Would you like to know how much it will cost to develop an innovative web app?

How much does it cost to build a web application?

We have written a one-stop guide for web application development costs to clear your doubts about the price. You will find all the information you need here, including average costs for different types of web apps and factors that affect the total cost. 

This blog aims to explain how web application development costs are estimated. By yourself, you will be able to figure out how much it costs to develop a web application. If you go over budget, we give you tips on reducing costs.

Generally, the cost of web application development depends on the application’s complexity and the length of time it will take to develop.

• An application with a minimum set of functionalities is a simple web application.
• Apps with interactive content and multiple web pages are considered medium and professional web applications.
• Complex applications are those with advanced functions and high web traffic.
• Innovative web applications consist of original ideas and custom-developed applications.

Factors That Affect Web Application Cost

If you get a detailed estimate of your web app development costs, it is essential to understand the factors that influence the overall price. Here are six key factors that affect web development costs.

Technical Complexity

Complicated apps require more time and expertise to develop and thus cost more. 

Considering the complexity of your web application is extremely important for determining the average cost of web app development. 

There are mainly three categories of web app complexity.

Simple Web App 

As the name implies, simple web applications are easy to develop and use. They have static information and require little coding. Any web developer with knowledge of HTML and CSS can effectively make such web apps. 

Development is typically based on drag-and-drop elements, using preset themes and templates. It means that users will only have to scroll and read the content. There are few interactive elements, like contact forms or graphics and animations.

Most MVPs (Minimum Viable Products) are also simple apps. MVP development allows startups and enterprises to test the web app idea with a small and basic app before committing to it. Although the MVP is a more straightforward app, it can be a medium or a complex app for unique ideas that require implementing innovative features.

Medium Web App 

Despite being interactive with users, medium web apps still have generic designs. In addition, medium web apps require a higher level of coding because they contain more complex and dynamic elements.

Although medium web apps use a lot of reused themes and predefined template layouts, it also includes dynamic content like pop-ups, contact forms, animations while scrolling or clicking user logs in, and personalized content for each user.

These web apps require web developers with a strong understanding of JavaScript, its libraries and frameworks, and HTML and CSS. Maintaining a database and having security measures are also necessary if you plan to have user logins and accounts.  

Third-party apps can also be integrated, such as PayPal’s payment gateway for online transactions and Google Maps for finding the nearest branch of your company.

Complex Web App

Complex web apps are enormous, handling hundreds of users and providing multiple features. Therefore, we develop complex web applications based on the client’s specifications. 

Developing custom solutions can be costly and time-consuming.

Must create every component of the application must be made from scratch. Programming skills are required.

The applications must maintain an extensive database, handle high web traffic, and remain secure. Often, they need to integrate with existing systems and applications. These requirements require a large development team comprising web app developers, web designers, UI-UX developers, and a quality assurance team.

How to decide the complexity of my app?

To determine your web app’s category, look at the following features.

• Dynamic content : 

If a user clicks or refreshes something, dynamic content will change. (For example, clicking the like button on the left will increase the number of likes for this blog.)

• User accounts :

 Is logging in possible for your user? Do you have different types of users based on their payment?

• Database :

Is it just displaying content in your app, or do you need to save data?  

• Security :

How secure should your app be? First, check the guidelines and laws that apply to your app. 

• Third-party integrations : 

Are you incorporating third-party apps such as email services, payment portals, or social media logins?

• Innovation :

Your web app has how many unique features? How many of those features are custom-made?

Functionalities Required

The more features you add, the more expensive web application development becomes.

A web app’s features and functionality determine what it is and how it works. The purpose of your app defines the functionalities, which in turn, choose the cost to build a web app. 

Here are some questions to ask yourself when deciding on the features of your app-

Let’s take a food delivery app, for example. The bare minimum features would be showing restaurants, finding free delivery men nearby, and storing contact information. 

The app’s functionality must be improved for it to stand out. Additional features such as online payment support, filtering options for restaurants by cuisine, distance, or cost, a delivery man tracker, and more are needed. 

All of the basic features and the additional features you add increase the total cost of web development. 

All of this is for backend development. Another important aspect of your application is the frontend or user interface (UI).

The more complex and unique your UI should be, the more expensive it will develop. Therefore, you should also consider the platform when designing your UI. 

If you need to create a cross-platform web app with a responsive design, this will increase the development cost.

Innovation vs. Standard

As your app becomes unique, it will require more expertise, which will result in a higher development cost.

Web developers often use pre-written code in their apps. As a result, there may be existing templates, libraries, functions, and classes or open-source application codes.

Continuing with the food delivery app example, the web developer won’t write every variable and function from scratch. Templates for UI design with changes to a few properties, or Google Reviews API for a ‘leave a food review’ feature on the app. 

When you develop a standard app or a mass-produced app, the software developers already have code they can reuse or have a reference from which to build your web application.   

Unique ideas cost more to develop, so the higher the costIn addition, because you will require experienced web app developers who can implement your innovative solutions, it will take more time.

Development Team

The size of your development team determines the cost of development.

Determine the number of team members you need based on the complexity of the project and the quality of the web application. 

You can build web applications in three ways.

• You can hire an in-house team.
• Hire freelancers 
• Outsource to a web app development company

Conclusion:

The cost of developing a web app varies greatly depending on the complexity and type of app. However, you can get an estimate of the cost of the web app before starting a project. 

We have also given tips on avoiding going over budget when developing.