Mobile application development is a billion-dollar industry. With a number of famous mobile brands in the market, mobile app development companies and entrepreneurs are working hard to develop applications that work with the right audience. Facts speak for themselves. Apple remains as the top contender followed closely behind by Samsung.  Consequently, iPhone application development takes precedence as many companies understand Apple’s market dominance and the huge number of users for the iPhone, iPod, etc.

How much does it cost to develop an iPhone application? It depends on several considerations that we explore in this post. You can make a robust app for Apple proprietary smart devices while keeping the cost involved in iPhone App Development Services significantly lower.

Types of iPhone Applications

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A common mistake made by many entrepreneurs is to jump into estimating the general cost of their app before even deciding on what they are building. iPhone apps are segregated into 4 types which makes easy to guess the cost of the iPhone Application Development task in singularity.

  • Table Based/ Basic Apps
  • Database Apps
  • Multi-features/Enterprise Apps
  • Games

Let’s dive into details of these iOS application categories, that iPhone Application Development resources mostly go after.

Table Based/ Basic Apps

These are the relatively simple and easier to design apps with a budget anywhere in between $1000-$3000; provided you have all the content, logo and graphics available to include in the app. It does not sound pricey at all, does it? However, this estimate is for an app that is minimal in design and features. By enhancing the feature-list, the cost will go up.

Database Apps

Also known as native apps, these are very advanced and complex in design which makes the cost fall anything in the range of $8,000 – $20,000 and the cost may go higher depending on the functionality offered in the app. As the entire functioning of the app is data-driven, database apps require a lot of work from the developers who have to work on the nitty-gritty of the app. This would start off by understanding the business logic, creating a flow within the app to make it usable and using the content for the development of the app. Sounds complicated? It sure does. That is why only the best possible mobile app developers are associated with the development of database apps.

Multi-features/Enterprise Apps

Considered as the core of your business, these apps allow users to access their information through any device or web browser.  Such apps are enriched with several key features along with extensive and classy interface design.  Multi-featured apps can cost from $50,000 onwards.

Games

Considered as the most challenging option for iPhone app development, games cost anything in between $25,000 – $250,000.  However, with costs so high; the returns are also higher. Imagine that the game you develop turns out to be a real success story.  Consider the owners of Candy Crush Saga, Angry Birds, or Temple Run – enjoying a huge streak of success. But, all these games have something in common; catchy graphics, interesting games to sustain the user’s attention as well as a continuous stream of features to enhance the overall user interest. Because of a higher ROI, games are the most popular choice of iPhone app development for many entrepreneurs and companies.

Luckily for you, Techliance has the necessary resources and know-how needed to design and develop iPhone applications from any three categories.

Finding the right expertise

Here comes the tricky part. There are many so-called developers and companies who have the skills to develop your iPhone application but are they really worth it? Apart from finding a developer, you also have to consider someone for analysis, testing, quality control, etc. All these aspects are also core fundamentals in iPhone app development. Someone on the Internet summed up this predicament very aptly:

For your iPhone app development, you can either:

  1. Get a newbie programmer to do it
  2. Get some random programmer to do it
  3. Take it to a reputable company

Any of these options can get you a fix for your problem, but each of these solutions has its own down-side. Despite the fact that option A & B have the obvious benefit of cost-effectiveness, do you really think you can get an ordinary next-door geek to program and develop a flawless application? You might get a solution that is seemingly correct but who knows how effective the algorithm or for that matter the coding practices are?

Similarly, option C is calling out for you “show me the money”; meaning you need to make a substantial financial investment to develop an app from a reputable company in the market. You may feel that you are spending more, but Top iOS app development companies offer you value for money while keeping turnaround time much low. They deliver you more than requirements and their solutions require less maintenance, so the application budget incurred remains cost-effective.

A beginner designer would cost somewhere between $5000 – $15,000 while a developer would cost you $10,000 – $25,000. Established freelance developers or companies can charge anywhere in between the range of $20,000 – $100,000.

Apart from this, also consider the testing charges for ensuring that your app works correctly in accordance to the agreed design. Depending on your application, expect to spend $8,000-$30,000 during the testing phase.

What should be your hiring criteria?

There is no hard and fast rule in hiring resources for iPhone app development. There are some relatively new programmers in the market who can really get the job well done and sometimes even the best of companies fail to deliver the customer requirements. However, it is a human psyche to go for someone experienced in their expertise.  You can compile a check-list with questions to ask for filtering the top candidates for the job.

  1. Have they already developed iPhone apps before? If so, can they prove it?
  2. Do you find their portfolio trustworthy?
  3. Can they provide a track record for quality and on-time delivery?
  4. Do they have a degree or background in Computer Science?

Often, such questions help in narrowing down who should be approached for your iPhone app development. Eventually, you are able to find someone competent for your project.  It is in common knowledge that the time and cost spent on “correcting” a code is far more than getting the code right in the first place.

This is the difference between ordinary programmers and experts who know their job. By hiring the services of a reputable company, although you may be paying a lot you are likely to get your promise fulfilled by the development of an impeccable and flawless solution. This is where Techliance provides its customers quality mobile application development services with a track record to prove their stance in the industry.

Can off-shoring reduce the overall project costs?

To a considerable extent, yes off-shoring is a viable and cost-effective option that many entrepreneurs opt for. However, long-distance communication can be a damper and eventually prove to be a huge gap between expectations and deliverance of requirements. This makes it all the more reason to have an effective communication channel. For starters, document everything! From design to requirements to analysis – everything that is essential for development.

Many of the off-shore based mobile app development companies have the tools and resources to manage from small-scaled to large-scaled iPhone app projects. Finding the right company with the right expertise in your project is the main game. A lot of entrepreneurs also want to consider the cost of outsourcing their development – any project would usually cost somewhere between $10,000 – $40,000.

With Techliance, consider your search to be over as we have the top-notch team of developers, testers, designers and marketing experts to give you a product that meets your expectations within the promised deadlines and agreed budget.

Are there any additional costs to bear in mind?

Yes, iPhone app development also incurs additional costs that you should be ready for. The development of your app is only the beginning; afterward, you need to pay an annual registration fee of $99 to Apple. You will be eligible for 70% of your app sales revenue.

If the app relies on a webserver to store your user’s data then you need to pay anywhere between $20-$80/month depending on server configuration. Remember, this will be a recurring charge for server support and maintenance.

Before you market your app, you need to consider upfront research and legal issues so that you can ensure that your app’s name does not violate another trademark. App marketing is also an essential element that should be considered part of the iPhone app development. Consider $2500 for app marketing that will be beneficial in creating the necessary buzz for your app.

Social media integration is also another important aspect to include which usually costs somewhere between $500 – $1500.

Final Thoughts

iPhone application development is a multi-process experiment. When someone talks about developing an iPhone app, they are collectively implying about the various stages involved in it. These include analysis, documentation, design, as well as programming/coding, testing, marketing, and continuous support for the app. Therefore, it can be safely said that developing an iPhone app is a manifold process that involves precarious planning at each step of the way.

Developing an iPhone app can be pricey but with the right resources and thorough planning, you can develop a sound application that delivers the exact customer requirements and enable you to become a successful entrepreneur in the market. Talk with Techliance to transform your iOS-based app idea into reality, while keeping iPhone Application Development cost much less.