Average App Development Cost Per Hour

The average app development cost per hour will vary depending on location, complexity, and industry. It will also depend on how much of the work goes to an external team and how much the entrepreneur handles by themselves.

Business Analysis

App development begins with a market research process to determine a gap to be filled. A business analysis process will establish the profitability of such an opportunity. This will involve writing down the specific monetization strategy. If an external business analyst is hired, they could charge anywhere between $30 to $60 per hour depending on their experience and location too. Analysts in the biggest cities will charge more due to the higher cost of living there.

The process could take even a month. The output will be a clear definition of the app’s features, a projection of costs, identify project gaps, and develop the metrics for success.

App Developer Costs

The bulk of an app’s costs, however, will go towards paying the development team. Depending on the nature and complexity of the app, coding the user interface and the back-end functionality could take anywhere between one month and six months. The number of hours depends on the app’s core functionalities. For instance, app log-in and sign-on features might be billed as 15 hours. Video streaming, push notifications, product catalogs, maps and navigations, and forms are other examples of features that rack up developer hours.

The development cost can vary significantly depending on the team you decide to work with. Working with a freelancer might be cheaper than working with a full-fledged software development agency. The location of your team also matters. Software engineers in North America earn several times more than developers in Asia, which is a major source of engineering talent today. While software engineers in the USA and Canada earn over $100 an hour, those in Asia average about $25 an hour. In Europe, they earn about $70 an hour.

App Platforms

Your app development costs per hour also depend on the platforms where your app will work. Most apps today, however, have an Android and iOS version. Developers who can develop apps for both environments will charge a higher rate on average. The nature of the app is also quite important. Web apps are cheaper to build than native apps because the latter require use of environment-specific coding languages.

Other App Development Costs

 Besides the developers, you might have other people on board during the development process. A project manager will help track deadlines and act as a liaison between the development team and your business. A project manager in North America earns at least $60 an hour. A UI/UX designer will help review the user friendliness and look of the app. A quality assurance professional can help review the final product against project deliverables. They could charge you $30 to $60 depending on their seniority.

To determine the average app development cost per hour for your app, it’s best to first find out the number of professionals you will need. They will give you an hourly rate and a specific number of hours needed to fulfill their scope of work. Working with a team outside North America might help lower down the average development cost per hour.