The short answer
The cost of an app depends
on who uses it and what it does
How much it costs to build an app, or to have one developed for your business, depends on the type of app, the features and what it has to connect to. With us a web app starts at €1,000, an iPhone and Android app published on the stores at €3,500 and an e-commerce app at €5,000. Projects with special requirements are quoted individually. On top of these come the recurring costs, meaning the store developer accounts and maintenance. If you want to go straight to the figures, start from the prices by type of app.
The app prices you find around vary enormously because they measure different things. An app that relies on a website or an online store you already have costs less than one that needs a server and a database built from scratch. An app for a few employees costs less than one for thousands of customers who need to find it on the stores. Before comparing two quotes, check that they describe the same app.
What it depends on
How much it costs to develop an app,
what pushes the price up
Who will use it. An app for customers has to be simple and well designed. An app for technicians or employees has to be quick to fill in and often work without signal too. The features, the screens and the way it is published all change.
Where it has to work. A web app opens from the browser and installs on the phone's home screen without going through the stores. An iPhone and Android app has to be published on the App Store and Google Play and follow their rules. We build a single app for both systems, so it is developed and maintained once.
The features. User login, payments, notifications, camera, location and offline use are each development and testing work.
The connections. A useful app reads and writes the same data as the website, the online store and the management system. This is the part that needs the most care, because a mistake here means wrong orders or prices. When the app needs a program behind it that doesn't exist today, the cost of the app also includes that custom software.
Stores and privacy. Listings, images and copy for the stores, privacy notice, consents and the data declarations required by Apple and Google. These are mandatory steps and they have to be budgeted for.
The items in a quote. People asking how much it costs to make an app often get a single figure. A clear quote instead breaks down the costs of developing an app into its parts, meaning analysis and screen design, graphic design, app development, connections with website, store and management system, testing on phones, publishing on the stores and support after launch. If one of these items is missing, sooner or later it shows up as an extra cost.
How to spend less. The safest way to reduce how much it costs to build an app is to start with only the features you really need and add the rest once the app is in use. A web app, starting at €1,000, lets you test the idea before moving to the stores. And an app that relies on the website or store you already have avoids building a server and a database from scratch.
Prices by type
The cost of an app
by type
Below you'll find the price of an app for each type, according to Webcreation's price list. It is not a market average, it gives you the order of magnitude. We set the final fixed price before we start.
Web app
from€1,000
- Customer areas, bookings and internal tools
- Installs from the browser
- Also works offline and with notifications
iPhone and Android app
from€3,500
- A single app on the App Store and Google Play
- Connected to the website and management system
- 3 months of support included
E-commerce app
from€5,000
- Your online store in your customers' pockets
- Same catalog and same account
- Notifications for offers and abandoned carts
Dedicated project
Custom quote
- Several business systems to connect
- Development in phases
- Requirements to analyze together
Starting prices. Features, integrations and number of users change the investment. On request the payment can be spread into installments with no interest, with a 10% discount for upfront payment above €3,000.
Do it yourself or hire a developer
Creating an app yourself
or having it developed
Creating an app yourself is possible today with no-code tools, which let you put together screens and features without programming. They work for a prototype to show, for internal use with a few users or to see whether the idea holds up before investing.
The limits come when the app has to work on the company's real data. Connecting it to the management system or the online store, handling payments and logins, passing Apple and Google approval and staying up to date with every new version of the systems are developer jobs. On top of that the app stays tied to the tool you built it with, and if the tool changes its price or shuts down, you have to change too. If the app is for your business and has to last, app development for businesses with code that stays yours is the better choice.
Android
Creating an Android app,
what you need to publish it
To create an Android app and publish it on Google Play you need a Google Play Console account, with a one-time registration fee of $25. If the account is personal and was created after November 13, 2023, Google first requires a closed test with at least 12 testers who stay active for 14 days in a row, and only then can you apply for production access. It is time you need to build into the launch schedule.
Building the app for Android only rarely makes sense. With cross-platform development the same app is also released for iPhone without redoing the work from scratch. That is why with us the store app is always for both systems, from €3,500.
Recurring costs
The costs of an app
after publication
Developer accounts. To publish on the App Store you need the Apple Developer Program, which costs $99 per year, charged in local currency where available. For Google Play you need Google Play Console, with a one-time registration fee of $25. The accounts are in your name, so the app stays yours even if one day you change provider.
The server. If the app reads data from the website or the management system, it needs a server to supply it. When the app is connected to a website or store you already have, the same one is often used.
Maintenance and updates. Apple and Google release new versions of their systems every year, and an app left untouched sooner or later stops working properly. It has to be updated, checked and improved with the features users ask for. In our store apps the first 3 months of support are included, then you continue with a maintenance agreement or with hour packages for smaller jobs.
Real case
The VenditaVernici.it app
on Google Play
VenditaVernici.it, Tecnovernici's online store, sells paints and enamels to professionals and consumers. The buyer's doubt is always the same, how will that color look on the wall and how much paint is needed.
We created the app connected to the online store, available on Google Play. The customer photographs the wall and tries the colors from the color charts on it, the app calculates the liters of paint based on the product's coverage and from there everything is added to the cart. There are discounts reserved for app users and notifications for offers. This is the kind of app that justifies the expense, because it solves a real problem for buyers. You'll find the full project on the page about our work for VenditaVernici.it.
Before the quote
When building an app
is not needed
An app costs more than a website and has to be maintained. It is worth the expense when customers or employees open it often, to reorder, track an order, fill in a report or receive an offer. It is not needed in these cases.
- Your customers visit you once or twice a year.
- The same things can be done well from the website on a phone.
- There is no reason to come back and open it.
- You don't yet have a website or an online store that works.
If one of these cases applies to you, it is better to invest in the website first, and the guide on how much a website costs gives you the figures. If you sell online and the store needs rebuilding, start from e-commerce development. If you need something in between, a web app costs less and can be turned into a store app when usage grows.
Sources
Where we checked the store costs
- Apple Developer, Apple Developer Program enrollment
- Google Play Console, Registering for Google Play Console
- Google Play Console, Testing requirements for new personal developer accounts
Amounts and requirements checked on the official pages on October 14, 2026. Apple and Google may change them, and what they show at the time of enrollment is what applies.
Want to know what your app will cost?
Leave us your number and we'll call you back to understand who will use the app and what it has to do. We'll tell you whether you need an app, a web app or whether the website is enough. You'll find the details on the app development page.
We'll call you back →Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions about
how much it costs to build an app
How much does it cost to build an app?
At Webcreation a web app starts at €1,000, an iPhone and Android app published on the stores at €3,500 and an app connected to your e-commerce site at €5,000. For special requirements we work on a custom quote. The price is fixed and we set it before we start.
How much does it cost to put an app on the Play Store?
To publish on Google Play you need a Google Play Console account, with a one-time registration fee of $25 and identity verification. Personal accounts created after November 13, 2023 must first run a closed test with at least 12 testers active for 14 days in a row.
And how much does it cost to publish it on the App Store?
Apple requires membership of the Apple Developer Program, which costs $99 per year, shown in local currency during enrollment. The accounts are in your name, so the app stays yours even if one day you change provider.
Can I create an app on my own?
For a prototype or simple internal use, yes, with no-code tools. It gets difficult when the app has to read and write data in the management system or the online store, pass store approval and stay up to date with every new version of iPhone and Android.
How much does it cost to maintain an app?
Every year there is the Apple Developer Program renewal, $99, while the Google Play fee is paid once. On top of that come any server that supplies data to the app and maintenance, because Apple and Google release new versions of their systems every year. In our store apps the first 3 months of support are included, then you continue with a maintenance agreement or with hour packages, from €350 for 5 hours.
How much does a web app cost?
With us a web app starts at €1,000. It costs less than a store app because it opens from the browser, does not go through Apple and Google approval and does not require developer accounts. It installs on the phone's home screen, also works offline and sends notifications.
What does the price of an app depend on?
On who will use it, where it has to work, the features such as user login, payments, notifications, camera and offline use, and above all on what it has to connect to, meaning website, online store and management system. An app that relies on a website or store you already have costs less than one that needs a server and a database built from scratch.
How much does it cost to create an Android app?
We build a single app for Android and iPhone, from €3,500, because developing only for Android rarely saves enough to justify giving up customers who use an iPhone. Separately there is the Google Play Console registration fee, $25 paid once.