How Much Does An Enterprise Mobility App Cost?

Reading Time: 3 minutes

So you have decided to get an app for your enterprise but are still unsure about the costs involved. When you ask a professional, you often get a vague response that goes from $10000 to several hundred thousand. Indeed, every mobile app is different.

In many cases, clients want a specific technology, which translates into unique development for each application. Due to the large number of variables, the cost of application development largely depends on the number of hours needed for development.

The key factors that influence the development of an application are as follows:

1. Features:

The more features a mobile application will have, the more it will be expensive to develop. The complexity of the application may increase with the number of features. It is important that you define the key features that you want to develop, and that you list those which are imperative to your project, and those that may be unnecessary.

We at PureLogics always advise clients to identify the bleached bones of the application first. An application should fill a need. The strength of the successful applications, is to meet the core needs of the user in a logical way.

2. Platforms:

Before choosing the service provider that will develop your mobile application, you must define which platform you want: IOS, Android, both? Getting it on both platforms can increase the cost because the development will probably need to spend time on the development for each of the platforms.

3. Screen size/version

Now that you have defined the platforms on which you want to develop your mobile app, you need to ask the question of version type and screen size. The different screen sizes require having to configure each of them, for the application to be optimized. The more styles you want, the more your application will cost you.

4. Native, hybrid or web app

You can use several technical solutions to develop your mobile application. If you choose a native development, then the app will be developed with a specific language with different operating systems (Java type for Android).

If you want your mobile application to be available on both Applestore and Google Play, you will have to develop two separate applications. Another solution is to build a webapp using standard web technologies like HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript.

Third solution, your developer can develop a hybrid app, ie by making a mix of the first two solutions: native applications and web applications. It combines HTML5 elements as web application and the native application elements.

5. Integration

If you are an enterprise, you will probably have a pre-existing IT infrastructure that you would want to integrate with your system. The integration largely depends on what kind of central software you have in order to process the small chunks of data you will receive from the mobile devices. If your central software application does have an API then it can be easily integrated with the new mobile app.

However if it requires to be integrated manually with no pre-existing bridge then the time and cost shall be definitely higher. This part of development is very important as your data will be of no use if it cannot be processed into the central system.

6. Maintenance and support:

Once the application is implemented, you’ll need support and maintenance for it in the real time environment at-least until it gets mature. When the app will be used by a large number of people, you will inevitably receive feedback, the ideas to improve or sometimes complaints regarding failure to launch etc. All these responses should be recorded in order to enhance the performance of your app and ensure long-term success.

7. Some budget idea

Now the core question. How much an enterprise mobility app is going to cost you?

– A simple mobility application: It will cost between $50k – $150k. For that price, you can consider an application with a limited number of features, no back office to the customer, and no database management.

– An application database: Anywhere between $100k – $250k. The operation and integration of a database requires a little more time for development. The API establishment will become necessary.
To control your project, we advise you to write your specifications. By stating your specifications, you will avoid any unforeseen budgetary excesses.