
# Region
The region of the mobile app development can also affect the cost of development. In general, places where the labor costs are higher will have higher mobile app development costs such as Western Europe and America.
Mobile app development teams based out of Eastern Europe and Asia have lower hourly app development rates.
# Hiring Mobile App Developers
Skilled and experienced developers usually charge a higher rate but also deliver a high-quality, feature-rich app. In contrast, hiring less experienced developers can cost you less but they will deliver less fine-tuned apps.
- If you decide to opt for freelancers it can be highly cost-effective and cost you around $13-$60 per hour. But they are suited mostly for small, simpler app development projects.
- In-house mobile app developers can be more expensive than freelancers but they can handle even the most complicated projects with ease.
# Hidden mobile app development costs
Hidden mobile app development costs are those expenses that are not presented upfront. These costs should not be overlooked as they can significantly increase the cost.
- Security features: Security must be kept at the forefront of any mobile app development project. However, integrating security features such as two-factor authentication and encryption can incur additional expenses.
- Marketing: Ads and marketing promotions can lead to additional costs but they are important to boost your app’s reach and revenue.
- Third-party Integrations: Third-party integrations such as social media platforms, payment gateways, and API will incur additional expenses.
- Updates and Maintenance: Launching an app is not the end, you need regular updates and ongoing maintenance to address bugs or issues.
App Maintenance Costs
There are various segments of app maintenance that would require you to invest money. These services can cost you around $2900 or more per month. Let us understand the various app maintenance costs.
# Hosting Charges for App Deployment
You need to deploy your app on a particular server depending on the app data usage such as handling texts, audio, or video.
If you want to enhance the resource capacity of your server, you may need to pay around $70-$320 per month for your app hosting server. However, there are several cloud-based hosting options available such as Amazon Web Services that can lower your hosting charges.
# Analytics
Mobile app crashes, bugs, and other glitches must be analyzed and monitored. Checking out the expectations and preferences of your users will allow you to make better business decisions. Either you can opt for free tools or use advanced paid tools to get critical insights which can cost around $150,000 per year. These tools are important for your business growth as they allow you to track your conversion rates, customer engagement, retention rates, and churn rates.
# IT Support
Android as well as iOS keep releasing new updates. You must ensure that your app is compatible with these new operating systems to ensure functionality and performance. These services can cost you around $10,000 per year.
# Updates and Bug Fixing
Regular updates can improve the UX, quickly fix bugs, and help resolve issues effectively. The city or bug fixing will vary from case to case. If you have a bug that can be fixed quickly in the line of code, it may cost as little as $50.
If you need to update any functional aspect of your app or fix any complicated issue that may require weeks to finish, it can cost you around $1000-$2000. The cost will generally depend on the nature of functionality changes and the size of the app.
# Functional Services
These services are mainly aimed at improving communication with your customers such as in-app chats, SMS, push notifications, and emails. You will need third-party integrations to avail of these features and pay a monthly subscription fee.
You may be required to pay around $4000/year to ensure the best user experience and app standards.
Expenses that you are likely to incur at the maintenance stage:
| Expense Head | Cost per month |
|---|---|
| Push Notifications | $10 |
| Servers | $20-$60 |
| Payment Gateways | 2.9% on each sale can go up to $149 |
| App Store Developer Charges | $99 for iOS 25 for Google Play |
| Emergency Maintenance | It will vary from case to case |
# App Maintenance cost based on locations
Just like location affects your mobile app development cost, it affects your app maintenance cost as well. Different geographical locations will have different app maintenance costs. You must keep this factor in mind when you are outsourcing your app maintenance professionals to save costs.
The table below provides a basic idea of how different regions charge different maintenance costs:
| Location | Rate Per Hour |
|---|---|
| South America | $30-$80 |
| North America | $50-$150 |
| India | $25-$50 |
| Eastern Europe | $25-$80 |
| Western Europe | $40-$100 |
| Australia | $40-$100 |
Usually, developers based out of the USA will charge for app maintenance in comparison to countries like the Philippines, India, and Ukraine.
FAQS Cost-Effective App Maintenance Services
# How much can app maintenance cost?
An app maintenance will generally cost you 15% to 20% of the total cost of developing your app. It should ideally never exceed 20% of the total mobile app development cost. As an experienced mobile app development and maintenance company, we ensure that our clients get the best services without going overboard with their budgets. We are extremely transparent with our mobile app development and maintenance prices and eliminate all hidden costs.
# What are payment gateway charges?
If you have developed an app that needs payment gateway integration such as an eCommerce app, you will be required to pay a monthly subscription fee. This cost may go up to $149 per month. Also, you will need to pay a fixed percentage on each sale that you make on the app.
# What are the different types of app maintenance services that you provide?
Whether you are looking for adaptive app maintenance service, preventive app maintenance service, emergency app maintenance service, or corrective app maintenance service, our technical consultants can help you with all. Contact us with your needs to get an accurate cost estimate.
#What are the benefits of maintaining an app?
It will save you from regular bug issues and crashes which can drive your users away. Regular app maintenance will enhance user experience and minimize app uninstalls. It will also provide better cyber security.
#How long will it take to maintain my app?
It can take as little as 7 days or as long as 2 months to maintain an app depending on the complexity and app size.
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