Are you thinking of creating a hybrid app targeting multiple OS but the cost is concerning you? Don’t fret! This blog covers factors affecting cross-platform app development costs and estimates how much it costs to make hybrid apps.
When it comes to mobile app development, business owners’ minds go straight to the native approach. Native vs Hybrid development has always been a hot debate topic among experts. However, through the native app development approach, businesses can make apps for a particular platform, iOS or Android.
To target both the OS, they need to hire an iOS app development agency for iOS development and an Android app company for developing Android apps. It can cost them a lot of bucks because the native approach needs different codes for different platforms.
That said, in today’s competitive scenario, if you (as a business) aim for targeting only one OS, you will be left behind. Because Android and iOS are leading OS with 72.7% (for Android) and 26.4% (for iOS) market share worldwide. But at the same time, businesses can’t afford to hire different developers for different platforms, especially startups.
What to do then?
Relax, don’t bother.
That’s where a cross-platform app development approach comes in to help you. Leveraging this approach not only lets you target Android and iOS but multiple platforms by using a single codebase.
Seems like you’ve got what you were looking for. Isn’t it?
What Is Cross-Platform App Development?
As the name suggests, cross-platform apps (or hybrid apps) are applications developed to function for multiple mobile platforms. These apps are compatible with more than one OS like iOS and Android.
In other words, cross-platform app development is about developing a single app that can run on various operating systems instead of developing app versions for each platform.
The hybrid approach uses a single codebase of CSS, HTML, and JS to build apps. These apps have a native look and feel due to the mix of native and independent code, fit for multiple platforms.
Why Should You Develop Cross-Platform Apps?
To put it straightforwardly, if you (as a business) aim to target multiple platforms for your app and earn more money, go with cross-platform without a second thought. Here are some reasons that will convince and encourage you to invest in cross-platform development right away. Check them out!
- Wider “Audience and Market” Reach – It’s simple, the more platforms your app supports, the large audience and market you can reach. With a cross-platform app development approach, you can maximize your market and audience reach. As a result, you can drive more installs and earn better revenue.
- Faster Time-To-Market – Using a single codebase helps you reduce around 60-70% of development time and efforts. Hybrid development frameworks like Flutter, React Native, Xamarin, and others accelerate the development process and develop the app in less time. Hence, the hybrid approach embraces faster time-to-market.
- Cost-Effective Development – Using a single codebase not only lessens the time and effort but also lowers the overall hybrid app cost. That said, you need to pay only one developer to build cross-platform apps. That’s why startups choose cross-platform over native development.
- Seamless Cloud Integration – The best thing is, cross-platform apps can leverage various plugins integrated with the cloud settings. Besides, businesses can leverage all the money-saving benefits that cloud-hosting has to offer you.
- Code Reusability – This is the biggest benefit of cross-platform app development. One can use a single codebase again and again. A single codebase can be used for multiple platforms and minimize the efforts of creating codes repeatedly.
Top 5 (Crucial) Factors Affecting Hybrid App Development Cost
App Type
To begin with, the type of app you want to develop decides the overall hybrid development cost. Depending on the categories, such as standalone apps, m-commerce apps, social networking apps, enterprise apps, on-demand apps, and others require different functionalities, features, design, and integrations. Hence, the cost varies. However, with a cross-platform approach, you will always have a win over in terms of price.
Number of Operating Systems (OS)
The cross-platform development cost depends on the choice of platform you choose to launch your app. However, broadly there are two leading platforms — iOS and Android.
If you choose the native app development approach, the cost varies from $40000 to $100,000 or more, depending on the features and functionalities. On the other hand, opting for a cross-platform development approach is cost-effective, where apps cost you somewhere between $20000 to $50,000 or more.
Design Requirements
Design can make or break your app. Your app design attracts users or pushes them away. That’s why you need to emphasize the app design, the simpler, easier, and engaging UI results in better UX.
If you want to take your app design game to a whole new level, consider hiring a creative app design firm that can design a perfect UI with amazing UX within your budget. The UX/UI design usually costs from $5,000 to $20,000 or more, depending on your app’s needs (and wants).
App Complexity
The cost to make cross-platform apps ultimately depends on the functionality and features you want in your app. The higher the functionalities, the more money you need to spend. If you want to develop a basic app with plain features, it will cost you less. However, if you wish to build an advanced app with complex features, it will cost you more.
Development Options: DIY vs Freelancer vs Agency
Who you choose to develop your mobile app also decides the hybrid development cost. If you decide to do it all by yourself, it will (for obvious reasons) not cost you more. But if you choose to hire a freelancer, it may cost you less as you only need to pay one single person for your work to be done.
However, hiring a well-versed app company that can develop your cross-platform app seamlessly is highly advisable as it comes with various perks. By opting for this, you can see what you pay for, such as project estimation, hourly rates, etc.
How Much Does It Cost to Build a Hybrid App?
The cost of any app development depends on the features, functionalities, integrations, designs, and various considerable things your app needs to operate. As said earlier, the more advanced the app is, the higher the cost will be. Mainly divided into three categories. Let’s check them out!
- Simple Apps (With Basic Features) – These apps are developed with MVP, standard UI, and basic features such as login, user profile, in-app purchases, search, etc. These apps usually start from $15,000 and go to $30,000 or more, depending on your requirement.
- Moderate Apps (With Average Features) – These apps are neutral in terms of features and functionalities integration. They have basic features along with some additional features like social login, geo-tracking, and more. These apps typically range from $25,000 to $45,000 or more.
- Advanced Apps (With Complex Features) – These apps have all the complex features you can think of. Moreover, these apps cannot be made via a DIY approach; you need to hire professionals for this. These apps cost you somewhere between $40,000 to $100,000 or more.
In Conclusion
This was it! We hope now you know the estimation of hybrid app development cost, and there’s no more confusion about the same. Depending on your app’s type, size, design, features, functionalities, and other needs, it can go from $20,000 to $100,000 or more.
Though if you want to know the exact hybrid app cost, we suggest you fix a meeting with a mobile app consultant that will thoroughly gauge your app needs and tell you the exact pricing. Good luck!
We would love to hear your comments relating to the post. Got some other thoughts? Drop us words through our contact page.
