Creating a mobile app is an immensely complex process; the same goes for setting a budget to be used for developing a mobile app. Each mobile app is developed with a specific purpose for users and owners, which is usually to generate revenue or automate a particular process to save resources.

However, the strategy to realise this goal should be specific to the mobile app. As it is with all other businesses, two primary factors would affect how much it would cost to develop a mobile app. One is material costs, and the other is labour cost.

With mobile apps, the material costs would be determined according to the app’s purpose and platform, how users can benefit from the mobile app, and the complexity of the UI or user interface. Other functions and features include e-commerce, billing, user-generated content, external APIs, and location and date tracking, among others.

Below are the primary elements you should prioritise when planning your mobile app as these will directly impact your budget:

The mobile app’s features and functions

Do not just randomly choose features and functions. You need first to determine what you want your app to do. Next is who will use it (your business or your target clients) so that you can pick which features you need to incorporate.

Consider checking out apps that you think are like the app you have in mind for inspiration.

The platform

This one’s pretty easy because it’s either you go with Android or iOS. But before you just go ahead and randomly choose your operating system or develop an app for both, do your research to determine what OS your target market is using. You can then develop the features and UI that would function best on your chosen platform.

The UI elements

Generally speaking, an e-commerce or custom project management app will be more costly than a simple app like a calculator since they will require more complex UI elements including visual transitions, 3D graphics, and animations among others.

When calculating your budget, make sure to factor in how much you’ll need for the UI elements. You want to ensure that your company has an excellent UI developer.

Integrations

These can be very costly, depending on which systems you want to integrate with your mobile app. To lower integration costs, consider preexisting plugins.

The hardware features

If you are keen on having a mobile app that can use particular hardware features of tablets and mobile phones as a camera, you need to factor this into your budget as well. Ideally, you should allot a chunk of your budget for features like these if your mobile app’s appeal and benefits are directly tied to those features.

Put simply, when planning for your mobile app development budget, you need to prioritise, prioritise, and prioritise. You need to have a clear vision of what your mobile app should be all about and how your company or your target users can benefit from it.