How long does it take to build an app?
Two weeks, five weeks, or eight — it depends on screens, platforms and whether anyone is still deciding the brief.
A focused Launch app ships in two weeks. A Build with accounts and one integration takes four to five. Scale is six to eight. The clock starts after the brief is approved — not after the first email.
That is the honest UK range for the kind of product we actually take on. A marketplace with two-sided payments, or a rebuild of a ten-year ops stack, is Custom: we still quote a date, we just will not pretend it fits a two-week box.
If you wanted the number first, what an app costs sits next to this. Time and money move together.
How long does it take to build an app in the UK?
For a first version with a written scope, most serious UK studios talk in months. Cracking publishes the duration with the package: Launch in 2 weeks, Build in 4–5 weeks, Scale in 6–8 weeks. Custom gets a date in the quote. The £49 scoping call is how we map your idea onto one of those clocks before anyone writes code.
What is included in a two-week Launch?
Launch is a single-purpose app: up to five screens, one platform, content, forms and email capture. No payment gateway, no custom backend. Two weeks is enough if the job is that tight and you answer questions in week one. It is not enough for accounts, Stripe, or “we will figure out the screens as we go.”
How long is a Build or Scale app?
Build (£3,999, normally £4,999) is four to five weeks: up to twelve screens, iOS or Android or web, a custom backend, accounts, and one integration. Scale (£7,999, normally £9,999) is six to eight weeks: both mobile platforms or a full web app, up to three integrations, roles in admin, a dedicated account manager. Those weeks include design, build, testing and two rounds of revisions — not a demo then a shrug.
What slows an app build down?
Almost never the first commit. The usual delays:
- An unfinished brief. If “the app” is still a mood, the quote is a guess. How to write an app brief is the prep for the call.
- Content and accounts. Copy, photos, Apple and Google developer accounts, Stripe keys. You own those. We cannot buy the store accounts for you.
- A second platform late. One OS is Launch or Build. iOS plus Android is Scale. Adding the other store after week two is a new quote, not a favour.
- Change requests mid-build. Extra screens and extra APIs are extra. We quote them in writing before we start them. That is how the date stays real.
- Store review. Apple and Google have their own queues. We can submit once your accounts exist; we do not control their calendar.
When does the clock actually start?
Not when you pay £49. That books the scoping call. After the call you approve a fixed quote. A 25% deposit starts the build. Then you get a start date we will stand behind, because we take on a limited number of builds each month. If you need it yesterday, say so on the call — we will tell you the next free slot rather than invent one.
Can you go faster than two weeks?
Not honestly, not for a real Launch. Compressing “design, build, test, revise” into ten days usually means skipping test or skipping you. We would rather keep the two-week promise than ship something you then pay to unpick. If the job is smaller than Launch, we will say so. If it is bigger, it is Build or Scale, and the calendar follows.
How long from idea to live in the stores?
Add the call, the brief, your developer accounts, and store review on top of the package duration. A tidy Launch can be live inside a month if you already have the Apple or Google account and the copy. A Scale product with three integrations is closer to a quarter once you count the week before we start and the week the stores take. We put the build duration in the quote; we do not pretend Apple works on our sprint board.
What does a week on a Cracking build actually look like?
Launch is two weeks because the screens are few and the stack is ours. Week one is structure, content slots and the forms. Week two is polish, your revision round, and handing it over in the portal. Build stretches that over four to five weeks because the backend, accounts and the one integration have to be tested with real data, not lorem ipsum. Scale adds a second surface and an account manager who is in the calendar on purpose — weekly check-ins, not “we will ping you.” Custom is a plan we write after the call, with dates attached to phases, not a vibe.
We take on a limited number of builds each month so those weeks stay true. If the next free start is three weeks out, we will say that on the call rather than overlap two Scale jobs and miss both.
What should I do this week if I want a date?
Book the £49 scoping call. Send a short brief. Tell us the platform and whether you need payments. We will map it onto Launch, Build, Scale or Custom and give you a start date once the quote is approved. If you are still choosing iOS, Android or web, read which platform to build first.
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.