How much does it cost to build an app?

The most frequent question I have been asked over the last 10 years is "How much does it cost to build an app?" This justified request has given me a lot of angst and frustration but now, after years of "umming and aaahing" and issuing responses with caveats, I've decided the time has come to back my experience and answer the tough question.

My reluctance to reply with a straight-up number previously is well founded. The variances are huge and project briefs are often too brief to provide a dollar amount that is even close to accurate. Over the last 2 years though I have discovered that my team's ballpark estimates are increasingly pretty damn close, and I figure that since so many potential customers are asking - I should be able to provide an answer!

To some these amounts will seem huge, to others they will be tiny. Rest-assured there are plenty of companies spending MILLIONS on their app development. My job is to make the case that engaging specialist, nimble, well-established and highly-experienced development houses are a better way to go. As the Appster experience demonstrated (see link in comments) throwing money at the big-guys is not always the safest option.

An important note - the costs below include often-forgotten software for managing your application content and data and supporting your user-base. This "invisible" stuff can often be a fair percentage of the build cost.

So here we go...  

App type number 1 - The promotional app. Has registered users and dynamic, updatable content.

AUD$35,000

App type number 2 - The idea app. Has all of the above, plus features, rules and behaviours custom-tailored to implement your idea and build a fully-functioning solution for your user-base. These apps always need a database and accompanying web portals / administration sites.

AUD$180,000

App type number 3 - The business app. Re-imagines and improves your business processes. Makes your business more efficient, simple and fun to work for or be a supplier/customer with. These require the app developers to become an extension of your business for the period of development. This is where I love to be as a developer as it is where you can make the most difference and provide huge demonstrable ROI. Usually includes integration with existing systems and training for your employees / contractors / customers.

AUD$350,000

Phew... That was therapeutic. I feel better now. Maybe I should try embracing my other pain-points. "Hey Daniel, I have an idea for an app. It's Tinder crossed with Uber with some Facebook features thrown in."  Aaagggghhhh! Ok one step at a time.