How Much Does a Custom Mobile App Cost in 2026?

How much does it cost to build a custom mobile app? It's the most-asked question in custom development and the most evaded by agencies. Real number: most builds in 2026 land between $25k and $250k, with the spread driven by four factors that are easy to estimate up front.

Here's the honest math.

What drives mobile app cost

1. Platform strategy

iOS only or Android only: 50% of dual-platform cost. Choose this when you're testing market fit before going wider.

iOS + Android via React Native or Flutter: roughly 1.3–1.5x single-platform cost. Standard for most builds in 2026.

iOS + Android via native (Swift + Kotlin): 2x single-platform cost. Justify this only when you genuinely need native performance (games, AR, intensive animations).

2. Backend complexity

A mobile app needs a backend in 90% of cases. Auth, user data, push notifications, in-app messaging, analytics, billing, sync. The backend is often 40–60% of the cost — not the app UI itself.

3. Integrations

Each integration adds time. Payments (Stripe, Apple Pay, Google Pay) — 3–5 days each. Auth providers — 1–2 days. Maps/GPS — 3–5 days. Push notifications — 2–3 days. Backend services (CRM, ERP, accounting) — 5–10 days each.

4. Polish and native feel

A working app is different from a polished app. Custom animations, micro-interactions, haptic feedback, optimised for both phone and tablet — these add 1–3 weeks. Worth it for consumer apps, less critical for internal/B2B.

Three worked examples

Tier 1 — Operational MVP ($25k–$50k)

Single platform (iOS or Android), or React Native cross-platform with simpler UI

Auth, ~6 core screens, basic backend (Firebase or similar)

1–2 integrations (e.g., Stripe + push notifications)

5–8 week build

Best for: B2B internal tools, field-service apps, or first-version consumer MVPs validating market fit.

Tier 2 — Production consumer app ($60k–$130k)

React Native or Flutter, both iOS and Android

15–30 screens with polished animations

Full backend (auth, profiles, real-time data, push)

5–10 integrations (Stripe, social auth, maps, analytics, etc.)

Both phone and tablet layouts

App Store + Play Store submission with reviews handled

10–16 week build

Best for: consumer-facing apps with real product/market fit being scaled into production. The most common scope.

Tier 3 — Enterprise / high-performance ($150k–$300k+)

Native iOS (Swift) + native Android (Kotlin) for performance

40+ screens, custom UI components, complex offline behaviour

Multi-tier backend with real-time sync, conflict resolution, advanced analytics

10+ integrations including legacy enterprise systems

Compliance work (HIPAA, SOC 2, GDPR)

16–26 week build

Best for: apps where performance differences are user-perceivable (games, AR/VR, intensive 3D, real-time camera/audio) or compliance is non-negotiable.

iOS vs Android vs React Native vs Flutter

For most 2026 builds:

React Native is the default for both platforms simultaneously. Mature ecosystem, near-native performance for typical apps, single codebase.

Flutter is a strong alternative if your team prefers Dart and pixel-perfect UI consistency matters.

Native iOS (Swift) if your audience is 90%+ iOS or you need the highest performance ceiling.

Native Android (Kotlin) if your audience is 90%+ Android (less common in the US, common in emerging markets).

Most teams overestimate the performance gap. For 95% of apps, React Native is indistinguishable from native to end users.

When NOT to build a mobile app

Your users are 5–50 small business owners (build a responsive web app, way cheaper)

You haven't validated demand for the desktop/web version yet

Your "app" is really a wrapper around a website (PWA is sufficient, $5–15k instead of $50k)

Apple App Store / Google Play Store submission politics worry you (PWAs avoid this entirely)

If you want a transparent cost for your specific mobile app scope, our cost calculator gives a range in 60 seconds. For the longer build-vs-buy thinking, see Custom Software vs SaaS.