One of the most serious questions that concerns any entrepreneur is what would be the cost of an application development. Without an understanding of the components any project consists of, it is hard to calculate the budget and mitigate risks. Here is our vision on this issue.

Before starting any project, Svitla’s experts should estimate the amount of effort, in accordance with data provided by a potential customer. The price will depend on the complexity of the app features as determined by our analysts. Generally, when calculating costs, experts will take into account the following components.

Team costs

Basically, the team should include at least two developers, one quality assurance engineer and project manager. But for small applications, one of the developers can take up the role of a team lead or a project manager.  For big projects, we strongly recommend to have a dedicated project manager for better team coordination (read why here: http://svitla.com/blog/why-outsourcing-company-insists-on-hiring-a-project-manager). In addition, such specialists as UX/UI designers, technical writers could also be involved in the process of building an app.

Deeper investigation costs

Some projects require much deeper research and investigation. For example, the project may need a third-party assistance, platforms, or licenses. These costs also should be incorporated in the final estimate.

Maintenance costs

Technical teams know that any project doesn’t stop after the release date. In the first several months, it is extremely important to controlan apps’ sustainability, fix critical bugs, and maintain backend servers. Besides, almost any application needs updating, adding new features, and  compatibility with new versions of software. For this purpose, you may want to leave one or two developers on the project after the release period.

UI design costs

As customers perceive an application’s interface, it is obvious that the coding process itself won’t be sufficient enough. Usability and user experience are essential things to think of for any mid-size and big applications. Creating a unique style and design elements may take some time and effort.

All these things are difficult to estimate if a customer doesn’t have a definite technical expertise. In Svitla, our analysts are working on estimating incoming requirements, such as a project description, examples of the products that the customer may like, and documentation. As a rough estimate,, the analysts can provide the customer with information of approximate number of hours, team members, and the rates for the project. On the neхt iteration, the analysts collaborate closer with the customer on the requirements and wireframes.

Due to the fact that the rates and other conditions change from year to year, it is hard to say what the final cost would be. Yet, a rough estimate for most projects may look the following:

• Small projects (basic CRUD operations and minimal UI) will take up to 500 hours and may cost around $ 15,000 - $20,000.
• Medium size projects (more sophisticated design and functionalities, payment features, and API integration) may cost around $30,000 - $50,000.
• Big enterprise applications (with a large set of functionalities, complex logic, large loads, and support of extended team of specialists) may cost up to $70 000 - $100,000.

Wonder how to build travel app from scratch? Read in our article.