A little clarity before you build
Your app idea.
A clearer budget.
What will it take to bring your app to life? Pick the essentials, then get your cost estimate and delivery roadmap by email.
About 1 minute Free PDF by email All estimates in USDA starting point for your next big idea.
Every app is different. Your report gives you a starting budget and timeline, then we can work through the details together.
How is my estimate calculated?
We multiply estimated effort by a fixed $35/hour rate. The upper end allows 25% more effort for scope uncertainty. Testing and launch add 20%, and project management adds 15%. For a simple planning experience, the displayed estimate is capped at $30,000; unusually complex scope needs a tailored quote.
App size starts at 240, 480 or 800 development hours. Standard design adds 60 hours, custom design 140; design effort scales with app size. Features add 40–120 hours each. Both platforms assume a shared codebase with 30% extra mobile development effort; the admin dashboard is counted once.
Our calculator uses a fixed $35/hour rate. For broader market context, see Clutch’s app development pricing guide. GoodFirms’ cost-factor research informs the choice of scope, design and feature inputs. Effort figures and percentages are this calculator’s assumptions, not figures supplied by those sources or a BrewApps rate card. Research checked September 5, 2026.
How is the delivery duration estimated?
We plan design, development and testing as sequential phases. The schedule assumes 20 design hours per week, 60 combined development hours per week across two developers, and 30 testing hours per week. Project management runs alongside delivery. Each phase rounds up to whole weeks; the upper end allows 25% more effort.
The range starts at kickoff and assumes prompt feedback and ready content. Team availability, app store review and external delays must be confirmed before agreeing a launch date.
What is included, and what comes later?
Your range includes a mobile app, a basic backend, the features you select, design, testing, launch preparation and project management. Hosting, paid APIs, payment processing fees, app store accounts, taxes and ongoing maintenance are separate.
Games, regulated products, advanced AI, live video, complex offline sync and apps larger than 20 screens need a tailored estimate. App store approval time is outside the development scope.