Published on May 10th, 2023
We bet that you were completely smitten when you first got your hands on an iPhone or rather any other Apple product. Who was not? Life was only fine, before Apple entered and transformed it forever.
We are also certain that many of you, startupreneurs, aspire to build elegant iOS applications. However, it’s easier said than done. You need to be absolutely confident about your application before you commit time and money to develop it. If you have already surpassed that stage, then you just need to look for an iOS app development company that turns your sweet dreams into a sweeter reality, or you can always do it in-house.
Obviously, you can not just dive into the app-making process. You should know how much you need to lose your purse strings and how much you can avoid doing. But before you get into the cost analysis of your iOS application, you must understand what an iOS application is.
What is an iOS Application?
Obviously, an iOS application is an application that runs on and only on Apple devices. As Apple devices have their exclusive iPhone Operating System (iOS), you can not run an iOS application on any other operating system.
An iOS application will make use of Swift, a programming language developed by Apple. Swift is a developer’s best friend. The language does not require you to write codes for hours and therefore develops an application in significantly less time.
Below reasons why an iOS application will always be your first bet –
1. Apple’s panache is unmatched, an obvious reason why Apple has been selling 200 million iPhones each year (Statista Report). By creating an iOS application, you are expanding the market reach of your business.
2. For the sake of developers, Apple has curated its own software development kit (SDK). Developers can easily access Apple’s state-of-the-art tech to develop applications that create seamless user experience.
3. We have already stated how Apple’s programming language, Swift, is responsible for the reduction of time and effort of a developer. The reduction is significant when compared to Java or any other programming language. When man-hours go down, so does the expense of an entrepreneur.
4. It will not be an overstatement if we call Apple a pioneer in fighting cybercrimes. Therefore, when you build an iOS application, you can sit back and relax because Apple would make every last effort to shield it from cyber-terrorists.
We know that you are all geared up for the next section – the cost statement of developing an iOS application.
Cost Estimation Formula Build an iPhone App
Do not worry! We are not going to scare you off with a perplexing mathematical formula for the calculation of expenses you are going to bear for the development of your iOS application. No, we will not do that. Rather, we choose to take you slowly through the process – one step at a time.
We will first render you an understanding of the elements involved in the process. We have stated them below –
1. Front End Design –
In simplest terms, front-end design, also called client side, is the design that the user of your application will witness, use and engage with. Buttons, bars, menus, etc come under front-end design.
UI and UX are quintessential elements of front-end design. Your application cannot exist without them. How a user visually interacts with your application comes under User Interface (UI) design. Through the User Experience (UX) design, you can determine the architecture of your application and lead a user through your application.
2. Back End Design:
The back-end design is what makes the front-end design work. It holds key responsibility for running your application via servers and efficiently stores data collected from the user.
Back-end design is like the backstage crew of a play that does not perform in the play on the stage but ensures that the play must go on.
3. Platform:
You can buy or create your own platform for the development of your mobile application. A mobile application development platform (MADP) is software on which you can create your application.
By testing your application multiple times on a platform, you can make modifications to it. Apple has the Xcode platform to deploy iOS mobile applications.
Now that you have a fundamental understanding of what it takes to build an application, we can safely introduce the cost estimation formula for the development of an iOS application which is given below:
(Front End Design hours + Back end Design hours + Platform Development hours)*Hourly Rate of Developers
You have to simply add on the time spent on the development of the front end, back end, and platform and multiply it with the prevalent rate to come at the cost of the development of your iOS application.
It seems simple, isn’t it? But things are never this easy when it comes to app development and that too an iOS application. Before hiring an iOS app development service for your iOS app, you have to keep in mind the variables that directly affect your cost. It is what we are going to discuss next.
What are the variables that directly affect the cost of your iOS app?
We have elaborately stated below the factors that affect the cost calculation of your iOS mobile application –
1. Size of the iOS Application –
If your iOS mobile application must accommodate hoards of features to enhance its usability, you have no other option but to increase its size. A larger application will have space for more screens and can perform additional tasks. But if such is not the case, your business can do with a simpler, smaller iOS application.
Now, you have to understand that the size of the application will influence the man-hours a developer will work to develop it. The more man-hours, the more money you will be paying to your iOS development company.
A simple iOS application usually takes 2-4 months to develop. So, you will incur an expense of an average of $ 16,500. A medium application will take double the time and cost around $ 37,500, whereas a large iOS application can amount to more than $ 50,000.
(Note – This is a general idea of the expense. It will definitely vary because there are multiple other factors that you will need to account for.)
2. Complexity of the iOS Application –
If you are keen to create a fulfilling user experience via your iOS application, it will get complex. It has to be complex if you want to increase the functionality of your iOS application.
