What does mobile app development cost in the UK?
Probeck’s indicative investment is From £5,000 to £15,000 for a focused first release, From £15,000 to £40,000 for a connected application and From £40,000 for a complex platform. These are planning bands, not packages or guaranteed prices.
| Mobile project shape | What it might include | Probeck planning band |
|---|---|---|
| Focused first release | One main user journey, limited roles, a shared iOS and Android codebase, and straightforward backend services. | From £5,000 to £15,000 |
| Connected mobile application | Accounts, notifications, administration, file handling, payments or several integrations. | From £15,000 to £40,000 |
| Complex mobile platform | Several user groups, offline synchronisation, advanced device features, substantial data or separate interfaces. | From £40,000 |
A budget band describes likely scale, not an included feature list. Discovery is still needed to define the platforms, workflows and supporting systems. Probeck also develops browser-based operational software; businesses budgeting for an internal system or customer portal should use the separate bespoke application development cost guide.
How do iOS, Android and the development approach affect cost?
One mobile platform or both?
An iOS-only app can focus its design, testing and release work on Apple devices. An Android-only app can do the same for Google’s platform, although Android testing may need to cover a broad selection of devices and operating-system versions. Choosing one platform can reduce the initial scope where the intended users clearly favour it.
Supporting iOS and Android expands testing, store preparation and ongoing compatibility work. It does not always mean funding two separate applications: the development approach matters.
Native and cross-platform development
Native apps use platform-specific technology for iOS or Android. This can be appropriate where an experience depends heavily on a platform’s particular capabilities. Cross-platform frameworks such as React Native can share substantial application code between iOS and Android while still producing installed apps for both stores.
A shared codebase can avoid duplicating some work, but it does not automatically halve the price. Each platform retains different behaviours, permissions, device variations and release requirements. Both versions need design review, testing and maintenance. The detailed comparison of web apps, progressive web apps and installed mobile apps can help establish whether an app-store product is required at all.
What sits behind the mobile application?
The installed app may only be one interface to a larger system. Accounts and shared information commonly require backend servers, a database and an API that allows the app to read and update data. The project may also need file storage, notification services, payment processing, third-party integrations, monitoring and logs that help diagnose failures.
Consider a mobile job app used by field staff to view assignments, upload photographs and record completion. Managers may need a browser-based administration portal to allocate work, correct records, manage users and prepare reports. The mobile screens, central business system and management interface are connected parts of the same project, and each adds design, development and testing work.
Which mobile app features tend to increase the scope?
Accounts and authentication
User registration, sign-in, password recovery, account deletion and different permissions require both visible screens and secure backend behaviour. Social or biometric sign-in can improve the journey, but it still needs configuration and testing.
Notifications and device capabilities
Push notifications require permission handling, device registration, a sending service and rules defining who receives what. Camera uploads, location services, Bluetooth or other hardware access add platform permissions and real-device testing. Features should be included because they support the user’s task, not merely because a phone offers them.
Offline working and synchronisation
An installed app does not work offline automatically. It must store the right information locally, allow useful actions without a connection and synchronise safely afterwards. If a field employee updates a job while offline and an administrator changes it in the office, the system needs a rule for resolving that conflict. This can be considerably more involved than displaying cached content.
Screen sizes and accessibility
Layouts need to work across supported phones and tablets, with readable controls, appropriate labels and useful error messages. Testing should cover representative devices and operating-system versions rather than assuming one simulator proves the complete experience.
What does it cost to launch and maintain a mobile app?
Store release involves more than uploading a file. The business needs suitable developer accounts, signed release builds, store descriptions and images, privacy information, platform declarations and a tested production configuration. Store review may identify an issue or request information, so a resubmission allowance is sensible when planning a fixed launch date.
Apple currently lists its Developer Program at US$99 per membership year, or the local-currency amount where available. Google lists a US$25 one-time Play Console registration fee. These are third-party charges, not Probeck fees, and should be checked with Apple and Google before budgeting because account terms and prices can change.
After launch, allow for backend hosting, databases, storage, backups, monitoring, security maintenance, support and any email, SMS, mapping or payment services. Apple and Google release new operating-system and software development kit versions, while libraries and dependencies also change. Updates may require development, device testing and another store submission even when no new customer feature is being added.
What should a mobile app quotation include?
- The business problem, intended users and core first-release journey.
- Whether iOS, Android, phones and tablets are included.
- The native or cross-platform approach and relevant assumptions.
- Backend, database, API and administration requirements.
- Accounts, device features, integrations, offline behaviour and notifications.
- Design, accessibility, testing devices and customer acceptance.
- Store accounts, submission, hosting, monitoring and post-launch support.
- Code, data, intellectual-property and future maintenance arrangements.
Compare proposals against the same responsibilities. One supplier may include administration, quality assurance and store submission while another prices only the mobile interface. For delivery planning, see how long app development takes.
How can you control mobile app development costs?
- Confirm mobile is justified
Establish why installation, notifications, hardware or offline use matters. - Choose the first users
Prioritise one complete, valuable journey rather than every possible feature. - Investigate dependencies
Check data, APIs, store accounts and difficult device behaviour early. - Plan later releases
Keep useful ideas visible without making the first launch depend on them.
Cross-platform development and phased releases can control the initial scope where they suit the requirements. Removing necessary security, testing or backend administration simply moves cost and risk elsewhere. It is also worth checking whether an established product already solves the problem; the bespoke versus off-the-shelf guide provides a practical decision framework.
A mobile app can be part of a wider platform
The MyNetworx mobile app case study shows a documented Probeck example. Members use a React Native and Expo app across iOS and Android, while administrators use a connected PHP and MySQL web platform. A REST API, shared data, permissions, notifications and file storage sit behind the two experiences.
The case study does not publish a project budget or timescale. It demonstrates why the cost of a mobile application must account for the supporting system, not only what appears on the phone.
Mobile app development cost FAQs
Is it cheaper to build for iOS or Android?
There is no universal cheaper platform. The answer depends on the intended devices, required features, testing coverage and development approach. Supporting only one can reduce scope, but it may exclude important users.
Does React Native make an iOS and Android app half the price?
No. A shared codebase can reduce duplicated development, but design, permissions, testing, store release and platform-specific behaviour still need attention on both operating systems.
Can a mobile app be developed in stages?
Yes. A focused first release can serve one user group and complete one useful journey, with additional features introduced later. Every public release still needs appropriate security, reliability and testing.
How do I get an accurate mobile app quotation?
Explain who will use the app, their main tasks, intended platforms, device features, offline needs, existing data and required integrations. A discovery process should turn that information into a defined scope and assumptions.
Budget for the complete mobile service
The cost to build a mobile app follows the complete service: iOS and Android delivery, the data and APIs behind it, administration, store launch and continued compatibility. A smaller first release can be sensible when it still solves the intended problem reliably.
Explore Probeck’s mobile app development service for the delivery approach. A realistic quotation starts with the users, required platforms and business outcome rather than an assumed number of screens.