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Nowadays when almost every brand that has a reputation to their name owns a native app version of their eCommerce, it makes you wonder if your business might need an app as well. And since you’re here, chances are you already know what you need—but not a firm grasp of what your final cost may look like. That’s why we’re here to provide you with an in-depth look into the whole eCommerce mobile app development cost. Without further ado, let’s dig right in:
See more:
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How much does it cost to build an eCommerce app?
The vast range of costs for e-commerce application development spans from $15,000 to $100,000. It can vary depending on the cost-defining factors like: features complexity, different platform choosing (native or cross-platform), and the country’s budget-friendly development team location.
The cost of a minimum viable product usually lies in the price range of $15000 and $25000. For mid-range apps offering extra features like customer accounts and order tracking, the price immediately takes a jump to $30000 and above. Kicking off, advanced features such as AI and augmented reality will give an application a starting price of $40000.
eCommerce mobile app development cost breakdown
First, we need to get something straight. There are a lot of factors involved in the eCommerce app cost, and the actual cost itself is calculated by the hours, as in hours that your developer(s) spent in the making of your app.
Here are some of the common factors that might affect your eCommerce app development cost, in a chronological order:
Visual design costs
Wireframe Costs
This is the first step and also the most important step of your app’s development process. Wireframe is the visual architecture of your app which includes the physical layouts, arrangements of pages, and just everything that involves the process of displaying content on an app. Think of it as blueprints for your app development, which is vital for the next step of your app development which is Visual Design.
Depending on the complexity of each app screen design, it should take between 1 – 2 hours per unique screen and 20 – 30 minutes per subordinate screen.
Total eCommerce mobile app development cost for wireframe design: ~$700 - $2,500 (cost varies between regions)
UI Costs
Based on your app’s wireframes, the designer will create the User Interface (UI), determining its overall look. An attractive interface deserves investment, as a well-designed UI adds personality to your app and captures attention.
Typically, an average app with no custom and complex screen can require an average of 87 hours of UI designing; and if there are custom screens with a lot of complex elements involved then it can require up to 210 hours of designing.
Total eCommerce mobile app development cost for UI design: $300 - $17,500 (cost varies between regions)
UX Costs
This is the part where the average app often skim on, partly because when budget is a concern, a bare-bone functional app is more ideal than an optimal user experience. However, this shouldn’t be something that store owners who care about conversion rates should ignore.
A well-designed user experience (UX) enhances your app’s flow, providing a meaningful and engaging experience for users, which boosts engagement rates.
The time spent on UX design depends on the complexity and number of interactions in the project. On average, expect at least 30 hours for basic designs. For more complex apps with intricate interactions and appealing visuals, this can increase to up to 200 hours.
Total eCommerce mobile app development cost for UX design: $100 - $16,800 (cost varies between regions)
Without knowing all the requirements, it’s pretty hard to know for sure how much your entire visual design stage costs. The factors involved include the complexity of your design requests, whether there are requests for creations of custom icons and/or unique animations, etc. But to help you narrow it down, here are the usual costs for a visual design of your app:
Notes: – Based on the complexity of the projects involved, the costs can be higher
Development costs
The development stage has the biggest impact on your overall eCommerce mobile app development cost, as it’s the most time-consuming part. Your app will be handled by a dedicated team, divided into back-end, front-end, and testing teams.
The cost to build an eCommerce app depends on the app’s complexity. For a basic app with functions like search, shopping cart, order placement, and payment collection, development typically takes between 600 and 900 hours.
It goes without saying that this is the part that affects your overall eCommerce mobile app
Of course, these aren’t all the features that your eCommerce can integrate, but it’s pretty close to your average eCommerce app. If you take all the above features into account, it can take somewhere between $12,000 to $25,000 for the development phase of your typical eCommerce app, and upwards of $50,000 for a complex one.
Testing and deployment costs
To make sure everything goes over smoothly, your app needs to go through a series of tests to ensure its stability and usability. The testing and deployment phases shouldn’t be anything to worry about if your app is relatively small with a small number of users; but it’s an entirely another matter for apps that serve a large user base with requirements for advanced analytics and performance management.
In this phase, you can expect your dedicated team to spend at least 40 hours to test and deploy your app (if yours is a basic app) and up to over 500 hours total for larger apps with lots of complex logics.
Total e-commerce app development cost for testing and deployment: $800 - $35,000
Other additional costs
There are also additional expenses to consider when developing your app, which can affect the overall e-commerce app price. These are mostly some very minor and legal costs associated with licenses, equipment costs, as well as your app’s maintenance costs.
App Store Costs
For example, Google Play store is a rather inexpensive investment as users only need to pay a $25 registration fee in order to upload their app to the global app platform. In addition to the registration fee, Google Play also charges an extra 30% for their service. This service fee, however, can be minimized to as much as 15% for subscription-based apps. For more detailed information, do check out this article from Google themselves.
Updates & maintenance
When considering the cost to build an eCommerce app, it’s important to factor in ongoing updates and maintenance to ensure its functionality and stability. Ignoring these long-term costs is a common mistake and can lead to significant issues down the road.
It’s hard to say for sure what’s the precise update & maintenance cost for your app, but the general recommendation is that firms should allot a budget of around 20% of the total cost of development for maintenance every year—and that’s not including feature updates. For brands that want to make their names known, app updates can serve as a form of marketing strategy as they help users know that your business is active, cares about the user experience, and they bring an overall impression that your business is here to stay.
Total cost of other additional costs: A minimum of 15% of your app’s total cost.
Total Costs
The eCommerce mobile app development cost can be higher due to the need for custom designs across different devices and screen sizes. Despite advancements, building an app for Android still takes longer than for iOS.This is called the Android tax.
There may be several other figures to take into account. Estimating total costs can be challenging due to various factors. In addition to development and design, you’ll need to account for platform fees and IT expenses like servers and hosting.
In total, the average cost for developing an effective app for Google Android is usually between $40,000 and $200,000
It’s still worth it to reiterate that these are only the approximations of the final cost of your eCommerce app, and depending on each region’s developer rates, your final cost can widely vary as well.
A cost-effective solution
If you’re wondering about a cost-effective e-commerce app solution, the answer is yes—and it comes with no hidden catches.
Based in Vietnam, we are a trusted solution provider for Shopify businesses globally. With a customer-first approach, we prioritize your needs in every project, ensuring the best value for your investment.
If you’re a Shopify store owner in need of a cost-effective solution, don’t hesitate to hit us up for a free Shopify mobile app builder:
