How much does it cost to build a web app

When it comes to application development costs it is hard to name the exact figure right away. In fact, if someone is eager to provide you with the final price tag before even going through all the features you want to be included in the end product — turn around and never look back.

The software development is the complex process and a lot of things need to be taken into account to create a customized solution. Developers are tech geeks, not fortune tellers, so don’t expect to get the straightforward answer to “how much?” questing at the very first meeting. There is no pre-calculated price list for each type of application.

In this article, we will guide you through the key aspects which influence the web app price the most. So there are 3 main factors to consider if you decide to create your dream app.

App type

The application type is the first thing you need to address when embarking upon your app development project. Native, hybrid and web apps are options you can select from:

Native app

Such applications are developed independently for each mobile operating system, be it iOS, Android, Windows, etc. It allows you to enhance your app’s overall performance and ensure an excellent user experience. Despite the advantages, building native apps for each platform requires more investments than other app development approaches.

Hybrid app

This type of applications is built using multi-platform technologies. This might be your way if you are eager to market your app fast as the development process is less demanding in terms of time and money.

Web app

Web applications run on any device with a browser and Internet connection. All the personal data is stored on an external server, so users don’t need to install the app on every single gadget they own to get access to it. This is a nice perk to have as the IoT-technologies keep evolving. Another obvious advantage of web apps is their price, which is much lower than the cost of creating native or hybrid counterparts.

We at Clockwise Software are big fans of web applications as they can be utilized to launch e-commerce sites, ERPs, order or logistics management systems and much more. This technology opens up practically unlimited opportunities.

Core technology

Once you’ve decided what kind of application you need, your next step would be choosing the right web development framework. Our top recommendation would be those based on JavaScript. Here is why:

• It is the standard programming language of the web — 94% of all websites run on JS.
• With JavaScript you can bring to life any of your ideas being it a simple bot or an advanced IoT application.
• Powerful frameworks — there are dozens of frameworks built around JS.
• Huge community — with 11.7 million developers using this programming language it will be easier to find the right guys.
• It is the most cost-efficient solution — competition brings the prices down.
• Versatility — JS code can be used again for other products.
• It is possible to go through the entire app development process from frontend to backend using JavaScript only.

Of course, JavaScript is not the only option on the list. If you need a low-cost & stable solution, think about PHP frameworks. For the web applications which depend on complicated calculations Spring on Java will be the perfect match. Other popular frameworks for web development are Ruby on Rails and Python-based Django but there are hundreds of others to pick from.

Hiring the team

The next thing on the ‘building a web app’ to-do list is actually to have the work done. So you need to find a team which can create that solution for you. This decision is the predominant factor that influences the final cost of your web app. So how to make it the right way? You can follow one of these three paths:

Employ an in-house team

This approach means that you recruit the whole team of business analysts, programmers, designers and other tech experts who will work on your premises on an ongoing basis. Thus, you will need to pay them a regular salary despite the current workload. On top of that, you’ll have to provide the necessary equipment and take care of office management.

This approach is a great way to ensure that you get exactly what you want in the given time frame as you can control all the stages of the development process. Still, it only makes sense to hire an in-house team if your company is already standing on its own two feet and has a constituent workload.

Hire freelancers

This method implies that you cooperate with independent contractors to create a web application.

It is a perfect solution if you’re running a small company and you only need some help of IT-specialists from time to time. It is also wise to hire freelancers for short and midterm projects.

If building your web app requires the expertise of different specialists, be ready to serve as their project manager. You might as well have to tackle reliability, data safety and QA issues in the process.

Outsource

If your company is operating on the overheated market with sky-high web development prices, you might want to find the tech partners in the area, where the rates are more reasonable for your business. Outsourcing is a perfect means to reduce app development costs. It helps you to establish solid working relations with a dedicated team, which can carry out the project from zero to a fully functioning web platform.

When it comes to final price tag hiring the in-house team is the most expensive approach, while using the services of freelancers is the most affordable one. Outsourcing offers good result for a fair price.

Do you want to find out more about the price of web app development? Read the full article by Clockwise Software!