How much does it cost to build an app in 2026?
In 2026, an iOS and Android app built by a senior team starts at about $15k for a first version with one core flow. A full product with payments, links to your systems and an admin panel is typically $15-50k. Here are our real prices, the costs that come on top, and what AI changes.
By Eryk Kruk, CEO
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Loyalty cardHow much does an app cost in 2026?
A first version (MVP) starts at $15k and takes about 8 weeks. A full product (App Launch) also starts at $15k and is typically $15-50k, in 8-12 weeks.
Both are one Flutter codebase for iOS and Android, with a backend, an admin panel and the release in both stores. You do not pay for two apps.
Before any build there is a plan: Prototype to Plan, $5k, 1-2 weeks, 100% credited to the build.
Want one budget broken down line by line? Read What $15k really buys.
What drives the cost of an app?
Screen count is a weak guide. A list screen and a payment screen can differ by days of work. These are the things that really move the price:
- Links to your systems. Stock, CRM, ERP or POS. If there is no API yet, we build a thin one on top of what you have.
- Payments and subscriptions. Plus the store rules that come with them.
- Accounts and roles. Customers, staff and admins, each seeing different things.
- Real-time features. Chat, live status and maps.
- Languages and offline mode. The Museo app runs in 28 languages.
- Custom animation and 3D. Worth it in some products, and it always comes on top.
A good sign: the second app on the same systems costs less. For Pieprzyk, the second app cost 70% less than the first.
Fixed price or hourly: which costs less?
Hourly rates look lower on paper. With hourly billing, the risk of a slow week sits with you. With a fixed price, it sits with us.
For a company building its first app, a fixed price is usually the safer choice. You know the number before work starts. This is how an example $25k App Launch splits:
Example only. Your milestones and prices come out of Prototype to Plan.
What costs come on top of the build?
The build is not the whole bill. Plan for these from day one:
Selling physical goods? Apple requires a payment method other than in-app purchase for goods and services used outside the app, such as Apple Pay or a card. Orders from your shop keep your own payment provider.
For the first 6 months after launch, our own bugs are on us. After that, Care keeps the app up to date from $2k a month. Or your developers take over: the code and the accounts are yours.
Can I just wrap my website in an app?
It costs the least up front, and it often fails review. Apple's guidelines ask for "features, content, and UI that elevate it beyond a repackaged website."
An app pays off when it does something your website cannot: a push at the right moment, a loyalty card in the phone, a scanner at the counter. Website to app converter or your own app? compares both roads. Not sure you need an app yet? Read when an app pays off.
How does AI change the cost of building an app?
AI makes good teams faster. That is real, and it is part of why a full app fits in about three months and a five-figure budget.
- Prototypes in days. AI draws many directions for your key screens. You click them on your phone in the first 1-2 weeks, before any code is written.
- Tests on every build. AI tests every build and writes tests up to 100% coverage. Digitoys has 3,000+ automated tests.
- A new build every week. You see progress on your phone and correct course early, while changes still cost little.
- Nothing lost after calls. AI summarizes every meeting into tasks.
FishPRO went from the first talk in April to both stores in June.
What does AI not change?
AI does not choose your architecture, keep your keys safe or answer Apple's reviewers. Codigee experts review every line, and the hard calls stay with people.
It also does not change store fees, yearly updates or the time someone on your side needs for feedback each week. If a quote is low because "AI does it all", ask who checks the code, and who fixes it after launch.
Already built something with Lovable, Bolt or Replit? Part of the work is done. See how we take an AI prototype to the stores.
How do I get a real number for my app?
Start with Prototype to Plan. In 1-2 weeks you get the key screens, the tech plan and a fixed price for each milestone. The $5k is credited to the build, or you take the plan to any team.
All our prices are on the pricing page. To see how a build runs week by week, read how we work, and for company projects, see Codigee for companies.
Common questions
01How much does a simple app cost in 2026?
At Codigee, a first version with one core flow (MVP) starts at $15k and takes about 8 weeks. It includes the iOS and Android app, a simple backend, a basic admin panel and the release in both stores.
02Does an app for only iOS or only Android cost less?
Not with us. We build both from one Flutter codebase, and our prices already include iOS and Android. You do not pay for two apps.
03Does AI lower the cost of building an app?
It makes it faster, and speed lowers the cost. Prototypes, tests and weekly builds take less time. Store review, a secure backend, updates and expert review still take real work.
04What does an app cost per year after launch?
The Apple Developer Program is 99 USD a year, and Google Play has a one-time 25 USD fee. The cloud usually costs about $0 a month up to a few hundred thousand users. After the 6-month guarantee, Care starts at $2k a month, or your own team takes over.
05Fixed price or hourly: which should a company choose?
For a first app, a fixed price per milestone is usually safer: you know the number before work starts and can stop after any milestone. Hourly, $60/h with a 120 h monthly minimum, fits companies that already run their own product team.
06How long does it take to build an app?
An MVP takes about 8 weeks, a full product 8-12 weeks. We usually start about 2 weeks after signing.
