What it costs to build an app in 2026

This is a budgeting page for an app development cost, not a rate card. Weblynx is a Houston studio. We work remotely with businesses across the United States. The figures below are industry estimates this site already publishes. The app cost estimator sorts a selection into those bands and stops there.

The parent page is app development. Platform detail lives on iOS, Android, cross-platform, and MVP development.

Short answer

Most single-platform MVPs land between $15,000 and $40,000 and take 10–16 weeks. A cross-platform MVP is about $40,000–$120,000, and a broader first release is about $80,000–$200,000 or more. Those are industry estimates already published on the app, iOS, Android, and MVP pages and in the MVP cost article, not a Weblynx price. The estimator on this page only places a platform, a set of features, and a design level into those bands. A fixed price for an agreed scope comes in a proposal after a 30-minute scoping call, within 3 business days.

Estimator

App cost estimator

Choose a platform, the features you are considering, and a design level. The result is one of the published industry bands, not a Weblynx quote. What an MVP costs is the article those bands come from.

Platform
Features
Design level

Industry estimate

Narrow single-platform MVP

About $15,000–$40,000

to build, not a Weblynx quote

Timeline

10–16 weeks. That is the industry estimate on the app, iOS, Android, and MVP pages for a focused MVP, not a fixed Weblynx timeline.

Why this band

This matches the narrow single-platform MVP in the MVP cost article: one iOS app, a few screens, and one core flow, without payments or a custom design pass. The same figure is the one on the app, iOS, Android, and MVP pages: most single-platform MVPs land between $15,000 and $40,000. That is an industry estimate, not a Weblynx price.

After launch

The closest annual band in the maintenance article is a simple app: $6,000–$15,000 a year. That article describes a straightforward app with basic functionality. It is an industry estimate for after launch, separate from the build.

Store fees

Apple charges $99 a year for a developer membership, from the maintenance article. Google's one-time $25 applies only if you also ship on Google Play. Both are store fees, separate from the build.

This is an industry estimate, not a Weblynx quote. We don't publish a rate card. A fixed price for an agreed scope comes in a proposal after a 30-minute scoping call, within 3 business days.

Published bands

Three shapes, already on this site

The app development page does not sell three packages. It says most single-platform MVPs land between $15,000 and $40,000 depending on scope, and that most projects take 10–16 weeks. The iOS, Android, and MVP pages say the same thing, and they label both figures as industry estimates, not a Weblynx price.

The wider bands live in what an MVP costs. That article is explicit: the figures are industry estimates gathered from how studios scope this work, not quotes. Replace them with a number from a written proposal before you budget.

Narrow single-platform MVP

About $15,000–$40,000. One store or a responsive web app, a few screens, email login, one core flow. The row excludes a second platform, payments, custom illustration, and a long support retainer. A focused version of this shape is the 10–16 weeks industry estimate.

Cross-platform MVP

About $40,000–$120,000. iOS and Android from one codebase, auth, a modest backend, a small integration or two. The row excludes heavy offline use, a custom design system, and several third-party systems. The MVP page calls a cross-platform scope a different job from the single-platform range.

Broader first release

About $80,000–$200,000 or more. Multiple roles, payments, an admin, and a design pass that is not a template. The row excludes years of roadmap, native rewrites, and an enterprise compliance program. The service pages say this kind of product runs longer than 10–16 weeks, and they do not publish a second week range.

The estimator

What the tool will and will not do

The app cost estimator asks for a platform, a few features, and a design level. It then names one of the three bands above. It does not multiply features by a rate. Login, chat, an admin panel, a modest interface, and a small integration stay inside the band for that platform, with a note that a real quote can still move inside the range.

Payments leave the narrow row, because that row excludes them, and they match the broader row, because that row includes them. A custom design pass does the same: the lower rows exclude custom illustration and a custom design system, and the broader row includes a design pass that is not a template. Offline use leaves the cross-platform row, which excludes heavy offline use. On one platform, offline use stays inside the narrow band.

If a selection sits in a gap the articles never priced, the tool says so and shows the next published band. It does not fill the gap. That is why an iOS app with payments does not get a new number between $40,000 and $80,000. The cross-platform band is a two-store shape, not a payments step.

Timeline

The only week range we publish

A focused MVP usually takes 10–16 weeks. An app with payments, more than one role, and an admin panel takes longer. Discovery writes the real date down before you commit. That range is an industry estimate for most focused projects, not a fixed Weblynx timeline. Kickoff is typically 1–2 weeks after you sign off.

Published work on this site took longer because the scope was larger. SummarizeFlow is a web app Weblynx built, and it took three months from start to live. Menu-Order AI and Rendezvu each took six months from start to live. Turbo Donate took six months from start to delivery for the mobile app Weblynx built. The web platform and backend for Turbo Donate were built by someone else. None of these is a template for a smaller first release, and none of them states a price.

