The question how much does it cost to make an app has a bad reputation because almost nobody answers it. You ask for a quote, they reply “it depends,” and they ask for a meeting. And it does depend, of course, but it can be narrowed down a lot before sitting down to talk. Let’s see exactly what it depends on, with real ranges and with the items almost nobody tells you about until after you’ve signed.
The short answer
An app with a clear purpose, its own server, and published in both stores typically costs between 5,000 and 25,000 euros in the Spanish market. Below 5,000 there is usually a template with your logo on top; above 25,000 there are usually several people working for months and a complex product behind it.
That range is so wide because the price is not set by “the app”: it is set by four decisions you can make before asking for a quote.
The four things that drive the price
1. How many screens it has
This is the most direct variable. An app with ten screens costs roughly half as much as one with twenty, and the calculation is done screen by screen. Before asking for a quote, sketch on paper the screens you really need for the first version. Almost always there are fewer than it seemed.
2. Whether it needs its own server
An app that only shows information can live on its own. As soon as there are user accounts, changing content, notifications, or any data shared between devices, you need a server with its database and management panel. That takes between 30 and 50% of the budget, and it is the item most often underestimated.
If you already have a website with an API, or an ERP that exposes data, that part becomes much cheaper: the app connects to what already exists instead of building it from scratch.
3. Whether it charges inside the app
Charging in an app is not just adding a payment button. It involves the payment gateways of each store, subscriptions with their trial periods, purchase verification on your server — because the phone can be tampered with — and the commissions from Google and Apple. Add easily between 1,500 and 3,000 euros to the project.
4. Android, iOS, or both
With current tools, you develop once and publish on both platforms, so the extra cost of the second one is no longer 100% as it was a few years ago. Count on 20-30% more for the second store: it is not the code, it is testing on different devices and a second review round.
Indicative breakdown by phase
This is how a typical 9,000-euro project is split, so you can see where every euro goes:
| Definition | What it does, who it is for, and what the first version does NOT do. The document with the screens and the closed budget comes out of this. 8-12%. |
| Design | How it looks and how it is navigated. If you accept the standard components of each system, this item drops a lot. 10-15%. |
| App | The development of the screens and the logic on the device. 35-45%. |
| Server and panel | Database, API, management panel, backups, and scheduled tasks. 25-35%. |
| Publishing | Developer accounts, store listings, screenshots, privacy policy, data declarations, and review rounds. 8-12%. |
What almost nobody tells you: the cost of keeping it alive
The most expensive mistake is not getting the initial budget wrong: it is not accounting for the second year. An app is not delivered and forgotten.
- Developer accounts: Google charges 25 € one time; Apple, 99 € per year.
- Server: from about 20 € per month for something modest.
- Maintenance: from about 190 € per month, and it is not optional. Android raises the minimum level it accepts every year and Apple does the same: an app that is not updated to a newer version can no longer be updated in the stores and eventually disappears from them.
If someone quotes you an app without mentioning this, it is not that it is cheaper: it is that the bill comes later.
How to make the project cheaper without ruining it
- Cut the first version down. Anything that is not essential for the app to be useful to someone, leave it out. Add it later, once you know what people actually use.
- Use what you already have. If your website or ERP exposes data, the app connects to it and you save the entire server.
- Accept the standard components. A custom pixel-perfect design is beautiful and expensive; the components of each system are free and users already know how to use them.
- Start with one platform if your audience is clearly on one. You launch sooner and with less money.
When it is NOT worth it
It is worth saying: many ideas are better solved with a website. If what you need is to be found, show a catalog, or collect leads, a well-made website costs much less, is cheaper to maintain, and does not depend on two companies approving every update. An app makes sense when it adds something the browser cannot: working without coverage, push notifications, access to the phone’s hardware, or a use case so repeated that opening the browser becomes friction.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take?
Between two and four months to have it published, including the store review rounds, which do not depend on the developer.
Can I pay in installments?
The normal thing is to pay by phases, as they are delivered. Be wary of anyone asking for everything upfront.
Who owns the app when it is finished?
You do, and it is worth putting that in writing: the code, the developer accounts, and the data. If one day you want to change teams, it is handed over and that’s it.
Have you put a number on your idea? On our custom apps page you have the breakdown by phase, what is included and what is not, and what maintenance costs afterward. And if your case is better solved with a website, we will tell you.
Related guides
- Process automation, in case what you want to remove is repetitive work and an app is not needed.
- Professional website maintenance, the “keeping it alive” part applied to your website.
