Developing an app for Apple devices is an entirely different ballgame altogether. First, you need to hire developers specializing in Swift and Objective-C, as these languages are used mainly for developing apps for iOS and macOS. On the other hand, Android apps can be developed using a variety of languages, including Java, JavaScript, Python, C#, and HTML. This is why the cost to develop an app for Apple devices is a lot higher. Therefore, this post will analyze the cost of developing an iOS app for commercial purposes.

Factors Affecting iOS App Development Cost

Given below are all the factors that affect app development costs:

Size of the App

First of all, you should determine the scale and size of the iOS app you want. The production cost of your app is directly proportional to its size. If the size of your app is massive, it will also require a lot of time and investment, as you will have to pay your developers by the hour. You will also have to make sure the production pace is quick enough to finalize the app on time, or else you will keep paying your developers on an hourly basis without achieving anything. Also, the larger the file size of your iOS app, the greater the time required by the testers to scan the code for bugs and errors.

App Type

As you open the App Store on your iPhone or iPad, you see they have many categories for apps. First, you need to determine what category your iOS app will belong to. For example, if you are designing an ecommerce app, it will be in the shopping or retail category. If you design a game, it will be in the gaming category.

However, the complexity of your code depends upon the type of your app. Therefore, programming complexity is a major factor to determine the cost of an iOS app development project. For example, if you want a team of developers to create a 3D game for you, they will charge you more as designing a game is more challenging than making a simple mobile app.

Features

The amount of features you want in your app determines its overall scale. If you want a basic app with basic features, you might not have to invest a lot. However, if you have an app-based business, you would want to have more features in your app. Programming such features are not only a time-consuming process, but it will also increase your overall production cost. So, you have to determine the design and functional features you want in your app and discuss them with your developers. Every feature has a different level of complexity, and it will impact the cost of developing your iOS app.

Various Development Processes

Apart from adding features, many other processes are involved in developing an iOS app. There is no fixed set of processes. Every iOS app development project has different steps. However, some of the most common procedures you might follow include market analysis, wireframe designing, prototype development, testing, publishing, and maintenance. You will require a specialist workforce for every process, and depending upon the wages of the developers and testers, your production and maintenance costs will rise even more.

Development Team

The most common way to gather developers for your iOS app development project is by hiring them from freelance websites like Upwork and Fiverr. Every developer charges different rates, and you can hire professionals depending upon your budget. The developer asking for a higher wage might be a better professional and can produce better results. But, as most newbie businesses are not ready to invest a lot and hire the best professionals, they resort to hiring developers who have a few reviews and lack experience. In such cases, despite spending thousands of dollars, the final product is often unsatisfactory. If you want to hire good developers, prepare to pay handsome wages and increase your production budget.

API Integration

API integration is highly significant when developing a mobile app for any platform, whether it’s Android or iOS. It’s used to embed extended functionalities into an iOS application. Depending on your requirements, you can ask your developers to integrate various APIs. But, you should also keep in mind it will affect your app production cost.

Backend Programming

Whatever you see on your phone screen is there due to front-end development. However, back-end programming is equally essential in the overall functionality of an app. Backend helps your app extract data from external sources. For example, if your app has internet syncing features, you will need a backend. You can develop a custom backend for your app and use your server. However, it hinders the capabilities and features of your app. Most importantly, using your server requires a lot of investment. Choose this route only if you are building an app of a gigantic scale with thousands of dollars of investment to support your plans.

What is the Average Cost of Developing an iOS App?

The cost of your iOS app development project depends upon the factors we have mentioned previously in this post. However, the average cost for developing and maintaining a simple app is around $10,000-$20,000 per annum. However, depending upon the complexity and type of the app you want, the cost can rise to over $80,000. If you hire a team of developers from the US, expect the production cost to rise to over $100,000 per annum.

Why Should You Choose iOS app development over Android?

Since the beginning of the smartphone era, iOS and Android users have argued about which platform is better. However, if you are launching an application, you should know the development cost for iOS apps is comparatively higher than that of Android. So, if you already have an app on Android, is developing and launching an app on iOS worth it? Well, even though Android has more users on its platform, thanks to its open-source model, here are some reasons why iOS is a better platform to launch your apps on:

iOS Apps Perform Better

You can’t develop apps for iOS devices using the same tools and frameworks you would use for Android. There are two languages that are used to develop iOS apps, Objective C and Swift. Objective C was the first app development language used by iOS developers. However, it has now been replaced by Swift, Apple’s flagship programming language. Swift is a very stable app development platform, as it produces applications that are perfectly optimized for Apple devices. So, even if you have to replicate your Android app and launch it on iOS, you will have to program your app using Swift from scratch.

