App Development Cost Estimator (2026): Get a Price Range in One Minute

Updated October 2026 by the Cliffex team. Prices are in USD.

Answer six questions about your app and the estimator below gives you an indicative price range and timeline. It is based on the three kinds of project we build most often, from a focused MVP at $6,000 to $10,000 up to advanced platforms above $20,000. For a firm number, send us your project details and we will reply with a written quote.

How the estimator works

Each answer adds to a complexity score, and the score places your project in one of our three tiers. The tiers come from the projects we deliver, and the full breakdown of what each includes is in our guide to how much it costs to develop an app. Industry-wide, most app projects cost between $10,000 and $49,999, according to Clutch’s pricing data (updated September 2026).

The estimate is a starting point. Two apps with the same answers can still differ, for example when one integration turns out to need custom work, or when the content and data are not ready on time.

What the price includes

• Product discovery and technical planning
• UI/UX design
• Development, testing and deployment, including App Store and Google Play submission for mobile apps
• 30 days of post-launch support for fixes
• Source code and IP ownership transferred to you

What it does not include

• App store fees: Apple’s Developer Program costs $99 a year and Google Play charges a one-time $25 registration fee
• Hosting, domains, and paid services such as maps, email delivery or AI model usage, billed by those providers
• Maintenance after the first 30 days, billed hourly at $25 to $49 per hour depending on project complexity, always estimated and approved before work starts

Ways to lower the estimate

• Launch with fewer features. Decide what the first version must do and move the rest to a second release.
• Use one cross-platform codebase. Flutter or React Native can serve iOS and Android from the same code.
• Start from a proven design kit. Custom design can come later, once you know what users need.
• Have content and data ready. Delays waiting on text, images or access to other systems add time and cost.

Frequently asked questions

How accurate is this estimate?

It shows which of our price bands your project is likely to fall into. The exact price depends on details the estimator does not ask about, so we confirm it in a written quote before any work starts.

Has AI made apps cheaper to build?

For some parts of the work, yes. AI tools speed up setup, standard screens and tests, which helps us build a focused MVP from $6,000. Research results are mixed for complex work on large codebases, and design, business logic, security and testing still need experienced people. Our app cost guide covers the studies.

Do you build projects above $20,000?

Yes. $20,000 is where our advanced tier starts. Larger platforms, products with several apps and long-term development work are scoped individually.