Mobile apps for Android and iOS — development cost

Let us take it in order

What an app costs and what the price is made of

“How much does app development cost?” is the first question people ask, and rightly so: an app costs more than a website, and you need a sense of the numbers before you order anything. The straight answer is that the cost depends not on the number of screens but on what happens behind them. A to-do list with no accounts and no server is one job. An app with user accounts, payment and an admin panel is another entirely, and the price differs several times over between the two.

What makes up the cost of app development

We price it in four parts and quote each as a separate line, so you can see what you are paying for:

• the interface — screens, transitions, loading and error states;
• the logic inside the app — what it can do without an internet connection;
• the backend — if you need accounts, syncing, notifications or payment;
• publishing to the app stores and handing every credential over to you.

So we answer “how much does app development cost” with an estimate rather than a single number: an MVP from ₽15,000 (≈ $178), improving an existing app from ₽5,000 (≈ $59), adding AI inside from ₽5,000 (≈ $59), backend and API from ₽6,000 (≈ $71). The exact figure is agreed before the work starts, not afterwards.

Android and iOS apps: what the job includes

We build Android and iOS apps end to end: you get a finished working product rather than a pile of files — task analysis, screen design, the build, testing on a real device, publication and documentation. Custom app development always starts with a conversation about the one action the user will perform most often; the interface is built around it. All source code and developer accounts are registered in your name.

Android, iOS and desktop

Android development is the most common request in Russia, and that is where we start: publishing to RuStore is simpler, the audience is wider and testing the idea is cheaper. iOS development follows on the same codebase, with no rewriting from scratch — we work with Flutter. In our estimates, “mobile app development” always means the same thing: phone and tablet, both platforms, one project. If you need a program for a computer, we will build a Windows desktop version from ₽12,000 (≈ $142).

Apps for business

Business app development differs from a consumer app in having a measurable goal: cut the time an enquiry takes, get rid of paper forms, give the customer an account instead of phoning a manager. We start by working out how much time and money the current process eats, and only then propose screens. If a bot or a website solves the problem more cheaply, we will say so plainly rather than sell an app for the sake of an app.

Who to order this from

Mobile development companies mostly fall into two types: large studios with budgets starting at half a million, and lone contractors who vanish halfway through the project. Most people searching for a developer are looking for something in between: someone who works responsibly, shows intermediate versions and does not ask for a corporate budget. That is exactly the niche we work in — a small team, a fixed estimate, delivery in stages, and communication in writing only, so every agreement stays on record.

Where to start

Write two sentences about what the app should do and who it is for. That is enough for us to send an estimate and a deadline. Our first app, Doctor AI, is published on RuStore — you can download it and see how we work before making any decision.