How much does it cost to develop an app in Australia?
How you can reduce costs by up to 30%.
You may be one of the forward thinking entrepreneurs and business owners in Australia who are looking to develop an app… so, you may be wondering – what are the costs involved in building an app from scratch?
Today we will explain to you the basic pricing models for app development in Australia as of 2022. We also explain some of the factors that you need to be aware of that can heavily influence pricing – and we’ll give you some bonus tips on how to cut costs.
Let’s dive in.
How much does it cost to develop an app in Australia?
The costs to develop an app in Australia vary depending on multiple factors (more on this and how to cut costs in the next sections) but on average an app will cost anywhere between $50,000 – $100,000.
Startups looking for a Minimal Viable Product – a basic app to launch into the marketplace – are looking at prices between $40,000 – $100,000. This consists of a simple UI and general features.
Larger companies and corporations looking to build an app to integrate their existing internal systems can expect to pay between $100,000 – $300,000. This would include API integration, back-end development and more complex features.
Costs of apps in different Australian cities – Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth
Costs of app development have been shown to vary across different Australian cities. The average costs for app development around Australia are compared below:
| City | Average App Development Cost |
| Brisbane | $15,000 – $500,000 |
| Sydney | $8,000 – $500,000 |
| Melbourne | $10,000 – $500,000 |
| Perth | $11,000 – $500,000 |
Complexity
The complexity of your app – i.e. how extensive the requirements and features are – will determine the time required to develop the app – this will greatly influence the costs.
Simple Apps
Simple apps are ones that have basic UI components and no API integration or back-end features. These are the least expensive as they have short development time frames.
Moderate Apps
Apps in the moderate category contain custom UI features, API integration, back-end server, payment features and tablet adaptation. You can expect to pay a significant amount more for these features.
Complex Apps
Complex apps require third-party integrations, multi language support, custom animations, real-time features, extensive back-end and professional designs.
Practically, the more features included in the app, the greater the costs associated with the development.
How to Reduce Costs
Hybrid Mobile Apps
Cut costs by building a hybrid app. If you have a tight budget, it’s worth considering building a hybrid mobile app – an app that can be seamlessly applied to a native app shell.
Hybrid apps will usually have a shorter delivery time frame while still providing great UI and UX. The programming language is less expensive, resulting in lower development and maintenance costs.
Simplicity is KEY
When you’re building your app, you want to keep it as simple as possible. It’s easy to get carried away sometimes but remember, the more features in your app, the more it’s going to cost.
Simple means one or two key features with a clean and streamlined UI. Focus on the specific aspect of your app that makes it unique.
No need for all the extra features just yet – create something that works, get it up and running and put it out on the market to start building a user base – all the advanced UI and additional features can come at a later date.
Something as simple as leaving out push notifications can reduce app costs by up to 30%. Unless it’s a necessary component to your app – leave it out (for now). Focus on what moves the needle, you could even consider monetising your app.
Do it once and do it right
Too many times we have had people and businesses reach out to us half way through their app development — with a product that is glitchy, full of bugs and is barely usable.
These clients started off by hiring the cheapest developers they could find, thinking they were getting a good deal… unfortunately this option usually ends in a headache and a hole in their budget. Months past the original launch date, wasting time and money rewriting messy code and sorting through endless issues – highly stressful and frustrating, would not recommend.
Don’t fall for this trap – have it built by professionals from the ground up! At Spritely, we always recommend a Design First approach.
Final Word
Hopefully this information has shed light on what to expect when it comes to app development costs. As you can see, the variation between app complexity will be the primary drivers of costs when developing any app.
Take note of some of the tips that will help you cut costs and use this information to really plan out exactly what features your app needs and what can be scrapped.
You can always contact us any time for expert guidance to help you through the process.
Until next time.
