Mobile App Development Cost in India (2026)
What an app really costs, before and after launch.
App quotes in the US run from a few thousand dollars to several hundred thousand for what sounds like the same thing. This page shows what we charge, what US agencies publicly charge, what moves the price, and the running costs most quotes leave out. All prices are in US dollars and final.
App development cost by type of app
With NioDelta, an Android and iOS app built on one codebase with backend and admin panel starts at $12,000. These bands are indicative. Your written quote is fixed after a discovery call.
First version (MVP)
one user role, login, 8–12 screens, admin panel, both stores
Business app
several roles, payments, notifications, reports, integrations
Multi-app platform
customer app + partner app + admin, live tracking or realtime data
Prices in USD, no US sales tax added.
What app developers in India charge
We compared published app prices from template shops, US agencies, marketplace listings and published cost guides. The spread is wide because a reskinned template and a custom product are both sold as “an app”.
| Type of provider | Published price | What you usually get |
|---|---|---|
| Template or app-builder shops | $5,000 – $25,000 | A pre-made app reskinned with your logo, limited changes, source code often not included |
| Mid-market agencies | $60,000 – $300,000 | Custom app, quality varies with the team assigned |
| NioDelta | $12,000 – $45,000 | Custom design, Android + iOS, backend, admin panel, store launch, full source code |
Market ranges from publicly listed prices and cost guides of US agencies and website builders, October 2026. Budget prices usually mean a pre-made template, a bundled hosting plan and limited revisions. NioDelta prices are in US dollars and final — we are an Indian company, so no US sales tax is added to the invoice.
What changes the price of an app
- 01
Number of user roles
A customer app is one product. Add a delivery partner app and an admin console and you are building three. Roles drive cost more than screens do.
- 02
Android, iOS or both
Flutter or React Native lets one codebase serve both stores for roughly the cost of one and a quarter native apps. Two fully native apps cost close to double.
- 03
Backend & admin panel
Every useful app needs a server, a database and a panel where your team manages users, content and orders. Low quotes often leave this out.
- 04
Payments & integrations
Apple Pay and card payments, ERP or CRM sync, maps, SMS and third-party hardware each add build and testing time.
- 05
Offline & realtime features
Offline data capture with sync, live location and chat are harder to build well than ordinary screens.
- 06
Design depth
A custom design system with considered motion costs more than stock components, and usually earns it in retention.
Running costs to budget for
Google Play developer account
A one-time US$25 registration fee paid to Google. Organisation accounts need a D-U-N-S number, which takes time to obtain.
Apple Developer Program
US$99 a year paid to Apple to keep the app on the App Store.
Hosting & services
Server, database, storage, push notifications, SMS or WhatsApp messages and maps. Small for a new app, and it grows with usage.
Maintenance
Android and iOS change every year. A common rule of thumb is to budget 15–20% of the build cost per year for updates, fixes and small features.
Store commission
Apple and Google take 15–30% on digital goods and subscriptions sold in the app. Physical goods and services are exempt.
Payment processing fees
Roughly 2.9% plus 30 cents per card transaction with Stripe or Shopify Payments, charged by the processor rather than by us.
Apps we build and run ourselves
We do not only build for clients. Our team ships and supports its own products, so we deal with store reviews, OS updates and real users every week.
- HRMS & attendance app
Staffly
Attendance, payroll, payments and compliance for Indian businesses in one app. Built and run by our team as a Flutter app.
Read the case study → - School management + parent app
Shiksha CRM
Admissions, fees, attendance, exams, live GPS bus tracking and WhatsApp automation for schools, with a parent mobile app. Also built and run in-house.
Read the case study →
App cost questions
Published prices range from $5,000 – $25,000 for template apps to $60,000 – $300,000 for custom apps. With NioDelta a custom Android and iOS app with backend and admin panel starts at $12,000, and most business apps cost $12,000 – $45,000 (no US sales tax added).
At that price you get a pre-made template with your logo and colours. Changes are limited, the source code is often not handed over, and the backend may be shared with other customers. It can work for a simple catalogue app, not for a product your business runs on.
Slightly. With Flutter or React Native the iOS build shares most of the code, so launching on Android first saves testing and store work rather than half the budget.
A common rule of thumb is 15–20% of the build cost per year, covering OS updates, bug fixes, security patches and small improvements. We offer this as a monthly retainer.
Google charges a one-time US$25 developer registration. Apple charges US$99 per year. Both take a 15–30% commission on digital goods and subscriptions sold inside the app.
App projects are split into monthly milestones against a fixed quote. Each payment follows a delivered, testable build.
A first version takes 10–16 weeks with us. Larger multi-app platforms take 16 weeks or more.
Describe the app. We’ll send a number.
A 30-minute call on WhatsApp is enough to scope most apps. You get a written, fixed quote.