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How Much Does It Cost to Build a Mobile App with a Chicago Development Firm?

The first time I asked for an app development quote in Chicago, the range of prices made no sense. Here's what I learned after actually digging into why.

By Jack CookPublished 4 months ago • 4 min read

It really surprised me the first time that I asked for an estimation of prices on mobile app development. I was getting completely different prices from everyone, which didn’t make any sense to me. Some quotations were really low, others were very high. But I really needed to find out what affects pricing when you cooperate with a mobile app development firm in Chicago. Having discussed everything with different companies offering mobile app development in Chicago, I managed to figure it out.

The Wide Range of Pricing

When I began searching for information on mobile app development firms in Chicago, I understood that the cost of developing an application varies from case to case. In some cases, it might be a few thousand dollars. In other cases, it might cost hundreds of thousands. It is quite a substantial difference that one needs to consider.

The prices of the app development companies chicago has greatly differ depending on what each business provides. There might be startups that have relatively low prices due to their limited resources. Other businesses have a long experience in this field and are more expensive due to various factors.

App Complexity and Platform Choices

One of the first facts that I learned is that simpler applications cost less than the complex ones. Simple apps with minimal functionality can be developed at a cost of five thousand to twenty thousand dollars. A mobile app development company in Chicago can develop such apps quickly since no special design or complex data management is required.

On the contrary, complex applications such as banking platforms and social networks have completely different prices and development processes. A mobile app development company in Chicago, developing such applications, takes months of development with the participation of multiple developers. The cost of the complex applications usually starts from fifty thousand dollars and goes up to hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars.

In addition, it depends on what platforms will be used in development. Development for one operating system is cheaper than developing an application for two operating systems. An app development firm in Chicago may charge less for one platform, but developing two versions for sure is more expensive. Moreover, some mobile app development companies in Chicago create cross-platform applications that are more affordable, but they do not work as efficiently as native apps.

Design, Integration, and Timeline

Good design is expensive. Good design will cost you between five and ten thousand dollars. If you want a very well-designed interface, it can cost you between twenty and forty thousand dollars. A mobile app development company in Chicago that emphasizes good design does charge extra for it, but it really pays off.

Many apps require connecting to third-party services such as map services, payments, accounting, etc. Integration can be simple and cost you a few thousand dollars or more complex and require connecting to many different services, and then cost between ten and twenty thousand dollars.

A timeline is also important to determine costs. You get what you pay for. If you want to build your app in three months rather than in six, you'll have to pay premium rates for having it done quicker. A mobile app development company in Chicago is able to deliver your app more quickly if you pay extra.

Team Experience and Location

The proficiency of the developers plays a role in pricing, since junior developers are less costly than senior developers. A small number of developers is less costly than a larger number of developers. However, there is a drawback to this. The less experienced developers may make errors or waste time, while the more experienced developers work faster and better.

Oddly enough, the geographical position of Chicago influences pricing. App development firms in Chicago charge more than the firms in smaller cities, but less than the firms in such costly cities as San Francisco. Mobile app development companies in Chicago sometimes subcontract projects to developers from other countries whose services are cheaper, which sometimes results in communication and quality problems.

Ongoing Maintenance Costs

One thing that I did not know was that there are many costs associated with developing an app besides the actual development costs. Mobile apps also have maintenance costs, update costs, and bug fixing costs. This usually comes at a monthly cost between one thousand dollars and five thousand dollars.

Updates will be required for the new iOS and Android releases, security patches, and bug fixes as reported by users. While some mobile app development companies in Chicago offer this service at no extra cost for some months, this service does come at a cost after that.

Understanding the Real Investment

Adding it all up made me realize that while developing an app doesn’t come cheap, it is usually more cost-effective than most people realize. The best app development company in Chicago will develop your app for between twenty thousand and one hundred thousand dollars, while monthly maintenance fees range from one thousand to five thousand dollars.

This is quite an investment, yet there is income generated by apps, and they can solve your business challenges. App development companies in Chicago realize that this is not merely a purchase but rather a business choice. The secret to success is knowing which factors influence the price and making wise decisions about what is necessary and what is not.

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About the Creator

Jack Cook

Hi myself Jack, a mobile application developer with 5+ years of experience in creating intuitive and engaging user experiences for iOS and Android platforms.

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    Written by Jack Cook