GBCORP BLOG · IT SERVICES
How Much Does It Cost to Build an App? GBCORP's Prices
At GBCORP, a configured app costs $99 to $399 a month on a flat plan, a standalone branded build costs $5,000 once, and the first release of a custom app starts at $5,000. What moves you between those figures is how much of the app is truly unique.
Most articles on this question give ranges so wide they help nobody. Here are GBCORP’s list prices in US dollars, what each one buys and what makes a custom project cost more. The product pages always carry the current figure. Every price is for the standard configuration.
The price list
| What it buys | Price |
|---|---|
| Branded App and Website. One app on both stores, a matching website, hosting and updates | $99 a month |
| Customer Portal. Invoices, orders and documents behind a branded sign-in | $99 a month |
| Loyalty, Delivery, Booking, Education, Healthcare, E-commerce or Real Estate. A branded app on that industry’s edition of the engine | $199 a month |
| Marketplace and Ordering Platform. Several sellers, ordering and requests for quotes | $399 a month |
| One-Time Branded App Build. A standalone app and website on your own accounts, no subscription | $5,000 once |
| Custom App Development. The first release of an app built around your idea | From $5,000 |
| Web Development. The first release of a custom website, web app or portal | From $2,500 |
| AI Development and Automation. The first release of an AI feature or automation | From $5,000 |
What pushes a custom quote up
| Driver | Why it costs more |
|---|---|
| User types | Each one, such as customer, staff, driver or admin, adds screens and permissions |
| Integrations | Accounting, stock or older systems, especially undocumented ones |
| Money | Split payments, payouts, refunds and subscriptions |
| Live behaviour | Tracking, chat and anything that must update instantly |
| Offline use | Working without a connection, then reconciling |
| Bespoke design | Custom animation and layouts rather than a strong standard system |
| AI | Model work, evaluation and running costs per use |
| Regulation | Rules on health, finance or children’s data, and the records they require |
Costs besides the build
Start with the stores. Apple’s Developer Program is 99 USD per membership year and Google Play has a US$25 one-time registration fee, for listings under your own accounts. Your payment gateway charges its own fees on each card payment, while GBCORP takes no commission. If you sell digital content inside an app, the stores’ in-app purchase rules and their commission can apply, whereas physical goods and in-person services are treated differently. On a one-time or custom build, hosting runs on your own accounts at cost, and updates need a maintenance plan or your own team. On a monthly plan, hosting and engine updates are included.
Checklist for an accurate quote
- Describe the one job the first release must do.
- List the user types and what each needs to do.
- Name every system it must connect to, and who controls it.
- Say how customers will pay, and how you will be paid.
- Ask for hosting, maintenance and store fees to be listed separately.
- Get the price per release, and what is excluded, in writing.
The numbers to expect
A configured edition goes live within one to five working days on the web, with store listings after review. Custom work starts with a scoping week priced on its own, ending in a fixed quotation. A first release takes eight to twelve weeks, and later releases of two to six weeks each have a fixed price. Customised or more complex functionality is quoted separately before any work starts.
A worked example
Consider a fitness studio comparing three routes for a booking app over three years, at the list prices above. A monthly plan at $199 comes to $2,388 a year and $7,164 over three years, with hosting and engine updates included. A one-time build at $5,000 is the smaller figure over that period, but the studio then also pays for hosting on its own accounts and needs a maintenance plan or someone else to keep up with store requirements. A custom app starts from $5,000 for its first release, with later releases priced on top, and only makes sense if the studio’s booking rules are truly unusual. On any route, listings under the studio’s own accounts add Apple’s $297 over three years and Google’s single $25. For most studios the plan is the sensible start, because the cash stays in the business and the app is live within days.
Reading the three-year view
List prices mislead unless they are compared over the same period. $5,000 is about 25 months of a $199 plan and about 50 months of a $99 plan, before the one-time route’s hosting and maintenance are counted. So the plan wins for a business testing an idea or keeping its cash, and the one-time build begins to win for a business that is sure, expects to keep the app for years and has someone to look after it. Include your own staff time on either route. Whoever runs content, answers customers and reads the reports may cost more than the software, and that figure rarely appears in any quote.
What a cheap quote leaves out
A very low quote is rarely dishonest, but it is often incomplete. Look for what is missing: the admin console, payment handling, store publishing, testing on real phones, backups, the privacy policy and support after launch. Ask who owns the code and accounts if the relationship ends. Ask what a change costs once the first version is delivered, since that is where a low opening price is often recovered. Two quotes can only be compared once both list the same things, so send each supplier the same written scope.
Running costs as you grow
On a custom build, hosting and messaging costs rise with use, usually slowly at first. Video, maps and AI are the features most likely to change the bill. Ask for an estimate at a hundred, a thousand and ten thousand users, so a successful launch does not bring a surprise invoice.
Maintenance is not optional
An app needs updating even when nothing about your business changes. Google Play raises its target Android version requirement each year, phone operating systems change and security updates keep coming. On a flat plan that work is included. On a one-time or custom build, budget for it through a support plan at a known monthly figure or through your own team.
Paying in releases
Paying by release, at a fixed price, moves risk away from you: you see something usable every two weeks and can stop after any release. A large single budget for a long project puts the whole risk at the far end. If a supplier will not divide the work into priced stages, ask why.
When not to spend anything yet
Sometimes the cheapest app is none at all. If you have not yet sold the service by hand, a simple page and a booking form can test demand for almost nothing. Spend on an app once you have customers asking for what it would do, or staff losing hours to what it would replace. A real figure then justifies the cost.
Ownership terms
Price means little without ownership. On a custom or one-time build, source code, cloud project and store accounts are in your name. On a plan, domain, customer data and brand are yours and exportable. In every case there is no commission on your sales, and the quotation says in writing what is and is not included.
Questions we hear first
Why do quotes for the same app vary so widely?
Because they describe different things. Ask what each price includes: design, backend, testing, store publishing, hosting, support and who owns the code.
Can I build an app for free?
No-code tools can be a good way to test an idea. Check what happens to your data, your store listing and your price as you grow, and whether you can leave.
Is a flat plan cheaper than building?
In the first years, usually. Over a long period a one-time build can cost less, but you then pay for hosting and upkeep yourself.
Do you charge commission on sales?
No. Card payments settle to your own payment-gateway account, whichever route you choose.
Where to start
The GBCORP Custom App Development product sets out the custom route, and the GBCORP custom app development hub sets out the method. For what custom really involves, read a custom app for my business; for the steps from an idea, read how to turn my idea into an app.
GBCORP operates across 17 countries on 4 continents through six pillars: AI & IT, Innovation, Sustainability, Infrastructure, Business Lounge, and EV's & Solutions.
