The app development industry is one of the fastest growing among all the technology industries in the world.
This industry is motivated by high demand and is expected to surpass most other technology industry in the future.
The mobile application market size is standing at an astounding $250 billion with a CAGR to reach 14.3% from 2024 to 2030.
The key driving force behind the app development industry is the demand for apps and the affordability of developing apps.
If you have an industry that does not have a lot of barriers to entry and high returns, you have a recipe for success.
That is why in order to keep up with this recipe we need to find ways to cut down on app development costs without compromising the quality of the app.
That is not only going to help advance the popularity of mobile apps but it will also keep mobile application development companies afloat and also allow small and medium-sized businesses to have access to high-quality apps.
But is it possible to develop apps at very affordable rates and cut down on development costs without compromising the quality of the app?
It is very much possible and that is exactly what we are above to talk about in this blog where we will talk about techniques that are going to help you create mobile apps at very affordable rates and cut down on development costs without actually compromising the quality of the app.
The mobile application development market is very diverse with demands for different kinds of apps.
Let us start by understanding the key elements that determine app development costs.
Key Elements That Determine the Cost of App Development
UI/UX Design
The first key element that determines the cost of an app is the complexity of the User Interface (UI)and User Experience (UX) design of the app.
This is because a simple app interface is going to need less development time and the complexity of the different interactive elements is also going to be simple.
Compare that with a very complex User Interface (UI) and you have to spend more time on creating a design strategy, research and prototyping and testing out more design concepts and it is just going to take up more time.
Platform
The app platform is also a contributing factor to the cost of the app because there is actually a difference in development costs between different platforms. This is not because one platform is complicated than the other but it is because of other reasons.
For example, developing an app for Android is going to be much more affordable compared to iOS simply because there are more app developers and Android development is just more common.
Now imagine having to develop the app for iOS as well and you now have to spend twice for developing apps on two different platforms.
In order to reduce the development costs in this regard, clients are usually suggested to go with a cross-platform app that does not need different codebases.
Development Type
The development time is also a great factor that determines app development cost because you have a few options when it comes to development type.
The best option is always going to be in a native app that has been developed specifically for the platform utilising elements of the platform as well as the tools for that platform. This is the way to go if you do not want to compromise on performance.
You can also choose cross-platform options such as React Native or Flutter and they will reduce the development time because you are basically developing a single codebase but it will also compromise the performance.
App Complexity
The simplest element to understand that determines app development costs is going to be the complexity of the app.
If you are developing a simple app with basic functions then that can be developed quite fast and it is also not going to take up a lot of time and the entire thing is going to cost a lot less compared to a complex app.
For example, if you want to develop a calendar app then that is going to cost a fraction of what it will take to develop a gaming app.
This cost determination is also due to the fact that a simple app does not need a lot of features and complex apps are going to need more features and functionality, meaning more development time and greater cost.
Development Time
We now come to development time and this is one of the simplest metrics that determines app development costs simply because something that takes a lot of time to develop and program is going to cost more charges.
This is not exclusive to the app development industry and it is just if fact of every professional industry because developing something simple is going to take less time and it is also going to take up fewer resources and be less infrastructure intensive.
This is going to be an even more important factor if you choose development based on hours rather than the entire project.
Development Package
And finally, we come to the development package because it is impractical to calculate the app costs based on every individual element and that is why developers usually create packages that help clients conveniently estimate the cost of the project.
There are basic packages, advanced packages and even ultimate packages and so on with the basic package guaranteeing an app and ultimate packages guaranteeing support for a certain number of years.
This is one of the most practical methods used by developers to determine prices and it is used throughout the industry.
Best Ways to Cut Down on App Development Costs
Let us now look at the unique perspective of a client looking to hire an app development company and also cut down on app development costs without compromising on the app.
Research Before Hiring
Your first step of approach to cut down on app development costs is to do a lot of background research and market research before choosing or shortlisting companies for app development.
Not every company is created equally and some companies might have a lot of passion and talent but no experience regarding the type of development you want and there might be companies with the opposite.
That is why you need to look at company portfolios, read the reviews of the clients and also conduct interviews with the lead developers in order to understand their experience level and skillsets before choosing companies.
If you choose an inexperienced company then that is going to drastically increase the app development costs because the development process will not be as efficient as with an experienced company.
Create A Robust Plan
Your second objective should be to plan a road map of the project and milestones regarding the project and you need to define the project goals and clearly mention the features and functionalities you require.
If you do your part then it will be much easier for the app development company to follow in your footsteps in creating the app you desire.
You must also make sure to be in constant communication with them and ask them for strategies.