After launch

The build quote is not the cost of owning it

Operating systems move, store rules change, and the first real users do things the test script missed. What it costs to maintain a mobile app after launch is where those annual figures live. A simple app is estimated at $6,000–$15,000 a year. A mid-complexity app, the article's example is accounts and payments, is $13,000–$33,000 a year. A complex app, including real-time features, payment processing, and an ongoing development retainer, is $43,000–$117,000 or more a year. Those are industry estimates, not a Weblynx retainer.

Apple charges $99 a year for a developer membership. Google charges a one-time $25 for a Play developer account. The cross-platform page states the same two fees, and they are separate from the build. A web app does not pay them. The maintenance article is about mobile apps, so its annual bands are not a hosting quote for a website.

Next step

Pick the page that matches the job

This page is the budget. The service pages are the engagement. If you already know the platform, start there. If you are still cutting the first release to one job, start with MVP development. If the articles and a proposal disagree, the proposal is the one you are buying.

What clients say

Weblynx has designed and developed a digital ecosystem for a donation pickup and junk removal platform, including a website, mobile app, booking system, notifications, and secure backend. Weblynx has delivered the project on time, improving operational efficiency and achieving a 40% increase in user engagement. Communication is transparent and responsive, and the platform enables service scaling without technical issues. The client is highly satisfied with the results and quality.Read more
CEO, Turbo Donate · 5 out of 5 · Clutch
I was offered the opportunity to build my online store, SoundLabz.net, with the Weblynx team, and I'm absolutely thrilled. I'm a wholesaler in Houston, Texas, and I own a physical car stereo store. I needed a reliable and professional team to help me transition my business online. Weblynx not only exceeded my expectations, but also did a great job. From the very beginning, their team guided me thoroughly every step of the way. They understood my needs, listened carefully to my business details, and completed the project within the timeframe we agreed upon. The website, built on React.js, is very sleek, fast, and user-friendly, making it easy for both customers and dealers. In addition, they developed a dealer portal that small shop owners can easily integrate with us, which was crucial for my business. I highly recommend Weblynx to anyone looking to build or upgrade their online presence. Their professional approach, communication, and expertise were top-notch at every step.Read more
Soundlabz · 5 out of 5 · Bark
I had the pleasure of working with the Weblynx team on the development of my site Ruby's Barbershop, and the experience was fantastic. They built the e-commerce store on WordPress and developed the booking system using Next.js and the BLVD SDK, and everything turned out exactly as we discuss earlier. The design is modern, clean, and easy to navigate. Customers can smoothly browse products through the WordPress store and effortlessly book their salon appointments using the custom Next.js booking system. Communication throughout the project was clear, professional, and timely, and the Weblynx team consistently delivered high-quality work on schedule. I highly recommend them for any web development project, whether it's WordPress, Next.js, or custom integrations. I look forward to working with them again in the future.Read more
David John · 5 out of 5 · Bark
Bilal was outstanding! He built TurboDonate.com from scratch and delivered our iOS and Android apps, both live on the App Store and Google Play. Fast, clean code, perfect Stripe integration, and super smooth communication. Everything launched on time and works flawlessly. Highly recommend Bilal to anyone needing a reliable full-stack + mobile developer! Thanks again, Bilal! 🚀 – Founder, TurboDonate.comRead more
Vlad Ivanov · 5 out of 5 · Bark

Questions before you budget an app

How much does it cost to build an app in 2026?

Most single-platform MVPs land between $15,000 and $40,000. A cross-platform MVP is about $40,000–$120,000. A broader first release is about $80,000–$200,000 or more. Those are industry estimates from the app, iOS, Android, and MVP pages and from the MVP cost article, not a Weblynx price. Scope, not a rate card, is what moves a real quote.

How long does it take to build an app?

A focused MVP usually takes 10–16 weeks. That is an industry estimate on the app, iOS, Android, and MVP pages, not a fixed Weblynx timeline. A product with payments, several roles, and an admin panel runs longer, and those pages do not publish a second week range. Weblynx case studies of larger products took three months for SummarizeFlow and six months each for Menu-Order AI, Rendezvu, and the Turbo Donate mobile app.

Is the app cost estimator a quote?

No. It is an industry estimate. It places your platform, features, and design level into bands this site already publishes, and it does not price a feature on its own. A Weblynx price is a written proposal after a 30-minute scoping call, within 3 business days: scope, milestones, timeline, and a fixed price for that scope.

What does it cost to maintain an app after launch?

The maintenance article's annual industry estimates are $6,000–$15,000 for a simple app, $13,000–$33,000 for a mid-complexity app, and $43,000–$117,000 or more for a complex app. Apple charges $99 a year. Google charges a one-time $25. Those are not part of the build estimate, and they are not a Weblynx retainer.

Do the case studies on this site include a price?

No. Menu-Order AI, Rendezvu, Turbo Donate, and SummarizeFlow are Weblynx projects, and none of them states a price. They are larger than a narrow first release. Menu-Order AI, Rendezvu, and Turbo Donate's mobile app each took six months. SummarizeFlow, a web app, took three months. Use them to judge scope, then ask for a fixed price.

Want a number you can sign?
Bring the one job the app has to do.

A 30-minute scoping call, then a written proposal within 3 business days. The estimator is not that proposal.

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