To create such an app, in which inventive features are woven with care to create an exquisite application experience, you will need experts. You will need modern tech. You will need money. The table stated below will aptly illustrate our point –
A quick glance over the above-mentioned table will show you that a complex iOS application will serve the target user better than a simple one if your business commands so. We have summarised below how a complex iOS application differs from a simple one –
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In-App Integration with Third Parties –
Isn’t it so much simpler when you can sign in to a new application through your Google account? You feel relieved that you do not have to create a new account, come up with a strong password and remember it forever.
What has made it possible? The complex iOS application integrates with other applications and makes the lives of the users much easier. The user can easily make payments or perform other tasks while they are on the application.
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Backend Development –
If your application can work with a basic backend structure, also called BaaS, then things are pretty simple and less expensive for you. However, if your application has dynamic features which do not run on a basic backend architecture, then you will have to pay more to your iOS app development company to build the one that supports your application.
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Admin Panel –
An element that an advanced iOS application can not do without is the admin panel. An admin panel keeps track of the activities happening on the application. You can use the statistics of the admin panel to improve engagement on your application.
3. Design of the Application –
It is God’s truth when we say that the design of your iOS application is the core element of your application. Therefore, immense care is taken when designing is undertaken.
Designing is not a single task. It is a creative process that splits into the tasks given below –
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Design Research –
As the name suggests, the objective of the design research is to come up with a design that aptly addresses the needs of the users of your application. You conduct design research by doing a detailed analysis of the market and, of course, your competitors.
Time taken – Depends upon your application
Average Development Cost – $ 70 to $ 300
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UX Design –
UX design constitutes the architecture of your iOS application. Your iOS development services or your in-house developers will have to produce wireframes for your application. Wireframes will determine the user pathway of your application and attempt to create a smooth user engagement.
Time taken –
Simple: 10 to 15 hours
Medium: 45 to 60 hours
Complex: 140 hours or more
Average Development Cost – $ 2500 to $ 7500
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UI Design –
UI design is critical because it is all that the user sees and engages with on your iOS application. It has to be perfect. No wrong can be done when creating mockup samples and coming up with the best version in case of your final design.
Time taken –
Simple: 15 to 20 hours
Medium: 45 to 60 hours
Complex: 140 hours or more
Average Development Cost – $ 9000 to $ 35000
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Branding –
Marketing of your application starts when you begin the design process. You have to keep in mind that you are not just creating an application, you are creating a brand. For a brand to flourish, it has to have the right colors, layout, placement, and everything that is in alignment with the value of your business.
Time taken – Depends on the target social media platforms and logo
Average Development Cost – $ 15000 approximately
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Animations and Illustrations –
If you aim to prolong the stay of your user on your application, animations are your savior. With compelling animations and illustrations, you create a heavenly user experience and hold a better persuasive power.
Time taken – Depends on the animations you want for your application
Average Development Cost – $ 15000 approximately
It will be prudent to keep the aforementioned factors in mind before you take a major designing decision.
4. Hiring Decision –
The question that has not but should come up now is – who will make your application? You have three options before you which we have discussed in elaborate detail below –
You can infer from the table above that outsourcing to an iOS application development service is the best option you have at your disposal. However, the other two options hold no less relevance in different situations.
5. Location of the Development Team –
The cost of your application heavily relies on the location of the development of your iOS application. If you are able to locate an ace iOS application development service in countries like India or Ukraine, you will save a whole lot of money because the cost of a man-hour in these countries is lesser than their Western counterparts.
We will not say much. The table below will prove our point. The table demonstrates the hourly revenue of a developer in different countries –
Keep the above table in consideration, when you are about to hire your iOS development company for outsourcing the development of your application.
6. Category of the Application
We have saved the best for the second last. The category of your iOS application is important when the cost of its development is on your mind. Every category of the application has its unique features and size. Therefore, every category demands a different time for development.
We are not the only ones saying this. The numbers are too, which are stated below –
If you are looking forward to creating a gaming application, you have to loosen your purse strings a bit. A gaming application requires extraordinary use of UI and UX to create a special experience, but such is not the case with a social networking application. Therefore, it is economical to develop.
7. App Maintenance –
You are not done with the expenses once you have developed the application. There is a lot to pay for after the development of your iOS application.
Firstly, you have to make a payment to the App Store to get your application published.
Then comes the maintenance and updates. Technology is evolving at the speed of light, so updates are unavoidable. Also, you can not forget to work out the bugs out of your application, otherwise, your user experience can get ruined.
If you’re thinking of rebranding your business, do not forget to make changes to your application and its design. All these services are essential and you have to pay your iOS application development company to do the same.
If this is not enough, then what will be? Do not worry! You are now well-prepared to venture into creating what you have always wanted for your iOS application.
Do You Want to Know the Cost to Build an iOS App From iTechnolabs Experts?
The answer is pretty clear- we will do justice to your dream and your iOS application. We have a team of proficient iOS application developers who work very hard to furnish you with the iOS application that you want and deserve.
Keeping in mind the vision of your application, our developers will offer you end-to-end solutions for your application. We have apt know-how and technology to aid you in the consultancy, development, and maintenance of your iOS application.
