What does it cost to build an app in 2026?
A straight UK answer on app development company cost — then four fixed-price packages if you want to skip the quote theatre.
Most UK app development companies still quote £20,000–£80,000 for a first version. Freelancers land lower, with more of the risk on you. Cracking publishes the number up front: a founding offer until 30 September of £1,999, £3,999 or £7,999 (list £2,499 / £4,999 / £9,999), or Custom if it will not fit.
The rest of this guide is why those ranges exist, what actually drives mobile app development cost, and how to pick a package without a 40-page proposal.
| Route | Typical cost | What you actually buy | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical UK agency | £20k–£80k | Discovery, day rates, change requests | Scope moves, invoices follow |
| Freelancer | £8k–£40k | One person doing everything | Holidays, illness, no backup |
| Cracking | £1,999+ | Fixed packages, written scope | You pick a package that fits |
| To start | £49 | Scoping call, credited if you go ahead | Kept if you no-show |
Why “how much does an app cost?” is a bad question
People type app development company cost into Google because they want a number. The industry answers with a shrug: “it depends.” That is technically true and commercially useless.
An app is not one product. A five-screen brochure with a contact form is an app. A two-sided marketplace with payments, admin, and iOS plus Android is also an app. Treating those as the same job is how you get a £12k quote that becomes £47k by month four.
The useful version of the question is: what does a first version cost, for this shape of product, with the scope written down before anyone writes code?
Typical UK app development company cost in 2026
These are the bands we still see in the UK, for a first release — not a rewrite of Uber. Application development cost has not magically collapsed; what has changed is that some studios now sell a productised build instead of a blank day-rate.
| Route | Typical cost | What you actually buy | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK agency (time and materials) | £20,000–£80,000+ | Discovery, design, build, PM, testing | Scope moves, invoices follow |
| Offshore team | £10,000–£40,000 | Hours, often without a UK owner | Handover, timezone, rewrite risk |
| Solo freelancer | £8,000–£40,000 | One person doing everything | Holidays, illness, no backup |
| Cracking | £1,999 / £3,999 / £7,999 | A named package, written quote, portal or AM | You pick a package that fits. Extras are quoted, not sprung |
If a sales deck says “from £5,000” and the statement of work is blank, that is not a price. That is a hook. The cost of app development only becomes real when screens, platforms, integrations and who owns the stores are in writing.
What actually drives the cost
Four things move the number more than the logo on the proposal.
Screens and platforms
Five screens on one platform is a Launch job. Twelve screens on iOS, Android or web is Build. Both mobile stores, or a full web app with roles, is Scale. Adding a second platform late is one of the fastest ways a “simple” quote inflates.
Backend, accounts and payments
A content app with forms and email capture does not need a custom backend. Anything with logins, saved data, or card payments does. That is the line between Launch (£1,999 founding, no payment gateway) and Build (£3,999 founding, including one integration such as Stripe).
Integrations
Maps, auth, Stripe, CRMs, calendars — each one is a contract with someone else’s API. Build includes one. Scale includes up to three. Past that, you are in Custom. See the integrations we already wire in if you already know the stack.
People around the code
Launch and Build run through a client portal: feedback, bugs, feature requests, without chasing email. Scale and Custom include a dedicated account manager. You are not paying for more Slack. You are paying for someone whose job is the build.
The expensive part is rarely the first commit. It is the unscoped extras that arrive after you have already started.
Hidden costs people forget to budget
These sit outside every honest app development cost, including ours:
- Apple Developer Programme — $99 a year, in your name. Google Play is a one-off $25.
- Store listing work — screenshots, copy, privacy policy. We can submit once you own the accounts; we cannot buy them for you.
- Running costs — hosting, SMS, email delivery, Stripe’s processing fees. You choose those services; you pay their meters.
- Your time — briefs, content, feedback. A two-week Launch still needs you to answer questions in week one.
The £49 scoping call is credited toward the package if we go ahead. It is kept if you do not show. That is deliberate: we do not start work on a maybe.
Which package is the cost of your app?
Use this as a filter before you book a call. If you are between two, book the call anyway — that is what it is for.
| Package | Price | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | £1,999 | One job, five screens, one platform. Content, forms, email capture. No Stripe, no custom backend. Two weeks. |
| Build | £3,999 | Accounts, a database, one integration (payments, auth or maps), a basic admin. Four to five weeks. This is the one most founders need. |
| Scale | £7,999 | iOS and Android, or a full web app, up to three integrations, roles in admin, an account manager. Six to eight weeks. |
| Custom | Quote | Enterprise integrations, a phased roadmap, a retainer, or a dedicated crew. Still a £49 call first. Still a fixed quote before code. |
Want to see the kind of product these packages are for? Live studio work is here — booking tools, ops, events, payroll, not Dribbble shots.
Next in this set: how long a build takes, fixed-price vs hourly, which platform to start on, what an MVP includes, and how to write the brief for the £49 call.
Four packages. Zero surprise invoices.
Every package is a fixed price. A founding offer is on until 30 September — then prices go back to list. A £49 scoping call gets the ball rolling.
Launch
A single-purpose app that needs to exist fast. No payments, no custom backend.
- Up to 5 screens, one platform
- Content, forms and email capture
- 2-week delivery
Build
A proper product you can put in front of real users.
- Up to 12 screens, iOS, Android or web
- Custom backend, database and accounts
- 1 integration — payments, auth, maps
Scale
A cross-platform product ready to handle real growth.
- iOS + Android or full web app
- Up to 3 integrations, including payments
- Dedicated account manager
Custom
Ongoing products, complex integrations, or a dedicated crew.
- Multi-platform and enterprise work
- Phased roadmap or retainer
- SLA-backed support after launch
Founding prices end 30 September — list is £2,499 / £4,999 / £9,999. The £49 scoping call is credited toward your package if we go ahead. Launch does not include a payment gateway.