It's one of the questions we get asked most often: how much does a mobile app cost? The honest answer is that there's no single price — projects vary too much from one business to the next. But it is possible to understand the factors that make the bill vary, so you arrive prepared for your first conversation with an agency.
The first factor, and by far the most decisive, is the number and complexity of features. A simple app that presents your products or services, with no user account or payment, needs far less development than an app with authentication, online payment, personalized push notifications, or real-time syncing with a back office.
The technical choice also affects the budget. Cross-platform development (React Native, Flutter) lets you share a large part of the code between iOS and Android, which significantly cuts development time compared to two native apps built separately. It's the option we recommend to most SMEs, unless there's a very specific technical need.
Design also factors into the equation. A custom interface, designed for your brand and tested with your future users, takes more time than an interface built from standard components. It's an investment that's generally worth it, since a pleasant-to-use app translates directly into better retention.
Connections to external services also add complexity: payment gateway, booking system, CRM, inventory management tool, geolocation API... Each integration requires specific development and, sometimes, fees from the third-party provider itself.
Finally, maintenance and updates need to be budgeted from the start, not discovered afterward. Mobile operating systems evolve several times a year, and an app that's never updated eventually shows bugs or gets rejected by the app stores. An annual maintenance budget, even a modest one, is an integral part of the real cost of a mobile app.
By comparison, a professional website remains the most accessible entry point for digitizing a business: our plans start at €499, with a complete, SEO-optimized showcase site. A mobile app is a more ambitious project, worthwhile when your business genuinely calls for one.
With so many variables, the only way to get a reliable estimate is to start from your actual project rather than a price picked at random. That's why we offer a free, no-obligation quote: a few minutes' conversation is enough to scope your needs and give you a realistic budget range, tailored to your business in Normandy.