Mobile App Pricing: What Factors Affect And How To Save
Customers in five words outline the functionality they want in apps and ask the mobile app development company to name the estimated price of the mobile application. Unfortunately, five words are not enough — it is impossible to do this without a detailed description of the project.
Any calculations on a calculator or price plug are only misleading because they indicate a lower limit. The real cost of the expected functionality is often 2–3 times more.
We tell you what factors affect the price of a mobile application, and what you need to know about them in order not to pay for work that is insignificant for the result.
Number of mobile platforms
In 2018, Android and iOS occupied 99.9% of the market for mobile operating systems. There are so few devices on other mobile platforms that it makes no sense to create applications for them. The fact is that operating systems differ, and creating an application that works equally well everywhere will fail. Development for Windows or BlackBerry OS will not pay off now.
iOS and Android Development for Android and iOS takes into account the following differences between operating systems:
• The interaction of the application with the architecture of the mobile device: processor, RAM, graphics core and other components.
• Design: On iOS, the swipe returns to the previous screen from left to right, and on Android, a click on the navigation panel. There is no navigation panel on the iPhone, therefore, when adapting a “foreign” application, you need to cut it out. If you need high-quality mobile app design, you should meet top app development companies.
• User experience: On Android, the date is selected according to a calendar similar to a pocket one. In iOS, it resembles a slot machine window. With an unusual calendar, it will be more difficult for the user to arrange the delivery or sign up for a service.
You can create an application that will only work on either iOS or Android. This will save on the development, but will “cut off” users of one of the platforms. An application for both platforms will cost more but will give full coverage to a mobile audience.
How to choose which platform to start application development on a limited budget?
Target Audience Analysis
IOS users
Mobile devices on iOS are used by 19% of owners of smartphones and tablets. Frequent buyers of iPhones and iPads are people under 45 who live in large cities. They have their own business or a well-paid job, a car, they often travel and shop online.
Mobile devices are actively used for work, business contacts and automation of household tasks. iPhone owners often use social networks and instant messengers, work applications and tools, services for ordering food, taxi, car sharing, online shopping and more.
IOS users are calm about shopping in a mobile application, so it’s easier to monetize with paid versions with advanced functionality.
Android users
Android accounts for 80% of the mobile device market. The portrait of a typical user is blurred due to the wide variation in device prices. There is:
In the price segment, iPhone models sold better than the flagships from Samsung, Honor, and Xiaomi in 2018. This means that the main sales of Android devices are in the budget and mid-price segments.
The average Android user has an average income or below average, while striving to get adequate quality for little money, preferring powerful device and a battery with a large capacity to the camera. He uses social networks, instant messengers and software less actively than games and entertainment applications.
Support for screens and mobile devices
iOS differs from Android in that the number of device models equipped with it is limited. Ensuring the stable operation of the application on each of them is much easier.
On Android, thousands of devices with different screens and variations of the operating system, modified by manufacturers of hardware makes creating an app for them more difficult. App developers from top app development companies are constantly faced with the fact that it does not work or does not work correctly on one or another device.
Based on the analysis of the target audience, a list of priority mobile devices to which the application should be adapted first is determined. The price depends on the number of devices in the list.
Native or cross-platform application
The native application is written specifically for iOS or Android, taking into account the design of the selected mobile platform, design features, and user experience. In this case, independent applications are created for each platform.
Pros of native development:
• Higher speed.
• Greater personality thanks to fewer restrictions in interface and design.
• The ability to perform complex calculations and implement any functions supported by the device.
• Design and usability are fully adapted to the user experience of the device owner on this OS.
Disadvantages:
• High price.
• It requires more time
In cross-platform development, only one application is created, which with the help of special software adapts to both platforms.
Pros:
• Relatively low price.
• The project starts faster due to less work with code.
Disadvantages:
• The application runs slower than the native because it is not optimized for the design of a “foreign” operating system.
• You may not be able to use some of the device features.
