How to Reduce App Development Costs Without Sacrificing Quality

Developing an app can be a costly process, but you can reduce these costs by careful planning and using automated platforms. App development in today’s time can be a hassle for businesses, as most do not wish to invest a hefty sum of money.

Some businesses often cut the app development cost by compromising on quality. There are many tools and platforms available that provide built-in support, drag-and-drop features, robust library support and APIs to make a fully functional app. However, as per the market demand, businesses are scaling their existing applications to integrate AI and smart chatbots.

To make an impression and provide an effective user experience, you cannot simply make a scaled mobile app using automated platforms. It will require some developer expertise to make a tailored app to meet business demands. Businesses can reduce app development costs in a number of ways, which we will discover in this article. Let’s dive in –

Factors Affecting Mobile App Development Cost

The cost of application development depends on various factors. These factors include choice of platform, technical requirements of the app, UI/UX design, project scope and post-launch maintenance.

• Mobile apps offer different services and functions to users. A simple app will take less time for development, while a full-fledged application will be costly because it will take more resources and time to complete the app.
• The second criterion is deciding the platform on which the application will be developed. For example, you can choose to create a native application which will have all the advanced features. However, a native mobile app can only work on a single platform, i.e., Android or iOS. Choosing to make the application for multiple OS will be costlier.
• The cost of mobile app development also depends on the number of developers and other resources involved in the project. How many resources you need depends on the scale of the mobile app. A mobile app development company has an in-house team of developers who collectively contribute to the app to save time and overall development cost. If you require a scaled enterprise-level or commercial mobile app, you can outsource to fulfil your application development needs. 

5 Tips To Reduce App Development Cost Without Compromising Quality

Understanding Project Requirements in the Initial Stage

The first step for reducing the cost of mobile app development is to gather requirements to begin the project planning. Gathering detailed technical and functional requirements of the application will help developers understand what the application entails. The developers can fix the cost by looking at the requirements of the application, including everything ranging from application prototyping, UI designing, platform-specific charges, if any, post-maintenance needs, etc.

For scaling the application in the future, you will need to increase the budget for the app development. Developers will have to give more time and effort to add new features and functions to the mobile application. Hence, it is important to clear the requirements in the initial stage of the project life cycle to have a clear idea about the costs involved in mobile development.

Choosing the Right Technology Stack and Framework

You will need to select the right technology stack and use open-source tools to lower the mobile app development cost. Choosing the appropriate technology stack can help you reduce the overall cost and time of development. Some frameworks have robust backend and front-end support, which helps in developing a fully functional application.

The developers can easily scale the features and optimise the development process by choosing the right technology stack. In addition, you can rely on open source tools and libraries instead of purchasing plug-ins and libraries that increase the costs up to 30%. For example, the popular cross-platform frameworks like Flutter and React Native allow developers to write code only once and deploy it on different platforms like Android and iOS, which minimises the overall cost and time of development.

The React Native framework is based on JavaScript, while Flutter uses the UI toolkit by Google through which developers can make natively compiled apps for desktop, web and mobile from a single codebase.

Start with a Minimum Viable Product

You do not need a complex and highly scaled mobile application in the beginning. You can begin with a minimum viable product (MVP) before developers scale it to the next level. You can add new features and functions to the mobile app in the future according to changing customer preferences and demands.

The minimum viable product will help you understand which platform suits you the best for development. You can also cut down on the development cost by having limited features and functions in the mobile application. It will also give you more time and budget to market the mobile app. 

Using Pre-Built Solutions to Reduce Cost

You can employ pre-built solutions in the mobile application. For example, you can use APIs from a payment gateway, such as PayPal or PhonePe, instead of developing your own. Developers can use APIs in mobile apps to provide smart analytics, geolocation and push notifications features. Developers can implement third-party authentication systems using an SDK such as Firebase for user login. It will save a lot of time for developers while also making sure that your application has strong security safeguards.

In addition, there are pre-made UI templates available on design platforms that can help you save significant design costs. These platforms are WebFlow, Figma, etc. Developers can configure the templates available for mobile applications, which reduces the significant efforts of designers. 

Employing AI for Mobile App Development

There are AI tools available which automate the development process, providing effective data analysis and conversational capability. For example, businesses can integrate AI-powered chatbots in their mobile app to gather feedback from customers and improve overall user experience without the need for custom development.

AI-powered chatbots are a feasible solution for businesses to enhance customer experience. You can save significant costs by leveraging AI chatbots in the mobile app. The chatbots are available 24/7, providing instant support and response to customers. 

To Sum Up

We have a highly competitive world around us where businesses strive to stay on top of the trends and gain customers. Companies invest heavily in creating mobile apps that are not as profitable as their investment. Hence, you must ensure that you develop a mobile app with customer-centricity in mind.

Spending a significant amount of money on mobile apps which are going to waste away in app stores is not something you want. Hence, you need a careful and efficient strategy to approach mobile app development. Our developers at VerveLogic, one of the prominent and well-known mobile app development companies in Atlanta, can help you achieve a scalable app. We have delivered over 150+ customer-friendly apps with intuitive design and AI capabilities. You can consult with our experts to know more about app development frameworks that will fit the needs of your project.