What published app prices look like
Most development firms quote only after a call. A few publish ranges, and the largest review directory publishes an average from its client reviews:
| Source | Simple app | Medium app | Complex app |
|---|---|---|---|
| SparxIT (updated 18 August 2026) | $15,000–$50,000 · 2–4 months | $50,000–$120,000 · 4–6 months | $120,000–$200,000+ · 9–12+ months |
| Velvetech (updated 7 August 2026) | $40,000–$100,000 | $100,000–$200,000 | $200,000–$400,000 |
| Across client reviews | Figure |
|---|---|
| Average app development project | $90,780.11 |
| Typical reviewed project | $10,000–$49,999 |
| Typical timeline | About 11 months |
Source: Clutch, app development pricing guide (updated 21 September 2026). All figures checked on 5 October 2026 — prices change, so confirm on each page.
Why “simple” costs $15,000 at one firm and $40,000 at another
The two published “simple app” ranges overlap only between $40,000 and $50,000. Neither is wrong. “Simple” is a label, not a scope, and each firm fills it with different assumptions: one sign-in method or three, an admin screen or none, one language or two, tests and a security review or neither.
Clutch’s own guide makes the same point from the other side: industry does not move the price much — features do.
What actually decides the cost
These are the areas that move an app from one bracket to the next:
| Area | What it adds to the work |
|---|---|
| Sign-in and accounts | Password reset, social sign-in, roles for staff versus customers |
| Payments | Refunds, failed payments, receipts, records that agree with the money |
| Integrations | Each outside system has its own owner, sign-in and limits |
| An admin side | Someone has to manage users, content and problems — usually a second app |
| Regulated data | Health or EU personal data brings controls an auditor will ask about |
| Platforms | iPhone, Android and web are three surfaces to build and test |
| Quality | Automated tests and a security review — lines in the quote, or missing |
Screen count matters far less than how many of these your app needs on day one.
What published ranges leave out
Most published ranges stop at launch. Hosting, updates for new phone operating systems, security fixes and support continue after it. A quote that shows them as separate lines lets you compare the real cost, not the opening number.
Questions to ask before you accept a quote
- What is not included? Ask for the list in writing.
- What does the price assume? Number of users, platforms, languages, who writes the content.
- Are tests and a security review lines in the quote — or a sentence in the proposal?
- How long does the price hold?
- How is a change priced — before you approve it, or on the invoice?
How Pricient quotes an app
Describe the app. Today a person runs the intake with you by email. Before you pay anything you receive the specification, wireframes of every screen, the Not in this release list, the assumptions register and a three-tier itemized quote with blended totals — QA and security in every tier, every spec and quote reviewed by a person, and the price locked for 14 days.
For founders, the launch-ready MVP starts from $7,500, fixed once your spec is agreed: live 3 weeks after the spec is agreed, security-hardened, 80% test coverage and three months of support (more for founders).