As the world becomes increasingly digital, it's no surprise that building mobile applications is becoming a popular business venture. However, there are several factors that entrepreneurs and startups need to consider when building an app in 2023.

In this comprehensive guide, we will break down the various costs associated with building an application, highlighting the factors that influence each cost, types of apps that can be built, stages of app development, features that affect development costs, app design costs, app testing and quality assurance costs, app launch and marketing costs, maintenance and update costs, and finally, tools and resources that can be used to reduce app development costs.

Factors influencing the cost of building an app

There are several factors that can influence the cost of developing an app, including:

• Complexity of the app
• The number of platforms the app will be launched on
• Location and quality of the development team
• The time it takes to develop the app
• Features required by the app
• Design requirements
• Marketing and launch plans

Knowing the factors that can influence development costs is crucial when it comes to planning and budgeting.

Types of apps and their costs

Apps can be classified into three categories - simple, moderate, and complex. The cost of developing an app will depend on the category it falls under.

• Simple Apps: These are apps with basic functionality, typically used for data collection, gaming, or content delivery. The cost of developing a simple app ranges from 45,000 SEK (around 4,350 EUR) to 225,000 SEK (around 21,750 EUR).

• Moderate Apps: These apps are more complex than simple apps and require integration with third-party APIs or databases. These apps also require custom features and can cost anywhere from 225,000 SEK (around 21,750 EUR) to 900,000 SEK (around 87,000 EUR).

• Complex Apps: Complex apps are those with advanced functionalities, such as social media or e-commerce features. These apps require full-stack developers, and the cost of developing one ranges from 900,000 SEK (around 87,000 EUR) to 4,500,000 SEK (around 435,000 EUR) or even more.

App development stages and their costs

The app development process consists of several stages, each of which comes with its own costs. These stages include:

• Ideation: This is the initial concept stage of app development and involves brainstorming ideas and creating a project scope. The cost for this stage is usually minimal.

• Prototyping: Once you have an idea, the next step is to create a prototype, which usually costs between 9,000 SEK (around 870 EUR) and 90,000 SEK (around 8,700 EUR), depending on the complexity of the app.

• Design: For the design stage, you will need a graphic designer to create the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design, which typically costs between 45,000 SEK (around 4,350 EUR) and 270,000 SEK (around 26,100 EUR).

• Development: This stage involves actual coding and can cost between 450,000 SEK (around 43,500 EUR) and 2,700,000 SEK (around 261,000 EUR), depending on the complexity of the app.

• Testing and Quality Assurance: These stages are essential for ensuring that the app functions correctly and has no bugs or errors. The cost for testing and quality assurance ranges from 45,000 SEK (around 4,350 EUR) to 450,000 SEK (around 43,500 EUR).

Features that affect app development costs

The number and complexity of features required by an app are important factors that contribute to its development cost. Here are some features that can affect development costs:

• Login and registration features
• Push notifications