If you are a person who wants to launch an app for commercial purposes, you would want every user to be able to access your app without any hiccups. Therefore, apps developed for iOS platforms are not only more stable but also have features and functionalities that Android doesn’t offer. Also, the apps are designed according to the hardware of Apple devices. Therefore, the experience will be silky smooth no matter what app you use.

iOS Is A Much More Trustworthy Platform

If you have ever used an Android phone, you might be frustrated about many applications turning out to be bogus. Some of the apps also have security issues in them. Android has so many unusable apps because its app screening process is automatic and useless. Even though Google has made significant changes to its automated app screening and approval procedure, it is still not as good as Apple. If you want to develop and launch your app on iOS, you will have to get your app approved by Apple. The process is not automated, as a highly qualified tester will scan the performance and usability of your app. Therefore, you’ll only see high-quality applications on App Store. However, the screening time for iOS apps is relatively longer.

Security

While Google tries extremely hard to make its platform secure, Apple takes the crown when it comes to security. This is because Apple makes no compromises when it comes to security. Therefore, during the screening of your app, their testers will check whether your app’s security meets Apple’s high standards. This is a great thing because, as a business owner, you would want your customer’s data to be safe from data theft and other security threats.

Commercially, it’s a Better Option

To launch your application on Android, you won’t have to invest a lot. However, if you want to launch an iOS app on Apple’s platform, you will have to pay a $99 developer license renewal fee every year. But, honestly, that investment is worth every penny. Most users on iOS are financially stable, as Apple devices are expensive. Therefore, users are willing to invest in an app to improve their experience. Launching an app on iOS, you will see a significant rise in in-app purchases. It can be a helpful way to generate revenue, especially if you are running a startup.

How to Reduce Development Costs

We have discussed the different costs involved in getting an iOS app developed. However, if you don’t have a considerable budget reserved for app development, you will have to find ways to reduce the production cost as much as possible. We have listed a few methods through which you can make your iOS app development project slightly more affordable:

Hire an App Development Firm like AppSocio

Hiring iOS developers on your own can get quite expensive. Every developer works on different hourly wages, skyrocketing the production cost. Also, it’s hard to make different developers work collaboratively. Therefore, it’s better to outsource your project to an iOS app development company like App Socio. App Socio is the best mobile app development firm in the US. Our developers will meet your expectations perfectly regardless of which operating system you prefer.

Launch a Minimal Viable Product

It is not essential to launch the fully-loaded version of your app at first. Initially, you would want to analyze user responses and demands. Therefore, before launching a complete product, businessmen often consider launching a minimal viable product. This is a minimalistic version of your app, which won’t contain many features that you would’ve planned to add in the fully loaded version of your app. Launching such an app lets you see whether your audience is interested in your product and what more they desire from it. Once you have all the feedback, you can launch the full version of your app and add features that your target audience demands during the trial run of your app.

Premium Features

Whether you want to launch a free or a paid app, it’s your decision. However, to maximize in-app purchases, you should introduce crucial premium features that users won’t be able to use for free. This might not be suitable if you are launching an app on Android, but on iOS, most users are more than willing to purchase premium features and subscriptions to improve their experience. So, if you have an app-based business, you better have premium features to increase revenue and make up for the high development cost.

If you are planning to run an iOS app development project, here’s are a few reasons why you shouldn’t:

  • You will have to hire many developers/testers and pay them by the hour
  • If your app gets rejected, you will have to continue development, which will raise the production cost even more
  • After investing so much, you might not get the results you want

If you don’t want to suffer these consequences, you should opt for AppSocio’s iOS app development services. AppSocio is America’s No.1 iOS app development company. We’ll create your app according to your requirements, and the results will be excellent. Our packages are also highly affordable, as we’ll help you save thousands of dollars on app production expenses. Interested in our services? Place your order today!

Author

Evelyn is an app developer and author at AppSocio. She uses her decade-old experience to provide relevant information to people possessing varying levels of tech knowledge. She’s been with the company for a year and works as a part-time developer and part-time author. When she’s not working, you can find Evelyn submerged in her craft supplies at home or off on a code competition.

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