What app development actually costs — and what drives the number

A plain breakdown of what moves the price of a custom mobile app up or down.

The three cost drivers

Scope, integrations and compliance. Everything else is noise. A four-screen utility and a regulated banking app can both be 'an app' and differ by an order of magnitude.

Integrations are the hidden line item

Connecting to a core banking system, an EHR, a POS or a legacy ERP usually costs more than the screens in front of it. Sandbox access delays are the most common schedule risk we see.

Design is not decoration

Interaction design, states, error paths and accessibility are the difference between an app that ships and an app that gets returned by review.

Ongoing cost

Budget for OS releases twice a year, dependency upgrades, store policy changes and analytics-driven iteration. An app is a running system, not a delivery.

Our floor

Serious engagements with Wve Labs start around $25,000, and we would rather scope a smaller first release honestly than pad a number.

Next step

Wve Labs is a digital product company: product strategy, design and engineering, with over ten years of deep mobile expertise. business@wvelabs.com · (800) 588-9094.