How much a mobile app costs to build in 2026

The price of a mobile app is set by the volume of work, not by the idea. The same idea can be built as a compact product in a month or as a platform that takes a year to construct. So instead of a single figure, we will give you the framework to judge for yourself which range your project falls into and how to manage it without letting the budget slip away.

An illustration of a smartphone with modules orbiting around it: design, backend, integrations and notifications, which shape the price of the mobile app — The app is the phone in the middle, but the price is formed by everything that orbits around it.

What the price depends on

Platforms: iOS, Android or both

If it is built natively, each platform is a separate project with separate code. With cross-platform technologies like React Native or Flutter, one codebase covers both, which cuts a serious part of the work. For most business apps this is the right choice, and that is why we offer it by default.

Number of screens and flows

Every screen is design, development and testing. An app with 5 screens and an app with 30 screens are different worlds. Even more important are the flows: registration, ordering, payment, chat. Every flow brings states, errors and edge cases that have to be handled.

Backend and administration

If the app only shows static content, a backend is barely needed. But as soon as there are user profiles, orders, content that gets updated, or communication between users, a server side appears with a database and often an admin panel from which you manage everything. The backend is regularly half the budget, and clients regularly forget it at the first estimate.

Integrations

Payments, maps and geolocation, notifications, a link to an inventory program or ERP, login through Google and Apple. Every integration is extra work, but also extra value. The good news is that for most of them there are mature ready-made services that we use instead of reinventing the wheel.

Design

A templated interface on top of ready-made components is one extreme, a fully custom design with animations and its own visual identity is the other. The truth for most projects is in the middle: a clean, considered design that follows the platform guidelines and does not scare the user.

Indicative market ranges

We stress this: the ranges below are indicative and summarise what we see on the Bulgarian market. The exact price is always set after a conversation and a clarified brief.

Criterion	Simple app	Medium app	Complex app
Example	Catalogue, business card, bookings with a few screens	Profiles, orders, payments, notifications	Marketplace, real-time chat, complex logic
Screens	Up to 8 to 10	10 to 25	25 and more
Backend	Minimal or a ready-made service	Own backend with admin panel	Extensive backend, integrations, scaling
Indicative price	Around 8,000 to 20,000 BGN	Around 20,000 to 60,000 BGN	Over 60,000 BGN
Timeline	1 to 3 months	3 to 6 months	6 and more months

The hidden costs to ask about up front

Store accounts. The Apple Developer Program costs 99 dollars a year, while the Google Play Console is paid with a one-off fee of 25 dollars. Small sums, but mandatory.
Support and updates. iOS and Android ship new versions every year, and the app has to be tested and updated to keep working flawlessly. A sensible framework is 15 to 20 percent of the initial investment per year.
Hosting and services. The backend lives on a server, and notifications and analytics may carry monthly fees as the number of users grows.
Marketing. Publishing in the store does not bring users on its own. The budget for attracting them is a separate conversation, but it is worth having early.

The budget is managed best when time and value are looked at together, not separately.

How to cut the budget without killing the product

There is a big difference between saving on scope and saving on quality. The first is a strategy, the second is a debt you pay with interest.

Start with an MVP. Choose the few features that solve the user’s core problem and launch those. The rest is added after real feedback.
Choose cross-platform development. One codebase for iOS and Android saves both money and support time going forward.
Use ready-made services. Login with Google and Apple, payments, notifications and analytics are not written from scratch in 2026.
Do not cut testing. A bug found after launch costs many times more than a bug caught before it, and with the interest of bad reviews in the store on top.

The most expensive app is not the one with the high quote, it is the one that gets built twice.

The next step

If you are considering an app, the most useful thing you can do is to describe the problem you are solving and who you are solving it for. With that in hand, we can propose a scope, timeline and price that hold together. See how we work on the page for mobile app development and write to us.

Frequently asked questions

Why do the prices of mobile apps vary so much?

Because a mobile app is not a product off the shelf, it is a bespoke service. The price depends on the number of screens and features, on whether there is a backend and integrations, on the level of design and on the team's experience. Two apps with the same name for the idea can differ several times over in the volume of work.

Is an app for a single platform cheaper?

Yes, if it is built natively for each platform separately. With cross-platform technologies like React Native or Flutter, however, one codebase covers both iOS and Android, so the difference between one and two platforms becomes small. That is why most business projects start cross-platform today.

What are the running costs after the app is launched?

The minimum are the store accounts: the Apple Developer Program is paid annually, while the Google Play Console has a one-off fee. To that you add hosting for the backend, support and periodic updates for the new versions of iOS and Android. It is reasonable to set aside an annual support budget on the order of 15 to 20 percent of the initial investment.

How do I cut the budget without ruining the product?

Cut scope, not quality. Start with an MVP version with a small number of features that solve the core problem, choose cross-platform development and use ready-made services for login, notifications and payments instead of writing them from scratch. Saving on testing and support costs more later.

How long does it take to build a mobile app?

A simple app usually takes one to three months, an app of medium complexity from three to six months, and a large product with an extensive backend can exceed six months. To the development time, add the review time in the App Store and Google Play before publishing.