How much does a mobile app cost in 2026? Detailed DualMedia pricing, price factors, timelines, and a personalized quote for your project.
How much does a mobile app really cost in 2026? The honest answer: between €8,000 for a showcase app and more than €200,000 for a complex business platform. At DualMedia, a Paris-based agency specializing in web and mobile development, we price each project based on its actual features, with no prepackaged flat rate and no surprises along the way. Here’s how the price of a mobile app is built, and what makes it vary from one extreme to five times as much.
Mobile app pricing: 2026 ranges
Three orders of magnitude to help you quickly get your bearings before going into detail.
| Project type | Development budget | Average timeline | Annual maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Showcase app or simple MVP (content, forms, login) |
€8,000 – €25,000 | 2 to 4 months | €1,200 – €5,000 |
| Business app or e-commerce app (payment, customer area, back office) |
€25,000 – €70,000 | 4 to 8 months | €5,000 – €20,000 |
| Complex platform (marketplace, SaaS, fintech, healthcare) |
€70,000 – €200,000 and up | 8 to 18 months | €20,000 and up |
These ranges correspond to development by a French agency, with a detailed functional specifications document. For a fixed quote, plan on an in-depth scoping of your project.
The 5 factors that determine the price of your application
1. Functional complexity
This is the number one budget driver. Each feature represents a volume of person-days, and therefore a quantifiable amount:
- Authentication + account management : €1,500 – €4,000
- Integrated online payment (Stripe, Mollie, PayPal) : €3,000 – €8,000
- Advanced push notifications (segmentation, automation) : €1,000 – €3,000
- Geolocation + mapping : €2,000 – €6,000
- Real-time chat : €4,000 – €10,000
- User area with admin back office : 5 000 € – 15 000 €
- AI / recommendation module : 8 000 € – 25 000 €
2. Targeted platforms: iOS, Android, or both
Three technical choices with a direct impact on the quote:
- A single native platform (iOS or Android): baseline reference
- Native iOS + Android (Swift + Kotlin): x1.7 to x1.9 the price of a single platform
- Cross-platform (React Native, Flutter): x1.2 to x1.4, making it the most cost-effective option in 80 % of cases
Native remains preferable for apps that require advanced graphical performance, real-time features, or extensive hardware access. Cross-platform is unbeatable for standard business and e-commerce apps.
3. Design and user experience
A template-based design starts at a few hundred euros. A custom design — with wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, and a tested interactive prototype — ranges between 4 000 € and 15 000 €. It’s an investment, not an expense: UX designed for actual use cuts drop-off after the first launch in half.
4. Third-party integrations
Each external API adds development time and sometimes recurring costs:
- Stripe / Mollie : 2,9 % + 0,25 € per transaction, 2 to 5 days of integration
- Mapbox / Google Maps : volume-based pricing, 1 to 3 days
- Firebase / Supabase : free tier then progressive subscription
- CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive) : 3 to 10 days
- Analytics tools (Mixpanel, Amplitude, GA4) : 1 to 3 days
5. Security and GDPR complorance
A healthcare or fintech project, or one handling sensitive data, must plan for a dedicated budget. Expect 5 to 15 % of the total budget for the security audit, encryption, certified hosting (HDS for healthcare, ISO 27001), logging, and granular consent management. This is an area where we do not compromise: a GDPR failure is paid for in fines and reputation, not in a few thousand euros.
How long does it take to develop your application?
The timeline depends on the functional scope and the level of design required. Here are a few concrete benchmarks:
- Simple MVP : 8 to 16 weeks
- Business app or e-commerce app : 16 to 32 weeks
- Complex platform : 32 to 72 weeks
Our advice: an MVP delivered in 3 months is better than a perfect app delivered in 12. Testing the market early avoids wasting tens of thousands of euros on features no one uses.
Costs to anticipate after launch
Development is only one line in the overall budget. Plan for the following in the first year:
- Hosting : €30 to €500 per month depending on traffic
- Publisher fees : 99 $/year for Apple Developer, a one-time 25 $ for Google Play
- Ongoing maintenance : 10 to 20 % of the initial budget per year
- User support : variable depending on volume
- Acquisition marketing : often underestimated, allow for 20 to 40 % of the total budget in the first year
Why choose DualMedia rather than a freelancer or an offshore agency?
This question comes up in every scoping discussion. Here are the actual differences observed:
| Criteria | Freelance | Offshore | DualMedia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average daily rate | 400 – 800 € | 150 – 300 € | 600 – 900 € |
| Team continuity | High risk | Variable | Stable team |
| Reactivity | Good | Time zore difference | Local, Paris |
| GDPR Compliance | To be checked | Often problematic | Contractual warranty |
| Quality process | Depends on the profile | Variable | QA + automated testing |
| Post-launch support | Limited | Variable | Maintenance contract |
A senior freelancer can absolutely deliver a simple app. For a project costing €50,000 or more, the risk of unavailability (illness, another client, dropping out) becomes problematic. Offshore remains relevant for very large volumes where a French team manages external developers — not to deliver a project directly without an intermediary.
5 tips to optimize your mobile app budget
- Start with an MVP. Identify the 3 to 5 essential features, deliver them well, add the rest after the first user feedback.
- Choose cross-platform if your needs allow it. React Native or Flutter often cut the bill in half without any notable sacrifice in quality.
- Leverage your website. If you already have a back end, a good part of it can be reused for the app via API.
- Plan your content ahead. Delays in delivering text, photos, and videos are the leading cause of timeline and budget overruns.
- Avoid “all-inclusive” quotes. A quote broken down by functional package is always more precise and easier to negotiate.
Our estimating methodology at DualMedia
Four steps for a transparent quote:
- Free scoping (45-minute video call): we discuss your goals, constraints, and budget.
- Specifications workshop (1 to 3 days): functional scope, user journeys, technical choices. Dedicated fee deductible if the project is signed.
- Detailed estimate by work package with justification for each line item.
- Fixed-price quote with commitment on scope, price, and deadlines.
FAQ — Price of a mobile application
Can you estimate my project without a detailed specifications document?
Yes, the initial free scoping provides an indicative range. A fixed estimate then requires a structured brief, which we co-build through our specifications workshop.
Does an iOS app cost more than an Android app?
The development cost is almost identical for equivalent features. The real differences are commercial: Apple targets a higher average basket, Google a broader user volume. Publisher fees differ: 99 $/year for Apple Developer, 25 $ one-time for Google Play.
What share does maintenance represent in the total budget?
Between 10 and 20 % of the development cost per year for adaptive and corrective maintenance, hors hosting and marketing.
Do you work with a budget of less than €10,000?
For this budget, we generally orient clients toward a responsive web app or a PWA, which are better suited than a native application. We remain transparent about what actually matches your budget: a properly sized project is better than a poorly conceived app.
Does DualMedia handle publication on the App Store and Google Play?
Yes. Publication, writing the store listings, and ASO optimization (App Store Optimization) are included in our services.
Do you offer installment payments?
Yes. Payment is made in several milestones aligned with the delivery of functional work packages (typically 30 % upon signing, then staggered until production launch).
Let’s discuss your project
Free video call scoping, detailed quote within 5 business days.
A project manager will personally respond to you.