February 27, 2017 With the continuous rise of mobile apps, there is no doubt that entrepreneurs place their ideas into creating one that’s going to break the market. Small businesses have even made it a necessity to have an app to easily connect with their customers who’ll need their products and services. There are a million apps out there and you’re ready to put your brilliant app idea into existence. But before you even start, you’ll probably think: How much does it cost to hire an app developer? Unfortunately, you won’t get a definite answer for this question. The price of developing an app would depend on the type of app you want to create, the platform, the kind of developers you want to hire, and so on. It’s not even final once your app is out there as you’ll need to continuously spend for app maintenance and security. The costs can be far from what you’ve imagined. But if your goal is to build a successful app on a par with the leading apps today, it’s better to trust the highly-trained and experienced app developers to make your investment all worth it. The Three App Categories It’s not that easy to provide an exact price for creating an app. First, you’ll have to identify the kind of app you want to make. Check out these three categories to find out where your app belongs: Apps without web servers Apps without web servers don’t use remote data servers. These are apps that bring your from one list to another until you reach a page with the needed information. Planners, calendars, and email apps are some of the apps that fall under this category. Estimated cost: 1,000 USD to 4,000 USD Apps with web servers Unlike the first category, apps with web servers need remote data servers that enable users to perform data searches on the app. Since these apps require more programming work, it can cost more than apps without web servers. Estimated cost: 8,000 USD to 50,000 USD Gaming apps And the most complex of them all is gaming apps, which need longer hours of work and skilled developers. The cost also depends on the type of game – from one-tap games to motion-controlled games – you want to create. Estimated cost: 6,000 USD to 250,000 USD Questions to Ask Yourself to Determine App Cost Beyond figuring out the best category where your app belongs, you’ll still need to be familiar with the factors that will determine how much your app can cost and at the same time, know your app developer’s estimated rates. Before assuming a price, ask yourself the following questions: What is my app? Think about what your app is. Is it a buy and sell app? An image filter app? Or maybe a calorie counter app? Determine the features it should have and be specific about it. What is my app’s platform? Choosing between iOS and Android also affects the costs you’ll spend on an app. Android’s various devices and screen sizes makes it more complex than iOS so expect to spend more when it comes to making apps for it. Who is my app developer? Things can get more complicated as you reach the point of searching the perfect person for the project offering rates that suit your budget. App developers are everywhere; you just need to know where to find them. Here are the different kinds of app developers out there: In-house developers If time and budget isn’t a problem for you, in-house developers may be your best choice. Having your own team who’ll understand your needs can save you from the headaches of revising your app several times because it doesn’t meet your vision. Hiring in-house developers means a costly long-term commitment for you especially if you plan on expanding your app. Developers from development agencies Creating your own team can be too time and energy-consuming, and you may prefer going to a one-stop shop where all the people you’ll need are available. This is when you can rely on going to a development agency. Development agencies are commonly hired by business owners who want to get a full package of experienced developers, designers, and project managers. However, this is the most expensive option with an estimated cost from 200 USD to 300 USD per hour. Freelancers The most affordable option would be freelance app developers. You can easily find these developers in freelancing websites such as upwork.com and freelancer.com. Hiring freelancers isn’t only quick and cheaper, but it can also provide you your ideal app with excellent quality. But just like the other options mentioned, going for freelancers has its cons too. Looking for the right freelance app developers in the mentioned service websites can be tricky as some unregulated accounts may belong to fakes and middlemen who pretend to be developers who’d give you low quality work that isn’t worth the price you pay. Things to Consider Before Hiring an App Developer Let’s start with the great tips inside this YouTube video and then we’ll follow up with our advice. You’ve finally learned about the different sources where you can find the qualified app developers out there. But, don’t forget to check the following factors before hiring one: Experience The cost you may spend in hiring an app developer first depends on their experience. Skills improve through years of experience and of course, you’d rather get someone who’s highly-skilled and can understand your vision in a snap. Ideally, get someone with over four years of experience in the app development industry. Portfolio Besides experience, look for the app developer’s portfolio of work as proof that they have the required skill to complete an app that meets what a client wants. Moreover, checking out their portfolio lets you know if they have worked on past projects similar to yours. Ratings and reviews Whether you want to hire freelancers or developers from agencies, check out what other clients have experienced from them. Ratings and reviews are helpful in determining if hiring someone is worth the time and price. Language A good app developer is someone who can understand you. Daring to transact with someone who doesn’t speak your language is already a way to wreck your own project. Choose someone who speaks your language even if his/her rates are higher than foreign developers who’d be difficult to talk to. Creating apps is no easy task where you, as a client, can easily set a fixed price. There are many factors to consider before you finally reach an ideal price where both you and the developer would be happy to agree on. Looking for the perfect app developer may sound expensive. But in today’s competitive app market, it’s better to trust the experts who can understand you and bring out your ideas into a product that exactly matches the way you imagined it.