How to Develop an Android App on a Budget

Nearly 90% of the mobile users’ time is spent on mobile apps. It’s clear that apps are a great medium to reach your customers. Although, app development is a costly affair. From planning and crafting to deploying and marketing, the whole process compels you to have smart budget planning.

Let’s learn more about app development and if there’s any way to minimize its cost.

What are the factors that determine the app development cost?

• App functions and features – the more complex the app is, the more will be its development cost.
• Devices and platforms which support the app – whether you are developing the app for Android, iOS, Windows, or all.

1. Integration points – Whether the app is integrated with third-party apps.
2. Use of design and animation – the more complex the visual objects added to the app, the more will be its development cost.
3. Hardware components – the apps which require specific hardware components in the mobile will increase the cost of app development significantly.
4. A maintenance plan – an app requires maintenance, which will naturally affect the cost of the app.

What is the average cost of development of an android app?

The average cost of the development of an android app is about $23 thousand.

Mobile app development is highly customizable, and thus there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to cost. It all depends upon what you want your app to offer and do. Creating an app on a limited budget can bring forward unique ideas and solutions that would not have been possible without budget restrictions.

Tips to Develop Android App on Budget

There are many ways to save money when building a mobile app. Here are 8 tips that can help you develop an app under your budget.

#1. Your goal must be clear and precise

You can keep the cost of app development under your budget. You can do this by defining goals right at the beginning of the development process. You must know the answers to these questions:

1. Why are you developing the app?
2. Who is your target audience?
3. What particular function should your mobile app perform?
4. What results are you trying to achieve?
5. Who are your competitors?
6. What makes your app unique from the competitors?

If all these goals are crystal clear in your mind, you can develop a better app. You can plan more in the future if you want to add more features to your app. But the basic goals must be clear before you start. You also need this information when negotiating with a company or a freelancer for your mobile app development cost.

#2. You can test your idea by building an MVP version of the app

If some of your app’s main features are exceeding your ideal budget, do not consider building a complete-functionality app from the beginning. Instead, you should build an MVP first.

MVP means minimum viable product. This allows you to get user feedback from the early users and validate your idea with actual users and analyze the audience’s demand. After this, you can approach investors to get funding to build the full-fledged app.

Launching an MVP version first will save your money and help you in getting users’ feedback. By this, you can make your app more user-friendly. So, launching the MVP version is a great idea to save money and to get a clean chit in the real market.

#3. Choose the right mobile app development pricing model

There are two types of pricing models. You can go either for hourly rates or a fixed budget model. Fix budget models are more convenient if you have a tight budget as this budget also involves the cost of any modifications you want in the app afterward. All the cost is included in the fixed budget.

You should make clear with app developers your goal and fix a budget with the company.

#4. Prioritize your feature as per users demand and development cost

It is critical to prioritize each feature of your mobile app based on development costs and user needs. You must be specific about what feature you want to add to your app. You cannot compromise with the users’ needs to cut the cost of the app. Therefore, you should make a perfect balance between user needs and budget restrictions.

For example, say you are making a shopping app, but you haven’t added a payment gateway or a search filter. This would create a hassle for users and would eventually degrade the popularity of the app.

#5. Make it simple

A simple design will attract more users and is less expensive. Users can connect more easily to hassle-free applications. But simplicity demands clarity, so you must be clear of your goals and the results you want to achieve from your application.

#6. Make a note of the maintenance cost

App maintenance is necessary and can tremendously affect your financial plans. It is essential to upgrade your android app from time to time. Otherwise, it will crash, and people would not think a second to delete it. Timely updates and additions to the app keep the interests of users up. Hence, make sure to plan a budget keeping the importance of maintenance of the app in mind.

#7. Pre-launch marketing

App promotion is crucial to make your app successful. You can start marketing your app before its launch. It will create a buzz and interest in the market before you launch the product. You can reach out to tech-blogs and social media influencers to create awareness about the upcoming app. Awareness about your app will help you reach your business goals early.

#8. Freelance app developers vs. mobile app development companies

Hiring a freelancer app developer can seem budget-friendly, but you have to make sure to consider its pros and cons before hiring a freelancer. Working with freelancers can be budget-friendly, but sometimes it can be risky too. It isn’t easy to communicate your vision to an external party and create a collaboration system that works for both partners.

Mobile app development companies can be somewhat costlier, but it is easy to communicate with them. Plus, you don’t need to invest your time managing their work. Also, such companies can build your mobile app on a designated timeline and a limited budget.

Whether you hire a freelancer or app development company to develop an app for you, make sure to figure out the hidden costs before choosing the option.

Takeaway

Whether you want to develop an e-commerce app or an entertainment app with the best features, planning and executing your budget strategies is the biggest challenge for a developer or entrepreneur.

App development under a budget is possible if all the strategies and evaluations are properly executed. Make sure not to miss any essential core features that compromise your mobile app’s quality when developing a mobile app with budget restrictions.

The future of low-cost business apps is bright. As the average internet penetration and speed is getting faster, the app market in developing countries will bring innovative mobile app development solutions to users.

Author Bio: Eshan Cheema, CEO of Zoptal Solutions Pvt. Ltd., is a strategist that has formulated and perfected the nuances of the digital marketing world. Running his company for the last eight years, he has helped many businesses to grow from the grassroots level. He believes that all it takes is that knack to take new challenges in one’s stride and build strategies that would yield the intended results. With ample experience, he has been guiding the young entrepreneurs in the field to date.