This can seem like a lot of work but micromanagement is the best way to ensure a reduction in app development costs without sacrificing the quality of the project.
Hire By the Project
There are generally two options before you, one of the options is to hire companies by the hour and the other option is to hire them by the project.
If you decide to hire them by the hour then it is going to cost you more most of the time apart from a few select cases.
That is why you need to hire developers by the project and this will make sure you have tight control over the budget.
This is also important so that your project development costs do not add up to something you never planned for.
This is also excellent if you do not want to have any disagreements with the company if you plan for a simple and clear agreement regarding project details and deadlines. Setting a price like this is easier to manage.
Use Open-Source Resources
If you do not want to sacrifice on the quality of the app but also reduce the cost of app development then you need to exclusively ask the developers to utilise open-source resources.
There are excellent open-source libraries and tools that you can utilise for app development and it will not only cut down the development time thereby reducing costs but it will also result in less subscription fees etc.
Open-source resources offer almost the same level of functionality and sometimes are even a better option.
Trust Cross-Platform Development
If you do not have the requirement for very high performance tolerances regarding your app then you should never choose a native app development option.
It is just not logical to spend extra money on getting the best kind of performance if your app does not serve a purpose like that.
For example, if the app development is for an eCommerce platform, then you do not need the best kind of performance that is needed for a gaming app.
That is why you can choose hybrid cross-platform options and it will reduce the development time by half simply because you are utilising a single codebase for the entire project and just adapting them to each platform.
Feedback-based Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
If you start with an MVP then it will ensure that the most essential features of the app are always in focus.
This is excellent because it is going to reduce time wastage and you can simply create a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), do a beta release and test out how it performs in the market.
If you are not sure about releasing it to the market then you can do limited private runs of the app and note down all the feedback so that you can follow a feedback-based development approach.
This reduces wastage and prioritises all the most essential features and this will at least guarantee that you have a working and functional app that is ready for the market.
If you decide to then you can add additional features later on based on additional feedback.
Utilise The Cloud
When we talk of app development costs, it not only includes the service charges of the app development company but also includes things that are required to run the app i.e., servers.
If you do not have any budget constraints and if you want to have the best kind of control and security as well as assurance of the performance of the app then you can set up your own servers and infrastructure to host the app.
However, if you want to cut down on app development costs without any significant quality sacrifice then you do not need a comprehensive server solution in the form of localised infrastructure.
You can get away with premium cloud services at a fraction of the cost and these are very capable options provided by capable cloud providers that offer a whole host of additional functionalities such as scalability and much more.
This will ensure that you can have the app running without thinking about creating your own IT infrastructure.
Templates Are Not So Bad
Since we are talking about cutting down app development costs, it does not really make sense to create extremely custom UIs.
If your app is not related to art or design then you can very well get away with templates with minimal customisation.
This will reduce the development time by a lot and there are actually excellent high-quality options out there that can be customised to a point that makes your app distinguishable from the rest of the competition.
You can then customise the template according to your brand projection and these templates are also quite stable which means you are not going to have reliability issues.
Think Of the End User
One of the most important things to do in order to reduce app development timelines and reduce inefficiencies is always to follow a very focused approach.
This focused approach can’t be any more basic than understanding the needs of the end-user.
That is why if you keep the base demographic in mind and their needs, you are going to reduce resource and time wastage.
Keeping the final consumer in mind will help you make better decisions and make more educated choices regarding what is the best approach.
Go For a Package Deal
And finally, the best way to ensure that you do not spend too much on app development and also not sacrifice on app quality is to actually not compromise on anything.
There are different kinds of pricing options with developers and one of the types of pricing options you can opt for is to individually select the different services that they offer.
This might seem like a good deal but it is actually the opposite because there are chances that you are going to miss out on a service if you individually select services like you are selecting PC components.
Instead, you should always choose the basic option developers provide in a package deal because it is going to contain everything from the app development services to maintenance and support services.
You can then extend the maintenance and support services after the primary deal is complete.
We hope this blog will help you choose the very best options when it comes to cutting down on app development costs and we sure hope you have a working and functional app that is ready to project your brand vision and help in business growth.
That is why if you are looking for some of the most experienced and versatile mobile app developers in the entire industry with extensive experience in working with diverse clients from multiple countries and diverse scales of projects then we are here for you.
We are Think To Share IT Solutions and we are renowned for our premium app development services as we ensure the best bang for your buck without sacrificing on quality or compromising on features.
In addition to that, we also provide a whole host of other IT services and there is hardly anything we do not do in the world of tech.
We welcome you to visit our website and check out everything we do.
