An app development cost calculator estimates the budget and timeline required to build a mobile or web app by combining platform scope, feature set, team structure, and regional rates. Use this free estimator to get a realistic ballpark before you hire a freelancer, agency, or in-house team.
Compare iOS, Android, web, or cross-platform builds, stack up features like auth, payments, chat, AI, or offline mode, then export the estimate for your planning docs or pitch deck.
Need more than an estimate? Pitch the idea on Pitch An App and turn community interest into a real build decision.
Select the platforms, features, team setup, and region that best match your first release.
Each feature shows its live cost impact based on your current team, region, and complexity assumptions.
3 features selected
Use the same sequence most founders follow before they request proposals.
Step 01
Choose whether the first version should launch on web, native mobile, or a cross-platform stack.
Step 02
Select the capabilities that materially change build effort, testing load, and infrastructure needs.
Step 03
Freelancers, agencies, and in-house teams have different hourly rates and shipping velocity.
Step 04
Use the budget and timeline as a scoping baseline for fundraising, hiring, or vendor conversations.
Straight answers to the questions founders ask before they hire a team.
A lean app MVP can land around the low five figures, while feature-rich mobile or web products often move into the mid five figures or six figures. The final budget depends most on scope, team type, geography, and how much custom functionality you need.
Platform count, realtime features, payments, video, AI, and custom admin tools are common budget drivers. Complexity compounds quickly when you add multiple platforms, offline sync, or several third-party integrations.
Hourly rates are usually lower with a freelancer, but timelines can stretch because one person covers design, engineering, QA, and project management. Agencies cost more per hour but can compress delivery with a broader team.
Often, yes. A cross-platform codebase can reduce duplicated iOS and Android work for an MVP, especially when feature parity matters more than deep native customization.
This estimator includes discovery, UI implementation, backend setup, QA buffer, and the selected feature scope. It does not include app store fees, long-term maintenance retainers, paid marketing, or heavy compliance work.
After you estimate the build, use the rest of the free toolset to refine branding, market positioning, monetization, and fundraising.
Find brandable app names after you know what you can afford to build.
Map the market before you spend budget on the wrong feature set.
Pressure-test how your app could make money once the scope is clear.
Turn your budget estimate into a sharper funding or sales narrative.